Cal Sports Report

Ten Departing Pac-12 Schools Will Pay a Portion for Potential Legal Liabilities

The majority of 2023-24 Pac-12 revenue will be distributed equally among the 12 schools
Jake Curtis|
Ten Departing Pac-12 Schools Will Pay a Portion for Potential Legal Liabilities
Ten Departing Pac-12 Schools Will Pay a Portion for Potential Legal Liabilities

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California Golden Bears

Associated Press reported Thursday that Oregon State and Washington State, which have been given control of the Pac-12’s assets, have reached agreement in principle with 10 departing Pac-12 schools on revenue distribution for 2023-24.

That report did not offer the financial terms, but former Oregonian columnist John Canzano specified the amount the departing schools, including Cal, will pay for potential liabilities that could result from a current lawsuit against the NCAA and its members, including the Pac-12.

Oregon State and Washington State announced that they have reached a settlement with the 10 departing schools. The financial piece of the agreement gives the two schools protection against liabilities involving ongoing lawsuits, $190 million in future conference revenue and $65 million from the departing schools that will be spread out over the next two years.

The total war chest: $255 million.

The $65 million divided by 10 schools is $6.5 million per departing school, including Cal. That will be paid over two years. Also $190 million in future conference revenue will go toward that liabilities total. 

Oregon State and Washington State remain in control of the money coming into the conference, but the departing 10 members said in their statement that a “vast majority of funds earned in 2023-24 to be distributed equally among the 12 members.”

In 2022-23, each Pac-12 school received about $37 million in revenue distribution. 

Oregon State and Washington State will join the West Coast Conference as affiliate members and play league games — with the exception of football and baseball — against WCC schools for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. 

The most important sport in this agreement is basketball, as the Beavers and Cougars will be in the same basketball conference as Gonzaga and Saint Mary's for two seasons. This will give the WCC 11 basketball members for two years.

Earlier this month, Oregon State and Washington State reached a football scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference.

All 12 Mountain West teams will play seven traditional conference football games in addition to one contest against either Washington State or Oregon State for a total of eight games.

Cover photo by Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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