The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences seem to be on the path to settling their legal quarrels stemming from the latest realignment and a hefty $150 million in fees.
Friday saw both athletic conferences taking a legal step forward by filing a motion to put a pause on their case in California. In this case, the Pac-12 had initially taken legal action against the Mountain West, pointing to a $55 million poaching fee linked to adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State to its lineup. These new additions were revealed last fall, with their integration planned for the summer of 2026.
The Pac-12 issued a statement saying, “Today, at the request of the Mountain West Conference, the Pac-12 has agreed to file a mutual 60-day order to stay the case to discuss mediation options." They added, "It is important to state that we are in the early stages; no mediation dates have been set, and mediation is still uncertain. The Pac-12 remains confident in our position that the Poaching Penalty will be declared invalid and is committed to defending our stance.”
Back in late 2023, a football scheduling arrangement for the 2024 season was inked by the Mountain West, Pac-12, Oregon State, and Washington State. With 10 Pac-12 schools planning to leave, OSU and WSU found themselves short on choices. As a part of this agreement, the Pac-12 had agreed on a series of increasing poaching fees should they recruit some, rather than all, Mountain West schools. After being unable to reach a consensus for the 2025 season last summer, the Pac-12 proceeded to include five Mountain West institutions.
In an attempt to contest the imposed poaching fees and agreements during a challenging period, the Pac-12 filed a lawsuit against the Mountain West last September. The Mountain West, however, counters that both the conference and its members agreed to these terms willingly, with no prior objections. By December, they moved to dismiss the case, with a hearing scheduled for March 25. However, Friday’s joint motion aims to cancel this hearing and place a 60-day hold on the case.
The recent filings reveal yet another related case in Colorado involving Boise State, Colorado State, and Utah State against the Mountain West, concerning exit fees ranging from $19 million to $38 million each.
According to the California filing, “Plaintiff and Defendant are diligently working to schedule a mediation that could resolve this matter in its entirety. In light of the parties’ agreement to engage in a global mediation with the parties involved in the related state court matter, the most efficient course is to stay this case in its entirety while the parties devote their efforts to resolving their disputes.”
Required reading
(Photo: Ray Carlin / USA Today Sports)
