Report: Oregon State, Washington State considering scheduling alliance with Mountain West

The Mountain West and Oregon State and Washington State could form an alliance, per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.

Now pause, alliance is a term used by conferences before that amounted to nothing. We’re looking at you Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12.

The remaining Pac-12 teams, or Pac-2 if you want to call it, could get a deal done for the long term to figure out their futures.

Barring something unforeseen, the two schools will operate in a two-member conference for at least one season.

“(They) have been in deep discussions with Mountain West officials over a one- or two-year scheduling alliance — a move that could eventually serve as a first step in a long-term partnership or even merger with the league,” Dellenger wrote.

“The scheduling proposals are being socialized among Mountain West administrators, and feedback is expected soon from the conference’s presidents. Multiple officials who have reviewed the scheduling proposals spoke to Yahoo Sports.”

According to the report, Oregon State and Washington State could utilize a variety of models in this potential scheduling alliance.

“The league has proposed a wide variety of models,” Dellenger wrote. “One version would have OSU and WSU each playing eight Mountain West opponents in 2024. Another has them playing seven. One has their games counting toward conference records. Another has them as non-conference matchups.

“Any scheduling alliance is likely to feature a compensation package and/or a long-term commitment from Oregon State and Washington State to the Mountain West built around the idea of eventual full membership.”

However, all of this is on hold amid the legal fight with the other 10 Pac-12 members who are exiting to the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. So what’s in store for Oregon State and Washington State in the future?

Well, it looks like a two-team conference will having a deal with the Mountain West. Does that mean a merger with one of the branding names in the future? It remains to be seen.

“From a national perspective, Washington State and Oregon State’s future is significant in at least one way,” Dellenger wrote.

“It is at the center of potential changes to the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff format, which is set for implementation next fall. The current model calls for the six highest-ranked conference champions to receive an automatic qualifier (AQ) and the next six highest-ranked teams to get at-large spots (AL) — a format often described as 6+6.”