Come next year, all Oregon State University sports will be competing in the Pac-12 athletic conference once again.
Where are the Beaver teams coming from? And where are the incoming Pac-12 schools coming from?
West Coast Conference
In July of 2024, OSU joined the West Coast Conference as a non-permanent associate member, but did not compete in the WCC for every sport. OSU’s men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, and golf teams competed in the WCC. Beaver softball, volleyball, women’s cross country, and women’s rowing also competed in the WCC conference.
Independent
Oregon State Baseball did not join a separate conference and instead carved their own path by putting together an independent schedule. In fact, OSU was the only Division 1 baseball team in 2025 to be independent.
Pac-12
Despite having only one other team (Washington State) and not being considered a “full” athletic conference, some Beaver sports continued to compete under the Pac-12 banner last year. OSU football, along with gymnastics, wrestling, and track and field, all competed in the Pac-12 conference. With only one other school in the Pac-12, the teams had many out-of-conference games and meets during their seasons.
Who’s joining the new Pac?
Seven teams are joining the Pac-12 as full members come 2026: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State, and Gonzaga. Five of these schools come from the Mountain West conference (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State). Texas State is leaving from the Sun Belt Conference, and Gonzaga is leaving from the WCC.
The joining schools will participate in all sports, barring Gonzaga, who does not house a football team.
A handful of schools will join the Pac-12 as affiliate members who only compete in a single sport. Dallas Baptist University will compete in the conference in baseball. Southern Utah University will compete in gymnastics.
Four schools will join as affiliate members in the sport of wrestling: Northern Illinois University, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
What’s next for the Beavs?
Until July 1, 2026, conference affiliations are expected to remain the same for Oregon State. Teams in the WCC will remain there, the baseball team will stay independent, and sports such as football will stay in their two-team Pac-12.
