Boise State Sues Mountain West Conference

[TU77CAL82]

I only include in the AAC forum because, well, the conference is short a school at the moment. Not that I necessarily want Boise, but I'm sure there will be a lot of speculation. No way the AAC would give them a special deal though.

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Boise State sues Mountain West over new TV contract, future plan to end Broncos’ bonus

https://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/c ... hly_475731

[WaveProf]

A normal $ share from the AAC is at least as good as a “special” deal from the MWC

[Baywave1]

BSU likes to sue its conference partners. (Recall when it tried to "renegotiate' its Big East departure fee on the fly. Litigation was required to settle that one and have BSU pay up.)

Regardless of who is right here and how this MWC matter is ultimately resolved, it will make it much harder for BSU to change conferences. The new folks will avoid them like a third rail because no one likes to be partners with career litigants.

I wonder if BSU is seriously thinking about going independent in football? I can't otherwise explain this.

[TUPF]

Never good to take a dump where you eat. Plus their blue field is ridiculous.

[GretnaGrn]

A normal $ share from the AAC is at least as good as a “special” deal from the MWC

[OGSB]

Maybe this is all just one big Bronco bluff. Maybe the complaint Boise State filed last week in an Idaho court against the Mountain West Conference alleging bad faith and breach of contract is just a ploy to get back to the negotiating table so that they can keep their sweetheart television deal in perpetuity. Maybe all the posturing and loaded language about considering their options is as phony as a piece of blue turf.
But this much is true: Boise State’s grievances with the Mountain West are now adding up, culminating with the league’s plan to eventually phase out the special financial treatment the Broncos have enjoyed as the ink dries on a new television contract with Fox Sports and CBS.
This much is also true: The Mountain West’s peer league, the American Athletic Conference, is watching this soap opera closely, considering whether the time is right to make a play that would significantly strengthen its brand as the best football league outside the Power Five, kneecap its rival and fill a hole in its membership that was created when UConn announced it was leaving last summer.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb ... spartandhp

[Baywave1]

From a strategic standpoint, I can see AAC adding BSU. It puts a stake in MWC, practically cements in short term AAC into NY6 access bowl slot and better prepares for true P6 status when next CFP contracts/playoff structures are negotiated. It also allows ESPN to keep cream of MWC in inventory otherwise headed to FOX/CBS.

I can see BSU wanting it for similar obvious reasons.

So win-win. Easy negotiation?

However with BSU's demonstrated history of being an "uncollegial colleague," the first image that popped to my mind is the ancient Greek fable of "The Scorpion and the Frog."

[windywave]

BSU looks to be in the right though. I think it's a way for MWC to tell them to frick off and find a better deal if they can which I don't think they will.

[Poseidon]

From a strategic standpoint, I can see AAC adding BSU. It puts a stake in MWC, practically cements in short term AAC into NY6 access bowl slot and better prepares for true P6 status when next CFP contracts/playoff structures are negotiated. It also allows ESPN to keep cream of MWC in inventory otherwise headed to FOX/CBS.

I can see BSU wanting it for similar obvious reasons.

So win-win. Easy negotiation?

However with BSU's demonstrated history of being an "uncollegial colleague," the first image that popped to my mind is the ancient Greek fable of "The Scorpion and the Frog."

FWIW they were going to be a collegial colleague when they were joining the Big East. The BSU had leverage going back to MWC and they used it.

[WaveProf]

I'm not saying there is no baggage. But Boise to the AAC is a no brainer on the AAC end. It's something we shouldn't even have to think twice about, and, in fact, should be actively pursuing.

[MattK]

I'm not saying there is no baggage. But Boise to the AAC is a no brainer on the AAC end. It's something we shouldn't even have to think twice about, and, in fact, should be actively pursuing.

I presume you only mean this in a case where the pie is split evenly....not if they want a $2MM bonus from the AAC too.

[windywave]

I'm not saying there is no baggage. But Boise to the AAC is a no brainer on the AAC end. It's something we shouldn't even have to think twice about, and, in fact, should be actively pursuing.

If only you had a brain...

Dude check out travel times to Boise. Costs to traveling to Boise.

Football only maybe but full fledged NFW

[windywave]

I'm not saying there is no baggage. But Boise to the AAC is a no brainer on the AAC end. It's something we shouldn't even have to think twice about, and, in fact, should be actively pursuing.

I presume you only mean this in a case where the pie is split evenly....not if they want a $2MM bonus from the AAC too.

They could go frick an elkhorn if they want that. In fact they should have to take diminished money for awhile to join the AAC

[Baywave1]

If key for this is net dollars for all concerned, it might just make sense for ESPN to incent BSU to be independent. Coordinating home schedule with BYU, it would have most fall Saturdays at 7pm PT window covered. BSU could get a BYU type comp (if not better?) which exceeds new FOX/CBS equal contract share.

However BSU would have almost no chance for NY6 Access slot and some scheduling challenges as an indy as well. Plus it would have to park its non-FB sports somewhere. Finally I don't think it makes BSU a better candidate for any existing P5.


All SWAG but it seems to be pointing to BSU to AAC football only as an equal participant. If so, I assume AAC lawyers would look to minimize/preempt any future litigation from BSU. Not sure that would work though.

[WaveProf]

I presume you only mean this in a case where the pie is split evenly....not if they want a $2MM bonus from the AAC too.

Yes

[WaveProf]

Dude check out travel times to Boise. Costs to traveling to Boise.

Football only maybe but full fledged NFW

I'd obviously prefer football only for these very reasons, but if the only way we can get them is full fledged, so be it.

And let's remember Aresco has already made it clear that travel distance wouldn't stop him from courting BYU, so Boise should fit in the same way of thinking (though I do realize Boise is even more difficult than Provo)

[windywave]

Dude check out travel times to Boise. Costs to traveling to Boise.

Football only maybe but full fledged NFW

I'd obviously prefer football only for these very reasons, but if the only way we can get them is full fledged, so be it.

And let's remember Aresco has already made it clear that travel distance wouldn't stop him from courting BYU, so Boise should fit in the same way of thinking (though I do realize Boise is even more difficult than Provo)

BYU is closer and a MUCH better pick up

[Baywave1]

Both of you may be right.

https://kslsports.com/426873/boise-stat ... -football/

[WaveProf]

Take Boise BYU and either Air Force or SD State. Expand to 14.

[PeteRasche]

Personally I don't want BSU or BYU.

BSU is a fading brand... they haven't beaten anyone of significance OOC in a while (in their defense, a lot of the P5s they've scheduled and beaten in the past few years turned out to coincidentally be having bad years) and this past year was the first time they've been in the top 20 in a while. While I know we shouldn't sneeze at a perennial "ranked between 20 and 30" team, I don't think they are worth the headaches (travel expense, time zone, "uncollegial colleague", etc.) that comes with having them in the conference. And the country has generally yawned at them beating up on the MWC. A decade ago when they were a perennial top 10 team? Sure, different story. But not now.

BYU has viewership (and therefore some TV contract cache) because of the church, but they are a nonfactor outside of that. They haven't beaten anyone of significance in a long time and have been a complete non-factor in the college football landscape to anyone millennial or younger. People who think of them as a football powerhouse are pushing 40 or older. Jim McMahon is 60, folks.

But really, there's one question that needs to be answered: does adding either school improve our TV contract? Because that's ALL that it's about these days (ahem, "follow the money"). And the answer is no. The AAC just got a new contract starting next year, and I seriously doubt it gets re-written because ESPN would be so happy to have BYU and BSU in the fold that they'd tear it up and start over at a higher price point. That's just not happening. So what good does it do? The CFP isn't expanding to P6 from P5 (TV contracts already in place, why would they give away a share of their pie for no reason?). Short of a promise (like, a signed contract) that our TV contract would be renegotiated for more (not happening) or a promise (even more than a signed contract with these sleazeballs, we'd need blood) that the CFP folks would completely trash their current cash cow to let us in (not happening either), there's absolutely no reason to add teams. Football fans in America who pay enough attention to actually know how good the AAC is (which ain't a lot, unfortunately) aren't going to be knocked over by us adding those teams, they're gonna be like, "oh. okay." It brings nothing to the national conference perception.

[windywave]

Take Boise BYU and either Air Force or SD State. Expand to 14.

You are a frick crack head. You want ever frick time zone without regard for travel. No no no especially because we would probably be frick over and sent to the west i.e. PDT MDT and CDT. frick games starting at 9PM frick that

[WaveProf]

You’d have 7 in the West:
Boise
BYU
SDSU or Air Force
Navy (they actively want to be in the West, and adding AF would only add more incentive))
Houston
Tulsa
Smu

And with six games interdivision, you only have to play two games, 1 home 1 away against the other division. So that is exactly one road trip west year, and half the time that is to Texas or Tulsa

[BC Wave]

I’ll throw this out for feedback.

What would you think of expanding to, gulp, 16.

Add five teams and go to four pods of four teams each.

The five additions — BSU, BYU, Col. St., Air Force. And Army.

Northeast Pod —. Army, Temple, Navy, Cincinnati

Southeast Pod — ECU, USF, UCF, Tulane (or Memphis)

Central Pod —. Tulsa, SMU, Houston, Memphis (or Tulane)

West Pod —. BSU, BYU, Col State, Air Force

[WaveProf]

The issue with four pods is that there’s no good way—nor realistic chance—to have a 4 team conference championship. We could go to 16 however, two divisions of 8, 9 conference games. But Navy would need Air Force in the conference and in their division to make that work (they can’t lose a non conference game without one of them becoming a conference game)

[PeteRasche]

Please stop watering down the conference. If the teams being added do not give a clear and significant benefit to the football brand, we should not do it. BYU and BSU do not. Maybe a decade ago they would have.

Remember how the Big 12 did that whole song and dance about expanding and then ESPN said "nah, we don't want any of those schools in your conference, here's a little more money if you shut down this whole thing"? We need to stop pretending ESPN isn't pulling the strings.

The AAC has already decided - and I promise there was advisement from ESPN since we'd literally just finished our contract renegotiation with them - that there are no teams available which fit the criteria of improving the AAC football brand. Conversation over.