In what has been a very unusual season for the Pac-12, Oregon State and No. 25 Washington State will face each other this weekend for what is essentially the regular-season title for the league.
This is the reality for the once-proud Pac-12, which was left with just two teams — the Beavers and the Cougars — after last year’s realignment.
The only remaining Pac-12 game will be held Saturday in Corvallis. While Washington State and Oregon State had a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West this year, neither team is part of that conference’s standings.
After the collapse of the Pac-12, the Beavers and Cougars have worked together to rebuild the conference. In 2026, five Mountain West teams, along with Gonzaga for basketball, will join a restructured Pac-12.
However, this partnership doesn’t extend to football, at least according to Washington State head coach Jake Dickert.
“I’ve never gotten into, like, they’re our buddy. Oregon State’s not our buddy. They would have left us as fast as we would have left them. This is what it is,” Dickert said this week. “It’s one of our biggest rivals now. That’s the way I looked at it. That’s not bulletin board material. I hope they would say it the same way, let’s go compete.”
Washington State (8-2) recently suffered a tough 38-35 loss to New Mexico, which hurt their hopes of winning out and earning a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Cougars had been ranked as high as No. 18 in the CFP rankings.
“Our team will be defined in how we respond to this,” Dickert said. “That’s what we talked about after the game. That’s what we talked about this morning. We have a commitment to finish here.
That isn’t just committing to finish because we’re in the playoff hunt. It’s a commitment to finish to each other and our team. There are 50 other teams in the country that would switch places with us, and be 8-2 with where we’re at.”
Oregon State (4-6) has been struggling with five straight losses, including a 28-0 defeat at Air Force last weekend.
The Beavers could still make a bowl game if they win against the Cougars and then defeat No. 12 Boise State next weekend.
“When you lose like we’ve lost the last five weeks, it’s never just one thing, and it’s certainly not just the players,” Oregon State coach Trent Bray said.
Washington State’s quarterback John Mateer has been one of the top players in the country, even though he plays outside of a Power Four conference. Mateer is ranked fifth nationwide with 340.2 yards of total offense per game. He has 26 passing touchdowns (tied for fourth) and 12 rushing touchdowns, setting a new single-season record for a Washington State quarterback.
Mateer is the only quarterback in the country with over 20 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores.
His success has led to growing interest from other teams, much like his predecessor, Cam Ward, who played for Washington State last season before transferring to Miami. Ward is now a Heisman candidate and a possible first-round NFL draft pick.
The transfer portal will open on December 9.
Looking ahead, the scheduling agreement with the Mountain West was not renewed for next season, so Washington State and Oregon State had to set up their own schedules. As part of this, the two teams will play each other twice next season — once in Corvallis and once in Pullman.
In 2026, five Mountain West schools — Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Utah State — will join the reformed Pac-12. Gonzaga, which does not have a football team, will also be a part of this new conference.
To gain official NCAA recognition, the new Pac-12 still needs to add another football team.
