The Realuming -Legal Fight of the Mountain West conference won a new layer on Thursday when three departing schools of the League of the incorrect withheld of tens of millions of dollars -including the Playoff -money from BOise State, and to accelerate the addition of Grand Canyon University as a member.
Those complaints come from an updated lawsuit in Colorado District Court, which is filed against the Mountain West by members BOise State, Colorado State and Utah State. All three belong to the schools that will leave for the PAC-12 next year.
The 37-page application also adds Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez as a suspect. The lawsuit said that the competition and commissioner “deliberately and fraudulent” deprived the schools of their membership rights and causes millions of dollars, while “the rights and opportunities of the student athletes for their final year in the conference influence”. The schools are now looking for compensation for the last complaint.
“We are disappointed that the Mountain West is incorrect revenge on the departing members and their student athletes,” said Steve Olson, one of the out-of-speeches of the schools and co-chairman of a partner and legal department at the O’Melveny law firm.
The Mountain West refused to comment and postpone for a statement from last week. It was partly said: “We continue to trust our legal position, which we will defend vigorously.”
The millions of dollars in disputes include CFP money earned by the appearance of Boise State in the inaugural field of 12 teams last season. The complaints from the schools said that travel allowances were unpaid, as well as NCAA payments for financial aid, academic programs and well -being of athlete. Fresno State Athletic director Garrett Klasy told Athletics Last month the lack of NCAA-Pass-through payments was “disappointing” and “very unexpected” because of the potential impact on the mental health of players. Although the state of Fresno also goes from the mountainwest to the PAC-12, it is not part of the lawsuit.
Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State claim that the conference should not withhold the money because the exit fees – at least $ 19 million per school – are unlawful and not – abbrevious. One argument Why: the Mountain West is looking for an extra $ 55 million in PAC-12 poaching individually for adding those three schools plus Fresno State and San Diego State. But those payments have also been disputed because of another, constant lawsuit between the conferences.
The Bergwest has prevented the Broncos, Rams and Aggies not only helped to take over the EXIT allowance, but tried to force San Diego State two years ago when the Aztecs strived an exit.
“It is therefore inconsistent and unjust for the same institutions to try to avoid their responsibilities now,” the competition said in his statement last week.
The updated complaint from Thursday also explains part of the drama around the addition of the Mountain West of Grand Canyon. The suit of departing schools labels the ‘fraud’.
In November the competition announced that the antelopes would participate on July 1, 2026-on the same day BOise State, Colorado State and Utah State will start in the PAC-12. But this spring the departing schools of the Mountain West heard rumors, including from Grand Canyon Coaches, that the antelopes would participate a year earlier. Nevarez repeatedly denied the claim, according to the court case.
The three departing schools finally concluded that Nevarez and the Mountain West were and had a “plan to grant secretly” Grand Canyon for the 2025-26 school year. When Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State gave their dismissal reports to the competition at the end of May, they gave their voting rights and they could no longer try to block a movement. On July 8, the Mountain West announced that Grand Canyon would actually join immediately.
The early addition of the antelopes has several potential effects on the departing schools of the Mountain West. Some schedules, travel, logistics and budgets had already been completed. A new member can influence the sowing of conference tournament and bids from the NCAA tournament. The financial impact is unknown because the schools have not seen Grand Canyon’s agreement with the Mountain West and how this influences the payouts of the conference. But the suit said the relocation will cost the departing schools millions of compensation.
“I would point to our statutes,” Nevarez said Athletics Last month about the complaints. “When you give your notification (to leave), give up your board seat and your voice. It is Conference 101.”
In a joint statement on Thursday evening, the schools said they have been trying to solve the problems for months, but actions of the conference and Nevarez “have expressed serious concern about their honesty and transparency.”
“These developments have had a serious financial impact on the departing institutions and raise important questions about governance and accountability within the conference,” said the school’s statement.
The submission was the last update in a complicated legal situation with the future of west coast football. At the end of 2023 the PAC-12 became effective the PAC-2, because everyone except the state of Washington and Oregon left for the Big ten, Big 12 or ACC. The Mountain West offered a lifeline through a planning agreement with the crumbling competition. The PAC-12 survived, but those conditions are the core of the continuous federal court case between that conference and the mountainwest. The competitions have asked for a hearing next month.
Chris Vannini of the athletics has contributed reporting.
(Photo: Candice Ward / Getty images)
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