Pac-12 and Mountain West Reportedly Take Important Step Toward Resolving Legal Battle

Dec 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Pac-12 Conference logo on the court at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As Oregon State prepares for one more season as one of only two members of the Pac-12 Conference, the league announced Wednesday they are taking steps to keep their legal battle with the Mountain West Conference out of a court room.

Per reporting from the Seattle Times, the two leagues will enter mediation on May 19. The leagues also requested a 60-day extension on the current stay of the Pac-12's poaching penalty lawsuit, which was set to expire this month.

The Pac-12 released a statement Wednesday on the decision to enter mediation that read "It is important to note that the Pac-12 initiated this legal action in September 2024, in response to the MWC’s attempt to impose unlawful ‘poaching penalties’ which were designed to hinder our ability to act in the best interests of our student-athletes and member institutions."

That statement continued "While the Pac-12 is committed to engaging in mediation in good faith, we remain confident in the strength of our position and are fully prepared to move forward with our case if we cannot reach an acceptable resolution. Our priority continues to be the well-being and fair treatment of our student-athletes.”

Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are set to join the Beavers and Washington State Cougars (as well as Gonzaga) in thePac-12 in 2026 after exiting the Mountain West Conference. The Mountain West asserts that it is owed over $55 million in poaching penalties related to the departure of those schools, as well as millions in exit fees from the schools themselves.

More on this as it develops!

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