OSU football: Conference realignment looms over opening practice

As the Oregon State football team opened training camp Thursday there was a great divide between the program’s on-field and off-field prospects.
On the field, the Beavers are coming off a 10-3 season and a bowl victory under sixth-year head coach Jonathan Smith.
The team is anchored by a talented and experienced offensive line and has upgraded its talent level at quarterback with the addition of transfer DJ Uiagalelei and freshman Aidan Chiles.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei looked much more comfortable running the Oregon State offense on the first day of training camp than he did during the spring.
Jess Hume-Pantuso, Mid-Valley Media
There are some holes to fill on defense, but this is a team with a legitimate shot at competing for a conference championship.
But off the field, the Pac-12 Conference is facing its biggest challenge in more than a century of existence. Details have finally emerged about the long-awaited media rights deal and the proposal is disappointing both in its amount — just over $20 million per year per school, roughly $10 million less than the current Big 12 Conference deal — and in its dependence on streaming.
Arizona, Arizona State and Utah are being recruited hard by the Big 12 and are expected to make their decisions in the coming days. The board which oversees both Arizona and Arizona State is scheduled to meet Thursday evening to discuss its options. The Big Ten, which had said it would stay put at 16 members in 2024, is considering taking advantage of the situation and offering membership to Oregon and Washington.
Smith acknowledged the questions which are swirling around the entire conference.
Defensive players warm up prior to the start of practice Thursday at Prothro Field.
Jess Hume-Pantuso, Mid-Valley Media
“There’s a lot of talk," he said. "There’s some beauty to be able to just get started with what we’ve currently got going. Day 1 of a schedule that we know and we’re so excited about that. Seems like that talk continues, the narrative changes almost by the day. I haven’t been on my phone today to see what the new narrative is.”
The future of the conference has a direct bearing on the players. As of today there is no certainty about the team's schedule in the 2024-25 season. It is unrealistic to expect players to ignore it.
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“They’re following it and watching it," Smith said. "We’ll talk about it as we go through camp. I think it’s actually going to be … a motivation, that they know what we’ve got right in front of us and that’s what we want to be focused on anyways.”