Sources: UNLV, Flying force decide to remain in MWC

• Kyle Bonagura, ESPN

  • Staff WriterSep 26, 2024, 12:47 AM ET Close Covers college football.Joined ESPN in 2014. Participated In Washington State University.Air Force and
  • UNLV are anticipated to remain in the Mountain

West, sources validated to ESPN.Both schools were incentivized to stay with significant monetary packages enabled, in part, by the cumulative exit charges the conference’s 5 departing members– Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State– will be accountable spending for leaving for the Pac-12. Each school is anticipated to pay approximately$18 million to depart.UNLV picked to remain in the Mountain West in spite of overtures from the Pac-12, while Air Force received heavy interest from the American Athletic Conference. With both pledges, the Mountain West stands at seven football-playing members and will require to add 2 more complete members to fulfill the NCAA minimum criteria(Hawaii is just a partial member). Editor’s Picks

1 Related The choice from UNLV is a blow to the Pac-12, which was positive the Rebels would sign up with the five other MWC schools in the new-look conference as it restores from last year’s collapse. The Pac-12 is left with seven members and will likely need to turn its attention outside the Mountain West as the remainder of the conference’s schools– Hawai’i, New Mexico, Nevada, San Jose State and Wyoming – are anticipated to sign binding arrangements to stay in the conference on Thursday.This all comes a day after the Pac-12 submitted a claim in federal court challenging the legality of a “poaching penalty” included in a football scheduling arrangement it signed with the Mountain West Conference in December.As part of the

arrangement, the Mountain West consisted of language that needs the Pac-12 to pay a cost of $10 million if a school left the MWC for the Pac-12, with escalators of $500,000 for each additional school. With the 5 departures, the total the Mountain West feels it should be paid stands at $55 million.

“This action challenges an anticompetitive and illegal ‘Poaching Penalty’ that the MWC troubled the Pac-12 to hinder competition for member schools in collegiate sports,” the lawsuit says. “The ‘Poaching Penalty’ saddles the Pac-12 with inflated and punitive monetary charges for taking part in competition by accepting MWC member schools into the Pac-12.”

On Monday, UNLV and Flying force both declared their commitment to the Mountain West however softened that position the exact same day in the wake of Utah State’s choice to leave in a whirlwind day for college adjustment that likewise saw Memphis, Tulane, South Florida and UTSA all hand down offers to join the Pac-12 to remain in the AAC.The news was very first report by the Action Network.