Pac-12, Mountain West reach tentative settlement in lawsuits
CSU was one of the schools suing the Mountain West, but settlements have tentatively been reached with the new Pac-12 set to debut in July.
The long legal battle between the Mountain West and the Pac-12 may soon be over. The Mountain West, its five departing schools and the Pac-12 have reached tentative agreement on a settlement. Colorado State and other schools departing the Mountain West for the Pac-12 had sued the Mountain West in part over exit fees and poaching penalties.
In total, the Mountain West was seeking roughly $150 million in exit and penalty fees. In September 2024, the Pac-12 filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of poaching penalties included in a football scheduling agreement it signed with the Mountain West in December 2023. Financial terms of the settlement have not yet been disclosed.
A joint statement from the leagues on May 18 read: "The Pac-12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference, and Boise State University, Utah State University, the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System for the benefit of Colorado State University, and The Board of Trustees of the California State University for the benefit of San Diego State University and California State University, Fresno have reached an agreement in principle to resolve the pending lawsuits. The parties have agreed to stay the lawsuits in California and Colorado while they work to negotiate and finalize the settlement. " Pac-12 unveils new logo ahead of relaunch of conference There's a hearing scheduled between the sides for June 9, according to Jon Wilner of Mercury News.
Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on X , Instagram and Threads @Kevin_Lytle and on Bluesky . This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Mountain West and Pac-12 near settlement in lawsuits