THE SIDELINES : Oregon Teams Won’t Quit Pac-10

The presidents of the University of Oregon and Oregon State University say it is important both schools remain in the Pacific-10 Conference.

“It’s a strong alliance,” said John Byrne, president of Oregon State. “It’s our neighborhood, and it goes far beyond athletics.”

“I think that it helps us in recruiting. both faculty and students,” Byrne said in an interview with The Oregonian. “. . . I think that it makes a difference, a psychological difference, I suspect.”

Said University of Oregon President Myles Brand: “Like people, universities are known by the company they keep, and the University of Oregon is pleased to be in the company of the Stanfords, the Washingtons, the UCLAs of the world.”

The athletic departments at Oregon and Oregon State are saddled with debt, leading some critics to suggest the two schools might be better off financially if they left the Pac-10.

The accumulated debt is about $2.7 million at Oregon State and $1.4 million at Oregon.

“It makes no sense at all for us to drop down a conference,” Brand said. “Our shared revenues from being a member of the Pac-10 amount to between $1 1/2 million and $2 1/2 million per year. In addition, our stadium, which is near capacity, would not be as filled if we played only the Idaho States of the world.”