There might only be two members of the Pac-12 still standing, but they are fighting hard to preserve the conference's integrity and resources. Oregon State and Washington State have been granted a temporary restraining order in the case against the Pac-12, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

The latest move in this improbable saga affords the two schools more time to thwart the efforts of the departing league members, who it was revealed are seeking to use conference funds to finance their transition costs. The Pac-12 board meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday has now been effectively canceled with this legal action.

While there are still barriers to clear, this is a significant victory for the “little guys.” Washington State President Kirk Schulz expressed as much on Monday.

“We are very pleased with the court's decision today,” he said. “It has always been our view that the future of the Pac-12 should be determined by the remaining members, not those schools that are leaving the conference. This position is consistent with the action the Pac-12 Board of Directors took when the first two schools {USC, UCLA} announced their departure from the conference more than a year ago.”

Both the Cougars and Beavers are undefeated to begin their college football seasons. Fans would surely like to put all their focus on the field, but the league's implosion has naturally dominated headlines and the universities' energy.

One can definitely understand why Oregon State and Washington State would not want their potential fate, and that of the Pac-12, to rest in the hands of the schools that decided to bail. They won the battle today, but this war feels far from over.