Oregon State and Washington State have been left to manage an exodus of some of the schools' best players as the Pac-12 has essentially dissolved around them.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Oregon State football saw the departure of star running back Damien Martinez, while eight players from the school's women's basketball team who played in the Elite Eight, have now entered the transfer portal.
"I can truly say I have given my all to Oregon State and appreciate everything OSU has given me. After long talks with my family and the people closest to me, I intend to enter the transfer portal to continue chasing my childhood dreams for this upcoming season," Martinez posted on Instagram.
OPB reports a similar exodus of some prominent players at Washington State. Quarterback Cam Ward is now at Miami and women's basketball player Charlisse Leger-Walker, who helped the Cougars win the Pac-12 tournament in 2023, has elected to spend her final season at UCLA.
Twelve players from Washington State's men's basketball team that went to the NCAA Tournament this past season for the first time since 2008 have entered the portal.
Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes addressed the situation in an open letter to the Beaver community.
“I hear you and know that it feels like since August we have been on the receiving end of multiple gut punches. When that happens, you are faced with two options - exit the ring or throw counterpunches,” he wrote. “Hear this Beaver Nation, the gloves are on, and we will not stray from our mission.
The Pac-12 will see UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington head to the BigTen next year, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah have all fled to the Big 12. Meanwhile Stanford and Cal have gone to the ACC.
The Cougars and the Beavers have been stranded on their own island.
On Monday of last week, the NCAA's Board of Directors formally stripped the Pac-12 of its designation as an “autonomous” FBS conference — essentially taking away the league's Power Five status.
Both the Beavers and the Cougars will compete in the mid-major West Coast Conference in basketball for the next two seasons. Football teams will each play six games against Mountain West opponents — three at home, three on the road — in the fall with a mutual option for 2025.
"This is a Pac-12 school that's going to be in the WCC for two years and I think that we got a pretty formidable team and a pretty dang good program," new Washington State coach David Riley said optimistically. He took over as basketball coach for Kyle Smith, who left Pullman for Stanford following the season.
