washington state cougars

Here’s a breakdown of the details provided in the text, addressing the questions posed:

Regarding FCS Opponents in the rebuilt Pac-12:

Why Sacramento state doesn’t make sense for some Pac-12 teams:
FBS schools only get credit for one win against an FCS opponent towards bowl eligibility. Many teams in the rebuilt Pac-12 already have their FCS opponent locked in for 2026. Examples given are Oregon State (Montana), Washington State (Duquesne), and San Diego State (Portland State).
Playing Sacramento State would be a wasted prospect for a countable win if they already have their one FCS game scheduled.
FCS matchups have little TV value. Games against Sacramento State would likely be streamed, which is not the Pac-12’s preference for its media inventory.

How it will work:
The Pac-12 will sponsor men’s tennis, which is one of eight men’s sports and at least 10 women’s sports the conference plans to sponsor.
Only four of the nine current members play men’s tennis.
The conference is working to identify affiliate members to fill out the sport, as well as other sports.
This is not unusual; Little Rock has been an affiliate member in wrestling, and Cal’s field hockey team was an affiliate before joining the ACC.
The expectation is that most,if not all,Olympic sports will eventually realign into conferences that make geographic sense.

Do new schools get an equity stake?
Pac-12 Enterprises is not mentioned in the grant-of-rights agreement that starts next summer.
The conference likely wants to closely protect matters involving equity, similar to how they handled the Pac-12 Networks and legacy schools.
However,the incoming members view Pac-12 Enterprises as a meaningful asset.
Profits from Enterprises will be funneled to WSU,OSU,and the new schools alike as part of their annual distributions. This suggests that while they might not have direct “equity” in the enterprise itself, they will benefit financially from its operations.* Pac-12 Enterprises is significant because it handles production for team promotion and visibility, and can generate revenue thru third-party agreements (like producing a Golden State Warriors game).