Pac-12 Notes – Washington Week

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Pac-12 Notes – Washington Week

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November 17th

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UC Regents put off UCLA decision for another month; could delay Pac-12 media rights deals

From the San Jose Mercury News … The University of California Board of Regents on Thursday decided to not decide whether it will approve UCLA’s planned move to the Big Ten in 2024.

That’s right, the regents put the decision off for another month.

At the outset of an open session at UCSF, chair Richard Leib announced a special session would be held Dec. 14 to finalize a decision.

That gathering is expected to take place at UCLA, where the regents have another meeting (of the Health Services committee) already on the schedule.

The regents discussed UCLA in both closed and open session on Thursday with chancellor Gene Block and athletic director Martin Jarmond in attendance.

There are at least three potential outcomes to a saga that began in August, when the regents discussed UCLA for the first time:

— The board could block UCLA’s move using regental authority that was confirmed by general counsel Charlie Robinson during an August meeting.

— The regents could allow the move to proceed as planned but attach a penalty, or subsidy, to compensate Cal’s athletic department for a decline in Pac-12 revenue resulting from UCLA’s departure.

— The regents could, after months of discussion, wipe their hands of the matter and let the Bruins enter the Big Ten unencumbered.

The month-long delay announced Thursday could have implications for the Pac-12’s ongoing media rights negotiations.

… Continue reading story here …

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November 16th

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UC Board of Regents meeting today to discuss UCLA’s future

From the San Jose Mercury News … The University of California Board of Regents is expected to finalize its position on UCLA’s planned departure to the Big Ten when it meets Thursday morning in San Francisco.

Probably.

Guessing along with the board is risky business, but all signs indicate the months-long review is nearing a conclusion.

The regents are scheduled to discuss UCLA’s move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten in the summer of 2024 during a closed session on the UCSF campus, then take action during an open session at 10:15 a.m., according to the agenda posted on the regents’ website.

The executive summary of the action item reads as follows:

“In the final months of 2022, UCLA will begin planning for its athletics programs in 2024, including recruitment of student-athletes and scheduling of competitions. Following the Board’s noticed open session discussion and to provide clarity on UCLA’s conference membership, the Board of Regents will take action on UCLA’s agreement to join the Big Ten in 2024. Recommendation language will be developed to reflect the Board’s consensus during its open session discussion.”

There are at least three potential outcomes:

— The board could block UCLA’s move using regental authority that was confirmed by general counsel Charlie Robinson during an August meeting.

— The regents could allow the move to proceed as planned but attach a penalty, or subsidy, to compensate Cal’s athletic department for a decline in Pac-12 revenue resulting from UCLA’s departure.

— The regents could, after months of bluster and discussion, wipe their hands of the matter and let the Bruins enter the Big Ten unencumbered.

One unknown, at least to the general public, is the degree to which California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who oversees the board, is willing to fight the move.

… Continue reading story here …

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November 15th

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Stanford joins CU in the CBS Bottom 25

From CBS Sports … A couple of weeks ago, I lamented that the number of Power Five teams reaching The Bottom 25 seemed to be steadily declining. I wondered aloud if the transfer portal era might make it more difficult for Power Five teams to bottom out while robbing Group of Five teams of their better players. While the transfer portal concern is genuine, it appears the fear of Power Five teams missing out was misguided.

The Bottom 25 loses Vanderbilt this week thanks to the Commodores pulling off the upset over Kentucky and giving Clark Lea his first SEC win, but they’re replaced by two new Power Five programs this week — two programs that have been here in the past but make their first appearance in 2022.

Welcome, Stanford and Indiana! Indiana has been hovering just on the margins the last few weeks and makes an emphatic debut on the latest edition of the rankings. Meanwhile, Stanford’s descent has been more gradual but has felt inevitable in recent weeks. So where are they in the rankings? Let’s find out.

No. 24 … Stanford ... This is what you get for suspending The Tree, Stanford. Did you think you could get away with it? Here I thought you Stanford types were into trees, but I guess I confused you with Cal. Speaking of Cal, that’s who Stanford gets this week. (NR)

No. 20 … Boston College … Boston College has been so bad this season that I didn’t think there was a chance it would be able to beat NC State, even if the Wolfpack were technically down to their third-string QB. Well, guess what? They did! The Eagles SHOCKED THE WORLD in a 21-20 win over NC State. This week, they’re on the road to face Notre Dame. (13)

No. 16 … Indiana … The Hoosiers had been hovering for a while, but losing to Penn State and Ohio State by a combined score of 101-28 the last two weeks, combined with their win over Illinois losing value, sent them flying to No. 16 in their Bottom 25 debut. They’ve lost seven straight after starting 3-0, and get a road game against Michigan State this week. (NR)

No. 14 … Virginia Tech … The Hokies jumped out to a 7-0 lead over Duke, and before you could finish saying “maybe?” to yourself, they gave up 24 points and lost 24-7. Now they’ll be on the road against a Liberty team that’s already beaten Arkansas and will surely be on high alert after losing to UConn. (18)

No. 9 … Northwestern … Northwestern has not won a football game on American soil since Oct. 16, 2021. It’s been 15 straight losses in the United States since with a 31-3 stomping by Minnesota being the latest. This week, the Wildcats travel to Purdue, which is in America. Not great. (9)

No. 6 … Colorado State … The Rams nearly knocked off Wyoming but came up short in a 14-13 loss. This week, they have to deal with the option attack of Air Force that just ran for 428 yards against New Mexico. (5)

No. 2 … Colorado … Colorado’s November From Hell Tour continued with a 55-17 loss to USC Friday night. This week, they’ll be facing Washington in Seattle. Maybe they’ll catch the Huskies suffering from an emotional letdown following the win over Oregon? But are we sure that will matter? (2)

No. 1 … UMass … You have no idea how badly I wish Texas A&M was in The Bottom 25 so I could’ve made this week’s game between the Aggies and Minutemen The Game of the Century of the Week. Unfortunately, Texas A&M isn’t near bad enough (seriously, in the Bottom 25 rankings, they’re No. 50). Jimbo Fisher can’t even do losing right. Anyway, how hilarious would it be if UMass keeps the streak of A&M not scoring 30 points in a game against an FBS team alive? (1)

… Read full story here …

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November 14th

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Ex-Washington State coach Nick Rolovich files $25 million lawsuit over firing 

From ESPN … Former Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich has filed a lawsuit against the university, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and WSU athletic director Pat Chun seeking damages related to his dismissal last year for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Rolovich had previously filed a claim against the university, which was a prerequisite for suing a state agency. The 32-page complaint — which was filed Friday, according to Rolovich’s lawyer, Brian Fahling — contains eight counts, including breach of contract, discrimination against religion, wrongful withholding of wages and violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as well as the First and 14th Amendments.

Unlike the claim, which indicated Rolovich would seek $25 million, the complaint did not specify how much money he is seeking. However, it does request damages to include the loss of past and future income, liquidated damages from his employment, punitive damages and other costs related to bringing the lawsuit.

A WSU spokesperson said the university “will provide further comment once our attorneys have had an opportunity to assess the claims made in the suit.”

Requests for comment sent to Inslee’s office and the WSU athletic department were not immediately returned Sunday night.

WSU fired Rolovich and four assistant coaches for cause last October for failing to comply with the state’s vaccine mandate. It is unclear whether the other coaches — Ricky Logo, John Richardson, Craig Stutzmann and Mark Weber — also plan to sue.

Rolovich is currently working in a volunteer capacity with the San Marin High football team in Northern California, near where he grew up.

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November 13th 

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Buffs more than a 30-point underdogs (again)

From VegasInsider.com …

Pac-12 lines … 

• Washington State at Arizona … 12:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Arizona is a 4.0-point home underdog
• Oregon State at Arizona State … 12:15 p.m., MT, ESPN2 … Arizona State is a 7.5-point home underdog
• Stanford at Cal … 3:30 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Cal is a 5.5-point home favorite
• No. 7 USC at No. 16 UCLA … 6:00 p.m., MT, Fox … UCLA is a 5.5-point home underdog 
• Colorado at No. 15 Washington … 7:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Washington is a 31.0-point home favorite
• No. 10 Utah at No. 12 Oregon … 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … Oregon is a 2.0-point home favorite

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Cal, on a six-game losing streak, fires its offensive coordinator and offensive line coach

From ESPN … Cal fired offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and offensive line coach Angus McClure on Sunday, as the team has dropped six straight and fallen to 96th nationally in scoring.

“I felt these changes to our coaching staff were needed and made them with the best interest of our football program in mind,” coach Justin Wilcox said in a statement.

The moves came a day after Cal fell 38-10 at Oregon State, generating only 10 first downs and 9 net rushing yards. The Bears rank last in the Pac-12 and 120th nationally in rushing offense. Cal has allowed 30 sacks this season, tying for 109th nationally in sacks allowed.

Cal is expected to fill Musgrave’s and McClure’s duties from within the program for the remainder of the season.

Musgrave had served as Cal’s offensive playcaller since 2020, following a lengthy NFL career during which he made coordinator stops with the Broncos, Raiders, Vikings and Jaguars. The former Oregon and NFL quarterback won a Super Bowl as John Elway’s backup with the Broncos.

McClure arrived at Cal after also coaching the offensive line at Nevada. He spent 2007 to 2017 in various roles for UCLA, including offensive line coach from 2007 to 2011.

Cal (3-7) hosts rival Stanford this week before finishing the season against UCLA.

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USC the only Pac-12 team left with a path the the College Football Playoffs

From ESPN …

Best win: Sept. 24 — USC 17, Oregon State 14

Toughest game left: Nov. 19 at UCLA

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