Watch: Coach Jake Dickert reacts to Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten with a motivational speech

Washington State football's head coach, Jake Dickert, has responded to the recent news of Oregon and Washington leaving the Pac-12 conference.

Oregon and Washington are the two latest programs to bail out of the sinking Pac-12 ship, following Colorado’s move to the Big 12. Washington State is one of the Pac-12 schools that hasn’t been linked to a move to another conference.

In a rather sober and reflective mood, Jake Dickert spoke at a media availability at the Cougars’ fall camp in Pullman. He fondly recalled what the Pac-12 (Pac-10) used to stand for. He said:

“I think it’s just one of those things when you really look back. I said it yesterday. The Pac-12 was comprised of 12 amazing state institutions, high-academic institutions, and great, tremendous athletic institutions for a long time. I woke up as a kid and the Rose Bowl was, the Big Ten-the Pac-12, the Pac-10 back then, a big deal.”

Jake Dickert was worried about what the effect of the realignment would be on student-athletes. He said:

“Traveling across the country? You look at the NFL. They’ve got tons of research on how hard that is. And that’s for professional athletes. For student-athletes? The guys that have got to come back and take an exam, missing class? I think it’s tremendously difficult.”

But the student-athletes are not the only worry Dickert has. It bothers him that traditional, historical rivalries are going to be affected by the realignment. He said,

“It hits home. I talked about rivalries yesterday. To think it’s the end of the Apple Cup, to think it’s the end of the Civil War? At the end of the day, what’s it worth?”

Jake Dickert remains committed to building Washington State football

Jake Dickert, however, remembers that his primary role remains to find solutions on the field while the administrators sort out the bureaucratic issues.

“I understand business. I understand change. Everyone’s got to change,” he said. “And we’ve got to adapt. Wazzu will find its way. We have for 100-something years, and we will again.”

On whether the Cougars will stay put or find a new conference, he said,

“I’m not privy to the information.”

But he then went on to reiterate that his team remains focused on getting results, even in the midst of the uncertainty.

“I’m excited about this team,” he said.

“We’ve quietly built a really strong team. I think we’re building something special, and we’ll continue to do that.”