Boise State filed a complaint against the Mountain West Conference over concerns about their new TV rights agreement with CBS and FOX.
Last week Boise State released a statement stating they were upset with the conference and weighing their options going forward, but according to KTVB-TV they took further action by filing a legal complaint on the same day.
When Boise State chose not to leave the conference for the Big East in 2012, they received a re-entry agreement with a larger revenue share, also allowing them to negotiate their own television contract for home football games. According to the University’s complaint, the Mountain West violated terms of their agreement after directors voted against paying Boise State additional bonuses under their new television deal.
Instead of attempting to get Boise State a larger share, they looked to phase out the bonuses. Boise State is suing the Mountain West for damages, but according to KTVB, an exact dollar amount is not listed in the complaint. The new deal with CBS and FOX will reportedly see a payout increase of $2 million per school in the conference. Although they’re probably not as highly regarded nationally as they were in 2012, the Boise State football team continues to be the conference’s biggest draw.
After the filed complaint, Boise State and the Mountain West Conference did release a joint statement, saying the two sides are working on a resolution. “The University and the Mountain West are currently in discussions in hopes of bringing this matter to a resolution without litigation.”
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here
