WSU and OSU partner with MWC for football

PULLMAN — Washington State University (WSU) and Oregon State University (OSU) have announced a new partnership with the Mountain West Conference for the 2024-25 football season.

The scheduling agreement in place will see both WSU and OSU play six game against Mountain West teams, three home games and three away games each.

Since WSU and OSU are still part of the Pac-12 conference, and are in a legal battle to gain control of the brand and their assets, their games against the Mountain West teams will be considered “non-conference”. The game will not count towards conference standings, and both WSU and OSU will be ineligible to participate in the Mountain West championship game.

The schools will pay the Mountain West a combined total of $14 million for the scheduling agreement.

“Today’s announcement provides both institutions clarity for the 2024 football season,” said WSU President Kirk Schulz in a statement.

The agreement and schedule finalization comes before the college football transfer portal officially opened on Monday, Dec. 4.

As of writing, WSU has already seen key producers from the 2023-24 season enter their name in the transfer portal, as well as testing the waters of the NFL Draft.

The players who have announced their intent to transfer are: wide receivers Lincoln Victor and Josh Kelly, quarterback Cameron Ward, and running back Jaylen Jenkins.

Safety Jaden Hicks has announced his intention to put his name in the NFL Draft.

The announcement of the football conference schedule is important as it gives potential transfers a set answer to who the school will play next season.