As sucky as what's happening is, there is, are silver lining options.
1. Big 12 and Pac 12 combine with or without Oregon, UW, Stanford.
2. Pac 12 loses Oregon, UW, Colorado, Utah, Stanford to Big 12, and gets Ok State, Kansas, KSU, ISU, Texas Tech, and takes BSU, UNLV, Air force from Mountain West, and adds SDSU, SJSU, Fresno St, SMU, or some other semi similar variation of this scenario.
3. Pac 12 has WSU, OSU, Cal, ASU, that stay, and add ISU, or 1 or 2 different cast off Big 12 teams, like maybe Texas Tech, etc, add UNLV, BSU, Air force, SDSU, SJSU, Fresno St, Gonzaga, SMU, Colorado St, New Mexico, New Mexico St.
4. The entire MWC, joins the Pac 12, that has WSU, OSU, Cal.
5. WSU, OSU, Cal joins the MWC.
What all of these scenarios have in common, and why silver lining is.
A. In all the scenarios except where Pac 12 dissolved, the Rosebowl might still take the new Pac 12's Champion, vs Big 10 winner, at least temporarily. WSU would have a much easier time going to the Rosebowl.
B. The winner of the new Pac 12/new conference, etc, might get a auto bid to the playoffs, and might even get 1 at large bid to playoffs.
C. WSU, OSU, Cal, etc, might become the new USC types of the new conference, AKA BIG FISH.
D. Some awesome, pretty good Basketball schools like Gonzaga, UNLV, SMU, New Mexico St, SDSU, might probably join conference.
E. While football might get shot down, basketball wise the new conference realignment could end up being a BIG EAST, ATLANTIC 10 type, semi awesome, still pretty good Basketball conference,
F. WSU, OSU might probably semi flourish. While football might still languish, Kyle Smith might probably still stay, might probably still continue to recruit, do well, even to the point where WSU might become a semi Gonzaga type, basketball wise.
G. There are still some silver lining possibilities, if WSU, OSU, Cal, maybe ASU, Pac 12, etc, play their cards right, are agressive enough etc.
Is this as good as how things were. Probably No, but then again, it might end up being better for WSU in long run, but for now either may semi suck, and at least is not as good as how things were.
The thing that semi concerns me is that WSU has a history of Blown opportunities, and not only semi consistently snatching defeat from the jaws of Victory, in big opportunity games, but having past WSU presidents, AD's, coaches, fans, everything that makes WSU, WSU, blow things, not make consistently good hires of AD's, Presidents, Coaches, not make good moves, not take advantage of opportunities, not have fans, boosters donate, fund raise, attend games, etc.
So even if WSU might have some silver lining, golden opportunities, I am concerned WSU will AGAIN FAIL to take advantage of those silver lining, golden opportunities, and FAIL to be proactive, agressive, make the right moves, FAIL to take advantage of opportunities, YET AGAIN.
I am also concerned something bad will happen to WSU in this kind of situation, like half the football team leaving, half the basketball team leaving, coaches leaving, fans stop donating, fans stop attending games, etc.
OSU, Cal, ASU, etc, will probably make the most out of, adapt to this, etc.
But WSU will probably find a way to FAIL, BLOW IT ALL, AGAIN, etc.
I'm probably to cynical, paranoid about WSU