UW Seeking Dismissal of OSU, WSU PAC-12 Lawsuit

Following the announced departure of 10 of the schools in the PAC-12, Washington State and Oregon State filed a lawsuit, seeking to take control of what's left of the league.  Now, the Huskies want it dropped.

Monday, UW permitted to join the suit

The lawsuit seeks to put WSU and OSU in control of what happens to the PAC-12, whether it dissolves or attempts are made to revive it. If it dissolves, WSU and OSU are seeking to obtain whatever financial assets are left once all bills have been paid.

Either way, the lawsuit claims the other ten schools, UW, Oregon, Cal, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Arizona, and Arizona State, broke the league by-laws and rules by announcing they were departing before August 1st, 2024.  Over a decade ago, policy and language were added to the league by-laws that any school that leaves the league before that date forfeits all rights to help govern or run the league.

 Huskies claim they are in compliance.

 According to the AP, mediation talks are going on between the other ten schools and WSU and OSU, but they believe the lawsuit should still go forward.  The Whitman County Judge (the lawsuit was filed in Whitman County Superior Court where Pullman is located) allowed UW to intervene in the proceedings, and the other 9 schools have filed briefs of support.

UW says they have not, in writing, formally stated they were leaving for the Big 10. However, WSU and OSU say the arguments are flimsy, and internal communications and public declaration amount to a formal notice.

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UW claims OSU and WSU broke the rules by not attempting to settle the issue in a meaningful manner, and they say because they and the other 9 schools are not officially named in the suit they have been precluded from the proceedings.

A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for November 14th for the judge to decide who, for now, will run the PAC-12.