A judge granted Oregon State and Washington State a preliminary injunction Tuesday in their legal battle with 10 departing Pac-12 schools, giving the Pacific Northwest rivals control of the conference and millions of dollars in assets.
With a significant legal hurdle cleared, Oregon State and Washington State could soon determine how they will go about keeping the Pac-12 alive and what schools they will be competing against next year.
“We look forward to charting a path forward for the Pac-12 that is in the best interest of the conference and student-athletes,” Oregon State President Jayathi Murthy and athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. “Our intentions are to make reasonable business decisions going forward while continuing to seek collaboration and consultation with the departing universities.”
At a hearing in Whitman County Superior Court, not far from Washington State’s Pullman campus, Judge Gary Libey ruled Oregon State and Washington State should be the only members making decisions about Pac-12 business.
“Oregon State and Washington State will be the sole members of the board,” Libey said, ruling quickly after hearing arguments for about 2 1/2 hours.