US EditionMountain West’s Bid for $55 Million in Pac-12 Poaching Penalties in Jeopardy After Court Ruling
A federal judge rejected Mountain West's motion to dismiss, allowing Pac-12's antitrust lawsuit over $55 million in contested poaching fees to advance.
- On Tuesday, Northern District Court Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen denied the motion to dismiss, allowing the Pac-12 Conference's lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference to proceed.
- The scheduling agreement signed in 2023 included a poaching penalty clause, and after five schools announced departures in fall of 2024 the Mountain West demanded $55,000,000 in fees.
- The poaching clause required $10,000,000 up front and rose by $500,000 per additional team, and the Pac-12 was charged about $14,000,000 for 12 games plus $17,000,000 plus exit fees under a separate deal.
- The Pac-12 said it will press on after the ruling and move forward with its antitrust claims, while the Mountain West said its lawyers are reviewing the decision and the case will proceed to trial absent settlement.
- Amid failed mediation over the summer, legal sources say talks were premature as the Mountain West claims $150,000,000, with a joint case statement due Nov. 10 and a conference set for Nov. 18.
32 Articles
32 Articles
College Sports Chaos: Pac-12 scores small procedural victory in case against Mountain West
A motion filed by the Mountain West to dismiss the Pac-12’s lawsuit over so-called poaching fees was denied by a district court judge in San Jose, California, on Tuesday.
Pac-12's lawsuit against MWC allowed to proceed
Claudia Wilken, a federal judge in California, has allowed the Pac-12 Conference's lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference over $55 million in "poaching fees" to proceed, and the Pac-12 said in a statement that "we remain confident in our position."
Mountain West’s bid for $55 million in Pac-12 poaching penalties in jeopardy after court ruling
The rebuilt Pac-12 secured a significant victory in its legal fight with the Mountain West on Tuesday when a federal judge denied the Mountain West’s motion to dismiss the so-called “poaching penalty” lawsuit.Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen of the Northern District of California denied all four causes of action in the motion and set a case management conference for Nov. 18.
Associated Press News
Federal judge allows Pac-12's lawsuit against Mountain West over poaching fees to go forward
A federal judge has allowed the Pac-12 Conference’s lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference over $55 million in “poaching fees” to go forward.
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