For the Cougars and Beavers, challenged like no others by finances and geography, the future is extremely fragile.

In coming days, weeks and months, the Pac-12 will plot a course to salvation … or go the way of the dodo.

The statements came fast and furious Thursday when the news broke that USC and UCLA had decided to join the Big Ten. One came from UCLA and another from USC. There were also statements from the soon-to-be Pac-10 (again) and the should-be-renamed Rich Sixteen.

College sports experienced another seismic shift Thursday when the Big Ten announced that it was adding USC and UCLA to its ranks, starting in 2024. A conference that once was the domain of flinty Midwesterners will soon become a bicoastal affair, and the aftershocks of such a move are nowhere close to being over.

There are only so many spots on the Big Ten lifeboat, and UW cannot afford to advocate for its traditional rivals. WSU, on the other hand, needs to hold its instate partner institution close and not let it get away. Rivalry aside, WSU’s ability to align with UW and partner for conference membership (and television deals) is its most significant chit.

It's hard to envision a near-term scenario in which either Northwest school is offered admission to the Big Ten without Notre Dame involved. And that could take time, perhaps years.

PULLMAN – Beginning in 2024, Washington State’s conference opponents won’t include Southern Cal and UCLA. But that’s the least of the Cougars’ concerns regarding Thursday’s stunning news.

The conference has options; none of them are good.