This is the final week for the Mountain West Conference as it currently sits with major changes becoming official not only for that entity but for a re-launched Pac-12 Conference which is the latest league to have a numeral in its name that does not translate to the total number of member schools. Non-accurate conference names notwithstanding, the biggest news is the departure of five institutions from the MWC to the PAC (which is how I will be referring to it) and that becomes official on July 1.
Moving forward the MWC will be comprised of Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming as members in all sports with North Dakota State and Northern Illinois playing football only. The flip side will have UC-Davis and Grand Canyon as non-football members. The Lopes got an early start and played in the MWC this past basketball season.
The PAC is made up of nearly all “State” schools with Boise, Colorado, Fresno, Oregon, San Diego, Texas and Utah (all with State after them) for all sports and Gonzaga joining in for basketball.
Viewing Platforms
The PAC will use CBS Sports, USA Sports and the CW for streaming as well as Paramount+ and ESPN+ as extensions of those agreements.
The MWC will use CBS Sports, Fox Sports, the CW and ESPN+ and also the beginning of MW+ which will be subscription based platform available to download on July 1.
The TV Deals
These are all estimates and both leagues are spinning their press release and social media information at the high ends of their potential income. The biggest question that fans of both sides will want answered is: Does the PAC contract moving forward make it worth the split? It may take years for that to be answered. Estimates right now is that the PAC is going to make about double what the new MWC will make per school, somewhere in the $8 million versus 4$ million range. On the surface, that looks pretty good for the PAC. Of course, if each school is paying $8-10 million in fees, the schools that left have some bills to pay. The MWC is hoping the MW+ platform, which will be all profit if there is any, turns out to be a big part of filling that gap. On the flip side, the new PAC will be looking to offset what the settlement numbers are with that revenue advantage.
The Settlement
The two leagues announced a settlement over departure fees and poaching fees in May. No numbers have been released but both sides have and will continue to spin that they got the better end of the court battles. The old adage that the only winners here were the lawyers seems especially true in this case. The truth is, non of this was necessary. In retrospect, a merger with Oregon State and Washington State and the MWC under one banner looks so much smarter than how things have played out over the past two years.
So how much will the MWC get? Nobody really knows. The max potential was $150 million so clearly they aren’t getting all of that in a settlement. Some PAC supporters have suggested it’s as little as $50 million. I’d be shocked if the MWC agreed for one-third of what they were asking. The experts who have seen this all before are saying it’s likely about 55% of that $150 million or around $82 million. Once the money starts being moved, the math nerds will extrapolate what the overall total comes out to be. Anyone who listens to SVI knows math is something I have to work on, but in essence, the next four years the schools may be paying off that difference. Just in time for another negotiation in 2030.
For my two cents, this particular battle is over, but the constant fight for revenue, respectability and the upper hand never ends. The PAC schools will have to work through a re-launch with new offices, a new way of doing things and some things that you can’t foresee. Maybe that goes smoothly, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s more expensive than they thought. Maybe it’s cheaper. Time will tell.
For the MWC, the money that is coming their way and then distributed to its member schools is precious in the next four years. The next TV negotiations start in 2030 and the fallout of NIL and paying players is still very much up in the air. Whatever monies is collected from this mess must be used wisely and invested in what comes next. This is not a windfall, this is severance and if you’ve ever been let go of a job, that money never goes as far as you think. Individually those schools will have to best decide how to use it, but as league members, the next wave of realignment is on the horizon. Just how loyal are schools likely to be? Is your coaching staff well paid? Underpaid? How about your boosters and ticket sales? For a school from a state with literally the fewest amount of eyeballs like Wyoming, this payout is a critical chance to help better your future bargaining posture. As for money coming in like the $5 million buy-in from North Dakota State? I would hope that type of resource is used as a league checking account to help with league things. Now and in the future.
Bragging Rights
There are sore feelings about this. I can say that confidently because I could be speaking for myself. There are programs that I have had a connection to that I hope fall absolutely flat moving forward. There are others that I had very little connection with that I am now pulling for in a big way. I’m not alone in this. Who got the better end of this whole thing? That will be decided by the income and the results on the field. This fall there are only three matchups between the two new leagues and they all take place in September.
The first one is the first game of the season for the Wyoming Cowboys and the colorado state rams on September 5, in Fort Collins. This game is huge in a normal year for these schools. This year they fight for recruits, for the rivalry and now for their different league mastheads. There are a lot of parallels too. Wyoming has a coach in Jay Sawvel that needs to capitalize on what has appeared to be a strong off-season. Jim Mora is a high profile coach who’s never coached a game for csu and will have nearly 100 new players. The Cowboys need to jump on that team if the MWC wants to get off on the right foot.
The next matchups probably favor the new PAC with Fresno State at San Jose State on September 19 and then Oregon State heading to The Sun Bowl to face UTEP on September 26.
Just a reminder, The Spur as part of SVI, streams the Wyoming Cowboys throughout southwest Wyoming via traditional radio and on the SVI News app.
