College football schedules are the latest aspect of the game to be affected by conference realignment. Oregon State and Washington State announced last Wednesday They will face each other twice in the 2025 regular season. The two teams have agreed to a home-and-home arrangement where the first game will be played on November 1, 2025 at Oregon State and the second on November 29, 2025 at Washington State. Their rivalry also provides both schools with an opportunity to strengthen their program strengths in a changing environment. While this arrangement is certainly unusual, it is not entirely unprecedented; Similar scheduling decisions have been made in the past when teams tried to maintain competitive balance and mobilize fans during turbulent times in college football.

How Did We Get Here?

Significant changes were made to the Pac-12 last year, resulting in USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten; Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State moved to the Big 12. Stanford and Cal also moved to the Big Ten. ACC. As a result, Oregon State and Washington State will be the only remaining members of the Pac-12 for the 2025 season. During conference organization It has led to teams like Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State being included in the Pac-12 in the future, with those additions not scheduled to happen until 2026.

For the 2024 season, Oregon State and Washington State signed a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West, allowing them to play six Mountain West teams throughout the season. However, this agreement will not be renewed for the following year and the two teams will operate in a conference consisting of only two members, creating a schedule similar to that of an independent team.

Historical Precedent

From a statistical standpoint, a home-and-home agreement during the regular season is extremely rare. Only two teams have participated in such an arrangement since 2018, making it less than 1% likely to happen.

The most recent example of a home-home agreement occurred between two independent teams a few seasons ago. During the 2018 and 2019 regular seasons, the Liberty Flames and New Mexico State Aggies (now members of Conference USA) were independent schools trying to fill out their schedules. As a result, the two teams played each other four times in 14 months. Liberty went 3-1 in those four meetings. In 2018, New Mexico State won 49-41 at home, while Liberty won 28-21 at home. The following year, Liberty won 20-13 on the road against Las Cruces and again 49-28 at home. After both schools joined Conference USA in 2023, they began an annual matchup with alternate venues each year. Notably, in 2023, the two teams faced each other in both the regular season and the Conference USA championship, with the Liberty winning both games, including the 2024 matchup.

The Power of the Schedule View

Like Liberty and New Mexico State before them, Oregon State and Washington State are not expected to feature a regular home-and-home series on their schedules; rather, it serves as a bridge between the final year of the “Pac-2” and the full conference slate the following season. Oregon State’s schedule includes games against five current Power 4 schools as well as matches against each other, and Washington State’s schedule includes games against only three current Power 4 schools. One Oregon State press release“We chose to play two games against Washington State to maximize the strength of this schedule, which includes intriguing matchups both home and away,” said OSU Director of Athletics Scott Barnes. A strong schedule is crucial to securing a potential college football playoff berth.

Analyzing each team’s published schedules and competitors’ rankings for the 2025 season CBS Sports Rankings Ranking college football teams 1 through 134 as of Oct. 21, 2024, supports Barnes’ claim that the strength of the program is increasing. Without matchups with Washington State, Oregon State’s average opponent ranking based on the 2025 schedule is 74. However, when two in-conference games are included, this number increases to 66. For Washington State, the increase in opponent quality is less pronounced; The average ranking, excluding Oregon State, is 71.75, rising to 70.8 when they are included.

High stakes games tend to draw more viewers, making strength of schedule increasingly important for teams. This season, two Pac-12 schools had a television deal with the CW. average 433,000 viewers It includes some of the most-watched games on the network this season through October 9: 568,000 viewers For the Week 6 Oregon State-Colorado State game. A stronger schedule not only improves the quality of the competitors, but also increases television ratings, increasing the overall value of the programs. Certainly looking to build on the momentum of the 2024 season and set the stage for a future Pac-12 media deal, playing each other twice in 2025 is a strategic move that not only increases the strength of their schedule but also positions them for better viewership and value. competitive environment.

The Road Ahead

The last time Oregon State and Washington State met twice, in the 1945 season, Washington State swept the series. However, the college football landscape has undergone jarring changes since then, revealing both the potential and pitfalls of modern planning practices.

This unique arrangement is emblematic of everything that is both right and wrong in college football today. On the one hand, this is a deplorable sign of the times; a necessity arising from the breakup of the Pac-12 as schools seek greener pastures. It underscores the difficulties of sustaining regional rivalries amid a relentless search for revenue and exposure. But it also celebrates the resilience of Oregon State and Washington State, who forged their own path after others abandoned ship.

By scheduling these games, the two schools are not only keeping their shared history alive, but also demonstrating their commitment to preserving the essence of the Pac-12 on their own terms. This is a chance to honor their legacy as they move forward into a new reality, and in doing so, they remind us of the enduring spirit of college football; a spirit that values ​​tradition even as it adapts to an ever-changing environment.