P12 - MWC

[rocket city poke]

Famous words from Warren Buffett, "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked." UW sort of hid behind the facilities, the attendance and MWC television deal. The tide is going out . . .

 

[TheRealUW]

I agree. It seems to me that the PAC just got the media deal the MWC would have got had the league stayed together. It’s basically a continuation of the current deal but now going to the PAC.

That said - I’m not sad if the MWC loses CBS and more particularly CBSSN. That is the worst network in terms of distribution and limits viewing options. I’d love for CW, FS1 and FS2 over that.

I think there is a pretty good chance Fox will be the only major broadcaster to put in a bid in the upcoming MWC media rights negotiations, so you'll probably get your wish.

The problem is that the MWC is not going to have much leverage in negotiating a price if CBS doesn't show interest. That probably means less money than anticipated and possibly undesirable day/time slots.

Yes, the MWC is alive, but it looks to be losing ground quickly.

 

[307bball]

Famous words from Warren Buffett, "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked." UW sort of hid behind the facilities, the attendance and MWC television deal. The tide is going out . . .

Probably true for more than just us...but yes...seems about right.

 

[PorkerPoke]

The only remaining unknowns are:

1 - value of the future MWC media deal
2 - the fees collected from the pee12

Even if the pee12 makes $5 million more a team per year how much they pay the MWC can somewhat neutralize the disparity in media deals. So…does the MWC acquiesce and accept less than 75%? 75% of $145 million is $108,000,000. As the percentage goes lower every dollar less in the media deal will become more painful.

It’s all about the he exit/poaching fees now if the MWC comes away with any sentimental victory.

 

[Midwest Cowboy]

I am a lot more angry about how Gloria Nevarez managed the MWC than Tom Burman and UW athletics. She makes more than a million dollars a year (after somehow breaking her contract with WCC) and has destroyed the conference. In my opinion (I could easily be wrong) but I really thought there would be a merger. Adding UTEP, NIU (no offense), Grand Canyon, and UC Davis made sure a merger would never happen. Anything with a pulse....

MWC doesn't look good and makes no sense. Whatever the media deal...I blame Nevarez and the inept MWC leadership.

 

[PorkerPoke]

I am a lot more angry about how Gloria Nevarez managed the MWC than Tom Burman and UW athletics. She makes more than a million dollars a year (after somehow breaking her contract with WCC) and has destroyed the conference. In my opinion (I could easily be wrong) but I really thought there would be a merger. Adding UTEP, NIU (no offense), Grand Canyon, and UC Davis made sure a merger would never happen. Anything with a pulse....

MWC doesn't look good and makes no sense. Whatever the media deal...I blame Nevarez and the inept MWC leadership.

In all fairness to Gloria, she got the MWC in the position to collect up to $145 million. She tried to get Texas State right away but they didn’t want to jump from $2 million in media revenue to $3.5 million with an uncertain future. At least the MWC has the 8 members needed to be at the minimum for football and 9 members for basketball (and all the requisite sports required to be D1).

The test for me is how much of the $145 million do we actually collect which after legal fees and expansion expenses determines the cut for the MWC members.

Keep in mind that 4 members (Wyoming, UNM, SJSU and Nevada) were so likely to be kicked to the side of the road they agreed to kiss the UNLV and AFA asses with an extra $13 million dollars (minimum of $7 million) from the penalty fees if they agreed to stay MWC.

Wyoming is very fortunate to not be begging the CUSA for a membership. Gloria was able to keep the ship afloat and at least have the MWC in a position to be a top 3 G level conference. We were able to escape UTEP 26 years ago but now are fortunate to invite them to escape the CUSA bottom dwellers of the FBS.

The pee12 has spent a lot of money to look good, but they aren’t any closer to P4 status than the MWC is. The pee12 might not even get a AAC level media deal. They will no doubt be no worse than #2 and will have spent a lot of $$ to get there.

Wait for the settlement. That will tell you how much money the pee12 will ultimately get and how much the MWC won’t get. There is still a chance that over the next 5 years (if the FBS lasts that long) the MWC members won’t be financially behind the traitors.

 

[phxpoke]

For all talk on this board about Boise (who have been very successful recruiting players out of California) I would like Wyoming to replicate the success of Gonzaga in basketball. I just see it being far easier to recruit 2 or 3 great players a year than 10 or 15 needed in football.

Only if we can pay them A LOT of money

 

[PorkerPoke]

Thinking through the CBS deal:

CBS - 4 (3+ min) regular season football
CBS - 4 (3+ min) regular season basketball

CBSSN - regular season football
CBSSN - regular season basketball

Questions for debate:

Value - the value is undisclosed. The traitors hold the position the remaining MWC held them back from the value they deserve. How much more will CBS bestow on the traitors being aligned the pee2 than they did with UNLV/AFA and the other 5 MWC members?

Performance Pay - Will the teams deemed as the premium games earn additional revenue or will it be split equally to all members? Gonzaga not being much of a national feature?

Therefore, before I get into the doldrums of the MWC is going to blow I will have to await the mediation and announcement of the VALUES of both conferences media deals. It will define expected income for the next 5 years or remainder of the FBS - whichever occurs first. Maybe the pee12 rolled the dice and they don’t reap the expected rewards.

 

[NorthWestCowboy]

I am a lot more angry about how Gloria Nevarez managed the MWC than Tom Burman and UW athletics. She makes more than a million dollars a year (after somehow breaking her contract with WCC) and has destroyed the conference. In my opinion (I could easily be wrong) but I really thought there would be a merger. Adding UTEP, NIU (no offense), Grand Canyon, and UC Davis made sure a merger would never happen. Anything with a pulse....

MWC doesn't look good and makes no sense. Whatever the media deal...I blame Nevarez and the inept MWC leadership.

As both a Wyo and OSU alum who also lives in Eastern WA I had little confidence that WOSU would ever consider a merger. I told my OSU and WSU friends shortly after the settlement was reached between the PAC 2 and the departing PAC 12 members that rather than becoming conference mates the settlement money would break apart the MWC. There were too many MWC schools wanting a best of the rest conference and they'd use the PAC 2's money to fund it.

 

[Midwest Cowboy]

As both a Wyo and OSU alum who also lives in Eastern WA I had little confidence that WOSU would ever consider a merger. I told my OSU and WSU friends shortly after the settlement was reached between the PAC 2 and the departing PAC 12 members that rather than becoming conference mates the settlement money would break apart the MWC. There were too many MWC schools wanting a best of the rest conference and they'd use the PAC 2's money to fund it.

With all due respect, the only reason MWC added any schools was playing a catch-up game after it had been fractured. Maybe the traitor schools would have stayed had MWC been out aggressively marketing growth with some success. I don't think MWC is in any position to look down on CUSA. Neither look too exciting. To me, it doesn't look like there was any attempt to leverage SDSU or BSU to find new, quality members.

There is no one left in the MWC that can attract anyone save maybe UNLV who appears to be hanging by a thread or AFA to maybe attract the military schools. Of course, that would require coast to coast extensive travel.

For a million dollars a year and whatever other bonuses, saying she kept the conference afloat through tough times just doesn't cut it. But I would have more respect if there was some honesty about the whole thing. Just say it...we are a weak conference now and we did our best to add some new, mediocre teams to at least maintain conference status. Writing has been on the wall for so long about SDSU and BSU wanting to leave. MWC did nothing to compel them to stay. No way the traitor schools leave if BSU was convinced to stick around. Reaction is not leadership.

I know we have covered all these topics a 100 times. I just don't see a happy ending with a big payout. Even then, how does that parlay into a better conference? MWC had name recognition with SDSU, BSU, Fresno. I guess AFA and UNLV will have that role. But neither appear too excited.

This has all been said before and is nothing more than an obvious rant on my part. Man I miss the 1996 WAC. Too bad that mega conference did stick around. And we actually had a team (top 25 and no bowl invite if I recall correctly). I have no hope for a solid media deal because the teams just are not there.