Pac-12, MWC agree to settlement of lawsuits

[micropolitan guy]

Merits a separate thread. Big news for we fans of western football/college athletics.

Terms must be submitted to the court by June 2, should be rubber-stamped at that point.

No big surprise, these lawsuits and countersuits were never going to trial. The Pac-12/departing schools will pay something for "poaching" and in departure penalties, but not anywhere near the $185m or so the MWC asked for. Both sides can claim they won, when in truth neither side "won," they just reached an agreement.

UNLV and AFA can get their bigger payout from the settlement fund, as promised by the MWC, the other teams will get a little less. UNLV gets locked into the GOR and all the nonsense about them going to the PAC can finally end. Now the PAC can finally add another full-time member or two after waking up from the wet-dream fantasy of getting UNLV.

Both leagues can kiss and make up and schedule convenient, economical, common-sense games against each other. The commishes can kiss and make up and get on with life. The SEC and Big 18 are the real enemy, not each other.

 

[I Should Coco]

Was the rebuilding PAC ever interested in Air Force? I know they wanted UNLV, but I think Colorado State was always their top target in Colorado, not the Falcons.

 

[MileHigh]

Not really. They don't bring much to the table for the conference. CSU was really the highest target in Colorado mainly because Fort Collins is in the Denver DMA.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Was the rebuilding PAC ever interested in Air Force? I know they wanted UNLV, but I think Colorado State was always their top target in Colorado, not the Falcons.

No, they wanted nothing to do with AFA. Huge PITA to play in football because of their offense, and most of their other programs aren't very good.

And their football program has really dropped off recently under coach Howdy Doody.

 

[I Should Coco]

Will be interesting to see if they can attract a ninth/10th member (a ninth school that has football, not another basketball-only school). Would make scheduling easier, and with this lawsuit out of the way, maybe someone else in the MWC wants to eventually shake loose.

I read Wilner's columns farily regularly, and he believes 2030, when various TV and media deals expire, will be the next big conference shakeup.

 

[micropolitan guy]

I think the MWC's binding GOR goes through 2032.

The Pac-12 should just bite the bullet and add NMSU. Academically comparable, in the regional footprint, has all the sports you need, would be thrilled to escape CUSA and would be a loyal member. The PAC is adding the equivalent of an UDFA at this point, not a Heisman Trophy winner.

 

[MileHigh]

Really no one left from the MWC for the Pac to poach and guessing the settlement eliminates any poaching from either league for a bit.

 

[Cosmo]

Will be interesting to see if they can attract a ninth/10th member (a ninth school that has football, not another basketball-only school). Would make scheduling easier, and with this lawsuit out of the way, maybe someone else in the MWC wants to eventually shake loose.

I read Wilner's columns farily regularly, and he believes 2030, when various TV and media deals expire, will be the next big conference shakeup.

Was listening to a podcast a while back with J Pearson, a big-time Virginia Tech booster, and he believes the same thing, and it's why it was absolutely critical to get football right if the Hokies want a seat at the table. He basically thinks there might be six to eight seats up for grab when the next shuffle occurs, and without a strong football program, no one is going to want Virginia Tech, which is pretty blah in men's basketball. You can tout wrestling and softball all you want, but football is the only program that is going to move the needle.

 

[HanSenSE]

 

[HanSenSE]

Really no one left from the MWC for the Pac to poach and guessing the settlement eliminates any poaching from either league for a bit.

Unless they want to get further out of their natural geographic footprint than Fargo or DeKalb.

 

[DanOregon]

Might be more likely to add back Cal and Stanford - though with the new schools added to the Pac-12, not sure they'd want the hit to their academic reps.

 

[dixiehack]

The Pac-12 should just bite the bullet and add NMSU.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Might be more likely to add back Cal and Stanford - though with the new schools added to the Pac-12, not sure they'd want the hit to their academic reps.

In their heart of hearts, nobody gives a **** about academics. It's all eyewash. Vanderbilt has been in the same conference as Mississippi State for decades and no one ever thought less of Vandy (yes, I know MSU has some great programs, but ...).

Stanford's massive ego won't let it come back, and it's rich enough it doesn't have to. But Cal athletics is hemorrhaging money and wasting millions traveling clear across the country and back. Sooner or later the administration is going to say, "enough."