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CSU/USU suing MW over exit fees

They agreed to the Exit Fees when they joined. They say they haven't given notice yet the entire world knows they committed to join the PAC. They are upset that UNLV is going to get $20 million. Wah!

I like that we are keeping all the revenue from current distributions to satisfy their exit fees.
 
Most likely trying to settle for lower fees but we'll see
This is the answer.

The complaint even tries to bring up the poaching fees which should not be in front of that Colorado court; that is a penalty on the Pac2 not CSU and USU.

Those cases will settle. I really wish the MWC had the resources to just stand their ground. Pac2 and new schools do have leverage though as the MWC would not want all that money tied up for a 18 months in 2 separate lawsuits. They need cash and the only way to get cash now is to settle those lawsuits.
 
IF we lose that case we are IDIOTS for not joining the PAC 7 or whatever it is.
If we lose the case the MW won't have the money to pay us. We would be free to become the 8th Pac-12 team.
I don't think that we can be considered as an idiot, if there are rules in place which everyone agreed to when the conference was formed. The only entity that will get rich are the attorneys.
 
This is the answer.

The complaint even tries to bring up the poaching fees which should not be in front of that Colorado court; that is a penalty on the Pac2 not CSU and USU.

Those cases will settle. I really wish the MWC had the resources to just stand their ground. Pac2 and new schools do have leverage though as the MWC would not want all that money tied up for a 18 months in 2 separate lawsuits. They need cash and the only way to get cash now is to settle those lawsuits.
The MW has the leverage and can afford to go through the courts, remember the fees can and will be collected via withholding distributions from bowls, postseason winnings etc.

Utah State is probably broke as shit right now with their football program mired in legal issues and paying New Mexico a buyout for hiring Bronco + his new contract. That’s why they are crying they have to pay the fees. Same with Colorado State, their stadium deal was terrible and probably can’t afford this move without pairing down the fees.

Remember the NPAC won’t be seeing any money or payouts anytime soon. They have no tv deal and no sponsors for revenue to distribute to help athletic budgets for next year and immediately when the 2026 fiscal year starts. Going to be tough sledding for the NPAC because it’s just another G5 conference.
 
The MW has the leverage and can afford to go through the courts, remember the fees can and will be collected via withholding distributions from bowls, postseason winnings etc.

Utah State is probably broke as shit right now with their football program mired in legal issues and paying New Mexico a buyout for hiring Bronco + his new contract. That’s why they are crying they have to pay the fees. Same with Colorado State, their stadium deal was terrible and probably can’t afford this move without pairing down the fees.

Remember the NPAC won’t be seeing any money or payouts anytime soon. They have no tv deal and no sponsors for revenue to distribute to help athletic budgets for next year and immediately when the 2026 fiscal year starts. Going to be tough sledding for the NPAC because it’s just another G5 conference.

Next years basketball units and all media deal money gets diverted to the MWC remaining teams correct? They get none of it?
 
Where does this article come up with "$19-38M/team" and "$150-250M" total? I thought it was $17Mx5=$85M and $56M poaching? Total of $141M?
Its 3 to 6 times the revenue distribution. I believe the exact distribution for football will come post bowl games, or at the end of Boise's run.
 
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Where does this article come up with "$19-38M/team" and "$150-250M" total? I thought it was $17Mx5=$85M and $56M poaching? Total of $141M?
$55 million for poaching. The 19-38 is only accurate if there is less than one year or more than one year notice. I think they just lumped things together because they are idiots. The $17 was also not 100% accurate. There is no $17 million base line in the contract as what it really says is that it's 3 times the most current/recent annual fiscal year revenue distribution. Since BSU earned more they will pay more. Everyone else will pay based on their revenue which is actually more than the $17 million. It's more variable due the number of NCAA basketball units and any shared bowl revenue. I don't have the contract but I know dollars are variable annually/ fiscal year.

Edit: @Loyal Coug1 Check your new Pac12 contract. I believe they stole err used the same wording we have in our contract about the 3 times for revenue distribution. I believe seeing that when that contract was posted someplace.
 
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Yes, all of those units are forfeit to the exiting members.
Hmm, that is mildly surprising. I believe that the Pac-12 traitors shared in FY 2024 distributions of BB units, etc, not counting the mild penalty they agreed to pay for leaving ($5M each). The units they left behind of course reverted to the Pac-2.
 
$55 million for poaching. The 19-38 is only accurate if there is less than one year or more than one year notice. I think they just lumped things together because they are idiots. The $17 was also not 100% accurate. There is no $17 million base line in the contract as what it really says is that it's 3 times the most current/recent annual fiscal year revenue distribution. Since BSU earned more they will pay more. Everyone else will pay based on their revenue which is actually more than the $17 million. It's more variable due the number of NCAA basketball units and any shared bowl revenue. I don't have the contract but I know dollars are variable annually/ fiscal year.

Edit: @Loyal Coug1 Check your new Pac12 contract. I believe they stole err used the same wording we have in our contract about the 3 times for revenue distribution. I believe seeing that when that contract was posted someplace.
That’s why CSU and Utah State are the only ones in the lawsuit. I believe they haven’t formally joined the PAC, even though verbally they accepted the invite. The other schools won’t join the lawsuit for reasons you just posted, they just signed a similar agreement.
 
That’s why CSU and Utah State are the only ones in the lawsuit. I believe they haven’t formally joined the PAC, even though verbally they accepted the invite. The other schools won’t join the lawsuit for reasons you just posted, they just signed a similar agreement.
If they prevail in the lawsuit it pretty much muddies up the Pac12 contract for their future exit fees since they used the same wording in their new Pac12 contract as the MW contract.
 
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The MW has the leverage and can afford to go through the courts, remember the fees can and will be collected via withholding distributions from bowls, postseason winnings etc.
Rule #1 in a lawsuit. The party holding the money always has the leverage. We are asking them to pay us. They hold the money. They have the leverage. MWC has promised UNLV and AFA a bunch of money. Money they won't have until those exit/poaching fees are paid. That money is tied up in a lawsuit and would be for a LONG LONG time. The MWC will need that money, and that's why the Traitors have leverage.
 
All I know is this, every other instance of realignment the exit fees have been negotiated down 100% of the time. Even SMU paying 27 or mill was a negotiated number.

The MW's exit fees are extremely harsh and egregious compared to the value of the media contact. In terms' of percentages it is an absurd amount compared to other conferences in recent years.

All of the other conferences have agreed upon numbers in their bylaws, but they were negotiated down. No one has paid in full. SMU got the closest it seems, but they also left without with < 1 year notice. Most other cases It has been a ~2 year notice, or like the PAC where they didn't have a contract. The MW defectors have ~ 2 year notice so they can use the B12 and ACC defectors as examples, hell even the PAC teams pay 50% of their fees ( plus a bonus 1.5 mil a piece for leaving the PAC 2 so high and dry)

The poaching fees on top of all of this was a separate agreement and technically agreed upon by the PAC and not the teams so that is separate.

However, essentially there are trying to double dip. I can see that the poaching fees at least come into play with exit fee negotiations because of that.

If this gets in court or some sort of arbitration these fees will get reduced, you can almost guarantee it. There has been plenty of recent precedent as examples for the going rate for these things.

My guess is that the poaching fees are upheld, but the exit fees will be drastically reduced. Even if the poaching fees are thrown out, I think the exit fees get reduced, but if they hold up, I think the exit fees get reduced even more.
 
Rule #1 in a lawsuit. The party holding the money always has the leverage. We are asking them to pay us. They hold the money. They have the leverage. MWC has promised UNLV and AFA a bunch of money. Money they won't have until those exit/poaching fees are paid. That money is tied up in a lawsuit and would be for a LONG LONG time. The MWC will need that money, and that's why the Traitors have leverage.
so what if the MWC then files an injunction against the Pac 12 teams leaving not officially allowing them to leave until their exit fees and disputes are settled? The Pac 12 is on a ticking clock to field enough full members to officially forma conference. Now there's leverage for the MWC to get money from the teams leaving?
 
so what if the MWC then files an injunction against the Pac 12 teams leaving not officially allowing them to leave until their exit fees and disputes are settled? The Pac 12 is on a ticking clock to field enough full members to officially forma conference. Now there's leverage for the MWC to get money from the teams leaving?

The funniest thing is this lawsuit is damn near the exact same precedent as what the depart PAC schools attempted...And lost..

Here's the story of how this plays out.

Lawsuit filed.
Motions.
Discovery.
More motions.
Arbitration or Possible summary judgement.
CSU/USU/MWC reach settlement.

The End.
 
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Am I wrong in saying this is a very similiar argument that the departing PAC schools attempted and lost?
thats what makes this whole thing really insane. They raked in a bunch of cash in basically the same situation and now expect that judges will again agree with them. Id rather play hardball if Im the MWC and stretch this thing out. Their schools cant bleed cash either and its becoming clearer they arent getting anywhere with the TV deals or the attraction of other schools.
 
Am I wrong in saying this is a very similiar argument that the departing PAC schools attempted and lost?
Well the Departing schools owed 10 mil a piece as a part of their exit fees. It was negotiated to 5 a piece, with a 1.5 bonus for totally screwing the remaining pac 2.

Also notice how they owed 10 mil a piece for a media value that was worth over 30 mil per school their last season. The MW is asking 19-38 mil for a contract worth 5 mil base, total value maybe 8 mil maaaaybe.
 
Well the Departing schools owed 10 mil a piece as a part of their exit fees. It was negotiated to 5 a piece, with a 1.5 bonus for totally screwing the remaining pac 2.

Also notice how they owed 10 mil a piece for a media value that was worth over 30 mil per school their last season. The MW is asking 19-38 mil for a contract worth 5 mil base, total value maybe 8 mil maaaaybe.

But it is the same argument correct?
 
thats what makes this whole thing really insane. They raked in a bunch of cash in basically the same situation and now expect that judges will again agree with them. Id rather play hardball if Im the MWC and stretch this thing out. Their schools cant bleed cash either and its becoming clearer they arent getting anywhere with the TV deals or the attraction of other schools.
Well it is not exactly apples to apples. Their conference was absolutely decimated with 10 of 12 leaving. Sure the MW is hurting, but it isn't nearly as bad.

And the exit fees that MW is asking is absolutely exorbitant, and then there is the lawsuit on top of that. As it stands their conference made 65 mil for losing 10 much more valuable teams vs as it stands now 150-250 mil for 5 teams that aren't worth nearly as much.

So they have a bit of a point about crying foul.
 
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Well it is not exactly apples to apples. Their conference was absolutely decimated with 10 of 12 leaving. Sure the MW is hurting, but it isn't nearly as bad.

And the exit fees that MW is asking is absolutely exorbitant, and then there is the lawsuit on top of that. As it stands their conference made 65 mil for losing 10 much more valuable teams vs as it stands now 150-250 mil for 5 teams that aren't worth nearly as much.

So they have a bit of a point about crying foul.

Well I mean they did sign the contract no?
 
Well it is not exactly apples to apples. Their conference was absolutely decimated with 10 of 12 leaving. Sure the MW is hurting, but it isn't nearly as bad.

And the exit fees that MW is asking is absolutely exorbitant, and then there is the lawsuit on top of that. As it stands their conference made 65 mil for losing 10 much more valuable teams vs as it stands now 150-250 mil for 5 teams that aren't worth nearly as much.

So they have a bit of a point about crying foul.
The crux of their argument is that there has not been an official public announcement of a conference change and the conference is not allowing them any voting rights. Everything hinges on that. The argument is the same. The Court in the Pac12 suit said that since 10 schools left, WSU and ORSt were sole members and the 10 defecting schools had no voting rights or ownership of the assets.
 
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So basically it's a tie something else up in court and try and bleed MWC with legal fees and work on reducing the exit fees through a settlement.
So we hear alot about them having the money to fight the battles, which is true, they have a significant war chest left behind.. But the MWC has money coming in, and the war chest that the Pac 12 seems to be earmarked for WSU and OSU to pay their debts so to say... Are they willing to blow 1/3rd of that war chest for all their new friends?
 
The crux of their argument is that there has not been an official public announcement of a conference change and the conference is not allowing them any voting rights. Everything hinges on that. The argument is the same. The Court said that since 10 schools left, WSU and ORSt were sole members and the 10 defecting schools had no voting rights or ownership of the assets.

Not being funny here. Ok totally being sarcastic here.

As the lawyer representing the MWC my first question would then be 'So you aren't leaving the MWC?' and would you like to put that in writing?
 
So we hear alot about them having the money to fight the battles, which is true, they have a significant war chest left behind.. But the MWC has money coming in, and the war chest that the Pac 12 seems to be earmarked for WSU and OSU to pay their debts so to say... Are they willing to blow 1/3rd of that war chest for all their new friends?

OSU and WSU and PAC representatives quoted 'It's not a war chest'.

A good chunk of that money is earmarked as you suggest.
 
I do not remember the specifics of the lawsuit with the PAC last year.

But again a bit of a different story. All of those schools left the remaining PAC 2 extremely high and dry and all left for notably greener pastures. The teams could much more easily afford the fees, and still was able to reduce them to 65%, and they were somewhat reasonable fees. It was < 1/3 of their highest total media value, we are asking for 3x the highest total media value.

I don't know how this plays out, but it seems like the NCAA credits are a bargaining chip as well, the MW schools may have a legal claim to it, but I imagine it will be forfeit as a part of the negotiations.

The MW totally jacked up their exit fees once SDSU tried to leave ~ 18 months ago. I have always looked at is as a bit of a bargaining chip. They knew that the fees would get negotiated down and they make the fees completely unreasonable with hope that the take home would be higher than if they were a more reasonable/standard number.

Looking at the exit fees of other schools the total amount that the MW is seeking is absolutely ridiculous especially considering what the poaching fees add to the equation.

IF this gets to arbitration, I can see that the poaching fees totally being used against the MW with trying to double dip. The PAC 2 being "desperate" helps their cause somewhat. They did sign the agreement, but at the very least I can see the poaching fees being dragged out in court, even if to simply delay things. I can see the MW settling that too.

Which also means that it is very possible that UNLV gets much less than what was first thrown out there. It was not set in stone, but a range remember. Being "Up to 24.5 mill".

At least the MW did not account for the total value of all the fees with their distribution. The total distribution was worth 110 mil. So there is some room there.

I think I did the math with the 55 in poaching fees 55 in exit fees ( negotiated down obviously) would be the minimum to make things right

But if the poaching fees gets thrown out or settled for say half, and the exit fees get negotation down to industry standard, UNLV isn't getting that extra 24.5 mil.

Which is why I was saying that we shouldn't spend that money on Mullen because it may not come to be. So I hope that we were able to fundraise outside of that money to finance that contract.
 
Well I mean they did sign the contract no?
They did.

But at least with exit fees, all of the other examples the teams also signed contracts as well. But they were negotiated down.

I don't think they have much of an argument for the poaching fees and technically these are 2 separate things, I just think once it comes to arbitration with the exit fees that the poaching fees will be used against the MW and I think it can be successful in doing so.

Bottom line, these schools are not that valuable.

At the same time I can see them dragging out the poaching fees as long as they possibly can just to make things difficulty for the MW. They know that the remaining legacy MW schools are depending on that money for bonuses so they will try to eff with that.

They may not be successful, and I don't know if the MW will crack or not.
 
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The crux of their argument is that there has not been an official public announcement of a conference change and the conference is not allowing them any voting rights. Everything hinges on that. The argument is the same. The Court in the Pac12 suit said that since 10 schools left, WSU and ORSt were sole members and the 10 defecting schools had no voting rights or ownership of the assets.
I'm sure they are throwing a bunch of arguments out there that they don't think will stick.

They shouldn't have a claim to the voting rights, and there is a precedent out there that should uphold that fact.
 
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