We know it’s a downgrade, specifically in the TV revenue department, but the Oregon State Beavers and the Washington State Cougars really would be right at home in the Mountain West Conference if you think about it. Right now, the MWC has two undefeated teams: No. 24 Fresno State and unranked Air Force. There’s an argument to be made that adding No. 13 WSU and No. 15 OSU to the conference is literal gold.

In addition to the Bulldogs and the Falcons, the league has seen Boise State and Utah State put forth very good seasons at the FBS level in the last handful of years. This is a competitive league that actually is capable of playing head-to-head with the power conferences—now the Power 4, perhaps, starting next year: the ACC, the B1G, the Big XIII, and the SEC. Don’t laugh: we have seen MWC teams win big games.

Remember that as a member of the Mountain West, the Utah Utes built a very strong program and won BCS bowl games in 2004 and 2008 while finishing undefeated both times. That helped Utah make the leap to the big time (Pac-10 expansion) and stay there during this most realignment fracas (transitioning to the Big XII next year). Who says the Beavers and the Cougars can’t go to the MWC and do the same thing, really? Who?

Generally, Oregon State and Washington State have not been able to assert themselves in the Pac-8/10/12. We saw this in recent looks at the best teams in Beavers and Cougars history, respectively. Sadly, maybe the two smallest schools in the Conference of (real NCAA) Champions were just hangers on; Oregon State has some done some serious national damage in baseball, but otherwise, both athletic programs struggle a bit.

They may struggle some more with the loss of the Pac-12 TV revenues, obviously. But the fans of both schools are loyal and rabid, if not successful in their own lives. Look at the money Southern Methodist raised upon news of the school’s elevation to the ACC last month—without any TV revenue payouts for the next 9 years. While OSU and WSU may not have oil alums like SMU, surely the two campuses can fundraise.

Regardless of the legal battles currently raging over the end of the Pac-12, the futures of the Beavers and the Cougars still can burn bright … in the Mountain West. They’d be natural (albeit friendly) rivals in the new league, although regional battles might surface for the two schools as well: Boise is close enough to drive to from Pullman, while Fresno is also just down Highways 99 from Corvallis, really (686 miles).

We see it as being a fun, enlivening entity in the FBS scene, taking over the Pac-12 quirky “western”, creative imagination with “After Dark” televised games on Thursday and Friday nights that will garner better TV audiences than perhaps traditional Saturdays when up against the Power 4 conferences next year and beyond. OSU and WSU should fight in court, yes, but they should make it a win-win situation, too. Duh!