Lawsuit Filed Against Mountain West over Poaching Fees

A federal judge in California has heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by the Pac-12 Conference against the Mountain West Conference. The Pac-12’s suit is over $55 million in “poaching fees” that the Mountain West is seeking. Judge Susan van Keulen did not make a ruling on the case.

The lawsuit stems from a scheduling agreement for the two leagues’ football teams last season, which included a clause that required a payment to the Mountain West for any team that left. The clause called for a $10 million payment for the first team that departed, with an additional $500,000 for each subsequent team. This is in addition to the over $17 million in exit fees the schools are responsible for under a different agreement.

The legal action was filed after five Mountain West schools, including Colorado State, Utah State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Boise State, announced they would be joining the Pac-12 starting in 2026. The Pac-12 has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit and requested the recent hearing after a failed mediation attempt with the Mountain West.