Washington State AD Torches Pac-12's 'Failed Leadership' With Conference Realignment Leaving The Cougars Looking For Next Move
Washington State is in no man's land as just one of four total schools remaining in the Pac-12 after the entire landscape of college athletics has shifted with conference realignment. The Cougars' AD, Pat Chun, is rightfully unhappy about the new reality the school finds itself in.
Washington State, Stanford, Cal, and Oregon State are all searching for moves out of the swiftly dying Pac-12. What their new landing spots look like remains a complete mystery, but what the Washington State athletic director does know is that this is all a result of extremely poor leadership from the conference.
"I think it’s been well documented that the last couple of weeks was a culmination of years of failed leadership, vision, failed implementation," Chun explained, via the AP. "It isn’t one singular thing that led to the destruction of the Pac-12 as we know it. It was a bunch of decisions and failed strategies that put us in this place. That’s unfortunate because the ones who lose out on that are the student-athletes that go forward."
Washington State AD Pat Chun is fed up with Pac-12 leadership. (Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports)
With the Big Ten and Big 12 potentially being 'full' on teams after adding a fair share of their own, the Mountain West would make geographical sense for the Cougars. The AAC may also be interested in adding a footprint in the Northwest, but Chun doesn't appear to be interested in either option as neither one of those scenarios would deliver Power Five status or revenue.
"We are a Power Five school," Chun said. "Our performance indicates that we are a Power Five school. We’re going to do our best to continue to compete at that level. And that’s really our goal."
It's worth noting that Washington State is currently facing an $11 million deficit in its athletics program despite the football team - the revenue generator - being a member of the Pac-12 since 1962.