Latest news with #conference realignment
New York Times
07-08-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Three schools sue Mountain West alleging withheld money, ‘fraud' in Grand Canyon move
The Mountain West's conference realignment legal fight gained a new layer Thursday when three departing schools accused the league of improperly withholding tens of millions of dollars — including Boise State's College Football Playoff money — and misleading them about a covert plan to speed up the addition of Grand Canyon University as a member. Advertisement Those complaints are from an updated Colorado district court lawsuit filed against the Mountain West by members Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State. All three are among the schools leaving for the Pac-12 next year. The 37-page filing also adds Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez as a defendant. The suit said the league and commissioner 'intentionally and fraudulently' deprived the schools of their membership rights and caused millions of dollars in harm while 'impacting the rights and opportunities of Plaintiffs' student-athletes for their last year in the Conference.' The schools are now seeking damages in the latest complaint. The Mountain West did not immediately return a request for comment. The millions of dollars in dispute include CFP money earned through Boise State's appearance in the inaugural 12-team field last season. The schools' complaint said travel reimbursements have been unpaid, as have NCAA payments for financial aid, academic programs and athlete welfare. Fresno State athletic director Garrett Klassy told The Athletic last month that the lack of NCAA pass-through payments was 'disappointing' and 'very unexpected' because of the potential impact on players' mental health. Though Fresno State is also moving from the Mountain West to the Pac-12, it is not a part of the lawsuit. Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State argue the conference should not be withholding the money because its exit fees — at least $19 million per school — are unlawful and unenforceable. One argument why: The Mountain West is separately seeking an additional $55 million in poaching fees from the Pac-12 for adding those three schools plus Fresno State and San Diego State. But those payments are also in dispute because of a different, ongoing lawsuit between the conferences. Advertisement The Mountain West has countered that the Broncos, Rams and Aggies not only helped adopt the exit fee bylaws but tried to enforce them against San Diego State two years ago when the Aztecs were pursuing an exit. 'It is, therefore, inconsistent and unjust for these same institutions to now attempt to evade their responsibilities…' the league said in a statement last week, before the latest filing. 'We remain confident in our legal position, which we will vigorously defend.' Thursday's updated complaint also explains some of the drama surrounding the Mountain West's addition of Grand Canyon. The departing schools' suit labels it 'fraud.' In November, the league announced the Antelopes would join on July 1, 2026 — the same day Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State will start in the Pac-12. But this spring, the Mountain West's departing schools heard rumors, including from Grand Canyon coaches, that the Antelopes would join a year earlier. Nevarez repeatedly denied the claim, according to the suit. The three departing schools eventually concluded Nevarez and the Mountain West were lying and had a 'plan to covertly admit' Grand Canyon for the 2025-26 school year. When Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State gave their resignation notices to the league in late May, they relinquished their voting rights and could no longer try to block a move. On July 8, the Mountain West announced that Grand Canyon would, in fact, join immediately. The early addition of the Antelopes carries multiple potential impacts on the Mountain West's departing schools. Some schedules, travel, logistics and budgets had already been finalized. A new member could affect conference tournament seeding and NCAA Tournament bids. The financial impact is unknown because the schools haven't seen Grand Canyon's agreement with the Mountain West and how it affects conference payouts. But the suit said the move will cost the departing schools millions in damages. Advertisement 'I would point to our bylaws,' Nevarez told The Athletic last month about the complaints. 'When you give your notice (to leave), you give up your board seat and your vote. It's Conference 101.' The filing was the latest update in a complicated legal situation involving the future of West Coast football. In late 2023, the Pac-12 was effectively becoming the Pac-2 as everyone but Washington State and Oregon State left for the Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC. The Mountain West offered a lifeline through a scheduling agreement with the crumbling league. The Pac-12 survived, but those terms are at the heart of the ongoing federal lawsuit between that conference and the Mountain West. The leagues have asked for a hearing next month. The Athletic's Chris Vannini contributed reporting. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Time for the SEC to provide an answer to schedule inequity
Conference realignment put Greg Sankey and the SEC schedule makers in a grinder when they added Oklahoma and Texas. A conference that was previously scheduled with east and west divisions in mind, while keeping historic rivalries at the forefront of the conference landscape, had to make some adjustments ahead of the 2024 season. As SEC media days begin on Monday in Atlanta, Sankey and conference decision makers are still trying to work out the details for the future of the SEC scheduling. It's not a simple task, and there isn't a simple answer. However, some delineation of the teams is necessary. The current debate that has to be resolved first is whether or not the league moves to nine conference games like the Big Ten. Most in the SEC are in favor of the eight-conference-game format. Adding a ninth conference game puts a strain on head coaches and programs' ability to make a bowl game. While the bowls have lost a little bit of their luster over the last 25 years, it's still an important benchmark for teams. And in the revenue-sharing era, an important payday as well. But if they stick with eight conference games, they'll need to improve their scheduling system. These first two years of the 16-team SEC have put programs like Oklahoma and Florida at a disadvantage with two of the most difficult schedules in the nation, while Texas and Missouri play schedules that make their path to the College Football Playoff a bit more manageable. Moving to eight-team divisions or a quad format would allow the league to create more symmetry in scheduling. One of the reasons the conferences moved away from the divisional formats was the four-team College Football Playoff and the fear that teams would get left out of the playoff by losing the conference title game. It happened from time to time in the four-team playoff era. But in an expanded playoff, a team can lose their conference title game and still make the playoff. With the playoff expanding to 12 and likely to go to 16 teams by 2026, there isn't as much of a need for pitting the two with the best records against each other. Because there is so much scheduling disparity, there's no guarantee that the two teams that make the conference title game are the two best teams. Only an assumption based on record. But if the conference were to go to back to divisions, there'd be more common opponents that could help decide it on the field. Another positive byproduct would allow a team that may not be in the College Football Playoff hunt due to nonconference losses to still have a shot at making the playoff by winning their division and then the conference title game. That's the part that makes March Madness so fun. Teams that wouldn't have a shot at making the tournament get one by winning their conference tournaments. The SEC could create the same dynamic by going back to divisions. There may not be an answer provided at SEC media days, but it will be one of the major points of discussion this week. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams. This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Future of SEC scheduling should reconsider divisions
