:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66149572/usa_today_13826416.0.jpg)
Earlier today, reports started to surface about the next step in what is likely to be the big and ugly off-season topic. Boise State is suing the Mountain West Conference.
Here’s a quick recap of how we got here:
- The MWC announced a new TV deal
- Craig Thompson made a comment that this is the last contract in which Boise State will earn more money than the other conference members.
- Boise State responded to that, releasing a statement saying that is the breach of their contract, which allegedly does not have an expiration date.
- Today, Boise State announcing they are suing the MWC for the following reasons:
#BoiseState has filed initial documents, regarding lawsuit vs. Mountain West and future TV/media rights. BSU wants ...
— 93.1 KTIK The Ticket (@ktik931fm) January 22, 2020
- To maintain its annual $1.8M bonus
- Additional money, based on value of home FB games
- A jury trialhttps://t.co/JKnrlvNgVi
The link is included in the tweet above as well.
As for the leverage Boise State MAY have, SBNation’s own Matt Brown has a few shots of the contract:
If you're trying to catch up on what the hell Boise State is doing, why it thinks it has leverage, and how this whole thing could go
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) January 22, 2020
you're in luck, I've written about it a few times on Extra Pointshttps://t.co/YeCr0YQBdp
This one is really interesting, as it claims Thompson told Boise State they were the bulk of the reason the conference was getting as much money as it is.
For the MWC fans who have argued JUST LET BOISE LEAVE WE DON'T NEED THEM, uh, I don't really know how you can argue this isn't true?
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) January 22, 2020
Boise is why your league has TV value! pic.twitter.com/gv0Y1NEHnU
As for the leverage the Mountain West MAY have in this, if Boise’s $1.8 was rewritten into the contract once it changed from a pool of money to a set amount a few years ago, Boise State’s request to ask for more money would also be a violation of contract.
As a reminder, it was agreed upon to give Boise State $1.8 million when they ended the bonus structure and decided to just pool all the money evenly. The $1.8 was average BSU got previously three years, so they agreed to take that off the top and then split the rest evenly.
— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) January 22, 2020
Be sure to check back here for more updates as this situation continues to take twists and turns. Also, give a follow to of the reporters I’ve embedded here, as they are doing the heavy lifting on this.
Finally, comment however you wish but let’s state the obvious before discussions get out of hand in the comment section: fans of Boise State are gonna like the deal, fans of other schools are not. That’s obvious. But the current deal is in place. Now it’s more what can be compromised between the two parties or what can be legally determined.