Boise State Sues Mountain West Conference Over Denied Payouts

Boise State and the rest of the civilized world continue to prepare for the start of college football. This season will be the last for Boise State, Utah State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Colorado State. The Mountain West Five, Texas State, will join Oregon State and Washington State, forming the new Pac-12 Conference.

Breaking up in relationships and conferences is never easy. The Mountain West and Boise State have always had a strained, contentious relationship. Remember, Boise State wasn't invited to join the Mountain West until Utah, BYU, and TCU left for greener pastures?

The Mountain West welcomed Boise State by trying to dictate what uniforms they could or couldn't wear on the Blue. And let's not forget Boise State had to sue or threaten to sue the conference to maintain their additional payments for television appearances. The conference wanted to deny the Broncos their additional haul despite agreeing to the arrangement when the team joined the league.

Now, multiple reports indicate Boise State and others are suing the Mountain West due to the conference denying the departing members money owed to them. Sports Illustrated provides the details:

'The three schools argue that the MWC improperly withheld tens of millions of dollars — including the Broncos' 2024-25 College Football Playoff money — and that Nevarez "intentionally and fraudulently" ignored the conference's bylaws by removing membership rights of the departing schools. '

So Boise State makes the College Football Playoff, and the conference allegedly withholds the loot? The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over $55 million due to the so-called poaching penalties from the departure of several teams from the conference.

It's too bad the action will be in the courtroom and not on the gridiron. The Broncos will be better off once their final season is done in the Mountain West.