December 1, 2023 — Wyo4News Staff/Press Release
Next year’s Wyoming Cowboy football schedule got tougher and more inviting with an announced agreement today between the Mountain West Conference and Oregon State University, Washington State University, and the PAC-12 Conference.
According to a press release, next season, all 12 current 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 (four home and four away).
The games against OSU and WSU will not count toward the conference standings, and neither Pac-12 school is eligible for the MW championship game. The Mountain West is working on the football schedule and will release matchups soon.
Most current teams in the PAC-12 will be playing in different conferences next season. USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington are heading to the Big Ten, with Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah joining the Big 12. That leaves Oregon State and Washington State as the only two schools left in the PAC-12 in 2024.
“This is a unique and unprecedented opportunity for Oregon State and Washington State to play against highly competitive Mountain West football programs in 2024,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “The scheduling agreement will expand the Mountain West footprint and enhance our national brand while providing our student-athletes with new opportunities, all in line with our strategic priorities. The scheduling agreement strengthens the league’s non-conference schedules, and we look forward to having Oregon State and Washington State be a part of the 2024 slate.”
There has been no mention, at this point, if a similar agreement will be made between Oregon State and Washington State in regard to other Mountain West sports such as volleyball and basketball.
