By Brenda June Temple
12/22/2023
OSU and WSU to begin play in the WCC across 12 sports beginning with the 2024-25 academic year
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference has announced the addition of Oregon State University and Washington State University as affiliate members across 12 sports for a two-year term, beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
The WCC extended invitations to OSU and WSU in 12 sports, with both institutions set to compete as affiliate members in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s cross country and women’s rowing. Oregon State will also participate in the Conference in men’s soccer and softball, and Washington State will also compete in the WCC in women’s tennis and men’s cross country.
“The West Coast Conference provides an exceptional experience with strong values that are shared across its membership,” said Dr. Thayne McCulloh, President of Gonzaga University and the Chair of the WCC Presidents’ Council. “We are pleased with the opportunity to support Oregon State and Washington State with affiliate membership. Their addition to the WCC augments the national competitive excellence and fortifies the strength of the Conference across these 12 sports. We look forward to partnering with these institutions as we continue to support our student-athletes, coaches, and programs across the full range of our sponsored sports.”
The addition of Oregon State and Washington State gives the Conference 11 teams in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s soccer, volleyball and women’s cross country; 10 teams in men’s golf and women’s tennis; nine in men’s soccer, men’s cross country and women’s rowing; and six in softball and women’s golf.
“The West Coast Conference is committed to providing opportunities for its membership to compete for national championships, supporting its student-athletes in their goals, and celebrating the achievements of its programs both inside and outside of the athletic arena,” West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson said. “The WCC has a great history of national success, and we look forward to continued excellence with the addition of Oregon State and Washington State as affiliate members of the Conference. These are two prestigious institutions with a robust athletics profile that each embody the intrinsic values of the WCC. The Conference and its member institutions provide valuable opportunities in recruiting, scheduling, broadcast exposure and an exceptional student-athlete experience. OSU’s and WSU’s institutional support and passionate fan bases will only enhance this experience across the Conference. We have developed a great partnership with President Jayathi Murthy and Scott Barnes at Oregon State, and President Kirk Schulz and Pat Chun at Washington State, and look forward to working together to continue to position the WCC for success.”
WCC teams annually compete for national championships, with a storied history that includes nearly 30 team or individual national champions since the Conference was formed in 1952. The Conference regularly earns multiple NCAA bids in many sports, including men’s and women’s basketball. The Gonzaga men’s basketball team, which advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals last season, has reached the national championship game twice in the last six NCAA Tournaments played. This fall, the WCC sent three men’s soccer and three women’s soccer teams to the NCAA Tournament. The Conference has been represented in the NCAA quarterfinals in men’s soccer each of the past two seasons, with Portland in 2022 and LMU this past season. The rich history of WCC women’s soccer includes a Santa Clara national title in the spring of 2021. Pepperdine men’s golf captured the WCC’s most recent team national title, winning the 2021 NCAA crown. The Pepperdine women’s tennis team has advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals each of the last five seasons, finishing as the NCAA Runner-Up in 2021. LMU beach volleyball has finished in the top five of the final national rankings each of the last three seasons. The WCC has a strong postseason history in indoor volleyball as well, highlighted by San Diego’s appearance in the NCAA Final Four in 2022.
The WCC’s support for affiliate membership with Oregon State and Washington State provides a partnership that will offer strong competitive opportunities and bolster the profile of each institution and the Conference.
“As we explore long-term solutions for the Pac-12 Conference and Washington State University, we appreciate Commissioner Stu Jackson and the West Coast Conference for their partnership in providing 10 of our programs affiliate membership,” said Washington State Director of Athletics Pat Chun. “The WCC allows an opportunity for our 10 teams to have access to championships as well as high-level competition. We are grateful to our student-athletes and coaches who have been patient and supportive as we work through the best path forward for WSU.”
“This affiliation agreement provides short-term clarity for 10 of our programs and guarantees that our student athletes and coaches can continue to compete for conference and national championships,” said Oregon State Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes. “We appreciate Commissioner Stu Jackson and the WCC for their partnership. This agreement represents an important step in our strategy to preserve options for the future viability of the Pac-12 conference. Our highest priority continues to be the success of all OSU student-athletes, starting with their ability to compete – and win — at the highest level possible.”
Oregon State and Washington State will be eligible to compete in the WCC’s postseason championship events and earn the Conference’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Championship for each of the sports they compete in as affiliate members. Both institutions will be included as part of the WCC’s media rights agreements. Scheduling models will be developed and announced at a later date.
COURTESY WEST COAST CONFERENCE COMMUNICATIONS
