FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2019, file photo, Oregon State Beavers running back Jermar Jefferson (22) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown in a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. With Oregon leaving for the Big Ten conference, the future of the OSU-UO rivalry game is unclear.
Kaylee Domzalski / OPB
With the University of Oregon and the University of Washington leaving the Pac-12, Oregon State fans are left wondering what their teams’ options are moving forward.
OSU is one of four schools left in the conference, along with Washington State University, Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley.
OSU Athletic Director Scott Barnes said college athletics were built on regional rivalries and keeping travel to a minimum for student-athletes.
For those reasons, he said OSU is committed to keeping the remaining schools together and rebuilding the conference.
“The history and tradition of the Pac-12 is still relevant,” Barnes said. “Using the four members to attract additional members is our best path forward.”
However, Stanford and Cal are rumored to be in talks with the North Carolina-based Atlantic Coast Conference.
Barnes said OSU may have to explore other options if the two schools choose to leave.
“Questions have to be answered in terms of our rights as a conference,” he said. “The answers that we receive … will help inform our path forward, as it relates to how long we hang on.”
FILE - Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith speaks during Pac-12 Conference NCAA college football media day on July 29, 2022, in Los Angeles.
Damian Dovarganes / AP
The Pac-12 implosion began last year with the defections of the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles. The University of Colorado followed earlier this summer.
The collapse accelerated over the last month with Oregon and Washington jumping ship, followed by the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and the University of Utah. Oregon and Washington will compete in the Big Ten conference starting in 2024.
“As you think about what’s happening in college athletics, there’s a lot of pieces that, in this case, could impact our student-athletes negatively,” Barnes said. “Ultimately, it was the responsibility of conference leadership to deliver, and that wasn’t done.”
Tyler Bilodeau is a sophomore on OSU’s men’s basketball team. He said that Corvallis “felt like home” when he first visited and that he immediately connected with the team’s coaching staff.
But the university’s Power Five status was also a big draw.
“I grew up watching the Pac-12, being from the West Coast, so it was definitely one of the big reasons why I wanted to come here,” Bilodeau said.
FILE - Oregon State forward Tyler Bilodeau (10) shoots as California forward Sam Alajiki (24) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Amanda Loman / AP
While the realignment conversation is primarily centered around football, other sports will also have to contend with the challenges of a new conference.
Bilodeau said if OSU were to join a different conference, travel would likely present the biggest challenge for student-athletes on a rigorous schedule.
“Football only plays once a week, so they can do it. But a lot of these other sports have multiple games a week,” he said. “That makes really long travel weeks, especially if you’re going all the way across the country.”
Despite the recent tumult, Bilodeau said he would still choose to play at OSU if he had to make his decision again.
“I believe in our coaches and our staff to do what’s best for the school,” he said.
Scott Barnes and Tyler Bilodeau spoke to “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click play to listen to the full conversation: