there was a livestream to day from an emergency meeting of the Oregon legislature. A reddit user did his best to submit a transcript:
" Running log of notes (I'll edit to update):
- Read the series of events leading up to today.
- Brad Humphreys didn't show up on time to the Teams Meeting invite and they are trying to get him on the line.
- Skipped straight to talking to Schultz from Oregon.
- Schultz defends the move to the Big Ten as the right move, though notes that he is saddened by the changing landscape of college athletics.
- Says that when presented with the option to renew with the Pac-12 or accept a B1G invite the choice was difficult, but that the Big Ten would allow Oregon to continue to afford to have a self-funded athletic department.
- Further notes that no taxpayer money or student tuition or fees feed into the athletic department, and the main goal for Oregon was for that to continue.
- States that the two primary factors in the choice for leaving: 1. Stability was lacking in the Pac-12 following Colorado, USC, and UCLA departing and 2. The media deal offered to the Pac-12 would not allow for the Oregon athletic department to remain self-funded long term. This left Oregon with only 1 choice: joining the Big Ten.
- The speaking platform was then passed on to Rob Mullens.
- Says the priority is to ensure athletes at Oregon have 2 things: the best possible education and the ability to compete at the highest level.
- Says the growth of income in the industry has been a positive for athletic departments to fund themselves and provide for their student athletes.
- Program's ability to remain self-funded to provide for over 500 student athletes while also giving back an average of 20 million per year to the general fund is something Oregon has been doing for several years, and will be able to continue to do only in the Big Ten.
- Estimated that USC, UCLA, and Colorado leaving 'took 40% of the media evaluation of the Pac-12 with them which left the Pac-12's economic model unstable.
- Questions from Committee for Oregon members:
How did you consider impacts to the state specifically and who did you report those considerations to?
Schultz: quoted Bobby Robbins (Arizona President) that the Apple deal was akin to selling candy bars to support the program. A subscription based model was not one Oregon could accept. So, the primary consideration of the impacts was that any model that put into jeopardy the self-sustaining model of Oregon athletics was not considered a valid offer.
- Asked about the general fund is getting $20 million from the athletic department
- Mullens: Will provide financial reports that are open to the public on request.
- Asked about academic strains to student athletes caused by travel, and how it will be paid for.
- Schultz: 45% of student athletes will have no changes in travel. Cross Country, Track, and so on don't compete in any different travel schedules due to change. 10 out of 20 sports.
- Mullens: The school plays to limit future Out of Conference scheduling to regional travel whenever possible. Specifically mentioned dropping East Coast trips and trips to Hawai'i.
- Schultz: The school believes that it can limit travel impact to 6 academic school days as a maximum regardless of sport.
- Asked about the environmental impacts of increased travel and if they took that into considerationMullens: Environmental impact wasn't taken into consideration specifically, however they did look at ways to minimize non-conference travel.
- Schultz: Impact on student athletes took priority over other considerations
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Next it was OSU's turn and my god the whining and blame-Oregon was fucking insane:
- OSU President and Director of Athletics were invited to speak. President Murthy began:
- Decision for Oregon to pull out of the Pac-12 was made quickly and without opportunity for Oregon State to seek alternatives with Oregon together.
- Oregon's decision to destroy the Pac-12 will have dramatically negative impacts on the Oregon State program.
- Believes that Oregon has a moral and ethical imperative to take more into account than the economic benefit to their own institution but how it impacts the state as a whole and other programs.
- Mic passed over to Barnes, Director of Athletics
- Notes that he has seen 4 conference realignments, but none that have happened as quickly or dramatically as this one.
- Predicts there will be further dramatic realignment in the coming years, sooner rather than later.
- Notes the investments made in Reser Stadium are expected to pay debts and benefit the university, but the positive benefits were blunted by Oregon's departure and "hindered Oregon State's momentum."
- Presented estimates of negative financial impact (video blurry, can't read chart)
- Predicting $40 million in drop in revenues as a result of the "obliteration" of the Pac-12 conference.
- It will take years to build back to where Oregon State is at now financially.
- Is requesting financial supports from the Oregon Legislature to support the Oregon State athletic department because they will not be able to financially survive due to Oregon's departure.
- Notes that Oregon State is still paying back $31 million dollar loan taken to cover costs during Covid. Will not be able to pay back the debt without using the General Fund and charging OSU students fees and tuition increases due to Oregon's departure "dramatically harming" the Oregon State program.
- Oregon State Women's Rowing Team member Park took the mic.
- Conference realignment is affecting her decision to stay at Oregon State or choose another university.
- Uncertainty of the future of the program, whether or not funding will be lost, who they will be playing are pushing her to leave Oregon State and pursue her graduate degree at a different university.
- Sings the praises of the Oregon State program's ability to help her grow as a person and stay dedicated to academics while also becoming a successful athlete.
- States that potentially increased travel in the future would hurt her ability to maintain that focus on both academics and athletics.
- Complains that student athletes were not consulted before conference realignment occurred, and that Oregon State was shut out of the conversation.
- Executive Director of Visit Corvallis (tourism) took the mic.
- Local Restaurants, Hotels, and Retailers which rely on Pac-12 athletic scheduling are expected to take a dramatic downturn resulting in the potential of several businesses closing.
- States that 95% of local businesses benefit from athletic events.
- 55 Local Small Businesses have official connections to the Oregon State athletic department which will likely cease or suffer if Oregon State must reduce its budget as it looks like it will.
- Read a quote from a Chicken & Waffles restaurant "As a local business owner, OSU athletic provides a vital role in business as patrons dine before and after games. OSU Athletics is the backbone of most of our sales, and without the attendees coming to town our business will struggle."
- Overall well being of Corvallis will suffer due to Conference Realignment.
- Murthy and Barnes returned to the Mic.
- Murthy was asked what role the State sees itself of having in the current state of affairs
- Murthy said that she believes that the committee should create a path forward where Oregon and Oregon State agree on conference realignment, and if they don't agree then the Governor should decide for them.
- Complained that on August 3rd the belief was that they were staying together and on August 4th everything was gone and Oregon caused a $40 million dollar hole in their budget.
- Asked about the Apple Deal:
- Barnes: it was similar to the ESPN deal they previously had in structure
- Asked about the $50 million dollar counter offer to ESPN
- Murthy: that to her knowledge no counter offer was ever made and she believe the decision was that they wanted to see what they could get on the open market.
- Barnes: They got the feedback that the Big-12 didn't want to add any small market teams and that included Oregon State.
- Asked what the committee could do to ensure the success of the student athletes at Oregon State
- Barnes: 10.4 Million in annual scholarship and 31 million in Covid debt.
- Murthy: The committee should consider if the University of Oregon should cover the $40 million now missing from Oregon State's athletic budget income.
- *Committee responds by saying the goal shouldn't be to punish the University of Oregon but to help the student athletes.
- Asked if Oregon reached out about helping financially
- Murthy says they did not.
- Murthy said she never believed the value was $50 million, and she doesn't know any other President who believed that.
- Asked about new conference options for OSU
- Barnes said "As of now we are not in a conference next year, but plan to continue to play in the Pac-12 as far as we can.
- Asked if the Big-12 offered Oregon/Washington/Oregon State
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- (so there it is. Apparently, the UofO had a moral and fiduciary responsibility to underwrite OSU's athletic department. Geeezuzz what a pile of horseshit)
can these OSU people explain how it would have made things OK for OSU if the UofO was stuck in a Pac-3 with OSU and WSU? Is there an actual financial component in 'misery loves company? If OSU athletics can't survive a separation from the UofO, isn't it better that the market determines what that athletic department should look like?
as I've said before, then this happened in the first part of August I started out having some sympathy for OSU. But their 24/7 blame-Oregon bullshit has completely killed any sympathy I had. I have to think that even a lot of Beaver fans believe this '
it's all Oregon's fault" mantra is nuts. But maybe I'm wrong
