Oregon State, Washington State win full control of Pac-12 assets

The Pac-12 lives on for the time being.

The Washington State Supreme Court declined a motion from the 10 departing members of the Pacific-12 conference. In doing so, the court lifted a temporary stay on a prior decision in Superior Court that gave Oregon State and Washington State full control of the board and conference assets. Without that impediment, the two universities have regained full control until a settlement arises or there's an actual trial.

As written by The Athletic's Chris Vannini, the school presidents were pleased with the state supreme court's decision:

“We are pleased with the Washington Supreme Court’s decision today,” OSU president Jayathi Murthy and WSU president Kirk Schulz said in a joint statement. “We look forward to continuing our work of charting a path forward for the conference that is in the best interest of student-athletes and our wider university communities.”

So what's in it for the Cougars and Beavers to retain the conference's assets? For starters, the Pac-12 is still a Power Five conference for now. Although neither school is close to being a football power, they hold all the cards when it comes to consideration for the College Football Playoff, even the expanded version set to arrive a year from now. 

The schools may decide that their new working relationship with the Mountain West could morph into a true merger of the conferences. With over a century of history behind the Pac-12, the bigger brand could win out and possibly retain its standing as a Power Five while promoting the MWC from the Group of Five.

Of course, all of that is a major hypothetical. With the other Power Fives adding teams, plus the SEC and Big Ten specifically taking on the appearance of two super-conferences, the Pac-12 mirrors the plight of Pluto, the planet that was reclassified as a "dwarf planet" nearly two decades ago after falling out of scientific favor. A two-school Pac-12 surely isn't the long-term solution for either Oregon State or Washington State, but this legal win gives them a chance to chart their own journey in the college sports space.