Mountain west is going to force byus hand by inviting Gonzaga

[rbmw263]

https://twitter.com/MattSBN/status/971480636715302912?s=19

[Utah]

Bwahahahahahahahahaha! This is great.

I posted this on another site, but I don’t see how BYU ends up in the MWC, because there isn’t a scenario that works for both parties. Why?

We know that MWC teams each get about 1.1 million per year from their tv deal. Boise St gets about 3 million. BYU gets about 4 million from ESPN.

I don’t think it would vary too much. So, if you are BYU and can keep your 4 million per year, I’d say it would be a no brainer for BYU to join the MWC. Same money, easier schedules.

Here is the problem. The MWC deal comes up after 2019 (I think). I read in USA Today that some schools do not like that Boise St gets more money than they do. They talked about how Boise has only won their division once the last 4 years and aren’t bringing in the sweet, sweet BCS Bowl money anymore. They were discussing having Boise go back to an equal pay member.

If that happens, then 1.1 * 10 +3 = a $14,000,000 pot or $1,272,727 per school, an increase of $172,000 per school.

If you added BYU to that pot (and I don’t think BYU would drastically increase the value of the MWC, so I don’t think that adding BYU would add any real money to their respective deals. I’d bet that BYU would increase their deal about 4 million per year…what they are currently being paid), then the pot becomes $18,000,000 or $1.5 million per school.

So, there is real value to adding BYU to the MWC in that case. Each school gets an additional $500,000 per year plus they get the gate receipts when BYU comes to town.

BUT, if you are BYU, do you take that deal? No way. I don’t see the LDS Corp walking away from 2.5 million dollars per year to join the MWC. If you are the MWC, is adding BYU just to add BYU (with no increase in money) worth it to you? Nope. Not only because you’d be treating BYU differently, a school that tried to screw you over with backroom deals, but you’d lose any leverage with Boise, who you are trying to get some money from.

Ha ha.

[NarfUte]

The piper is going to come calling on their ESPN deal also. ESPN is bleeding money and the next TV deal for byu might not be as lucrative, especially since the product is sucking.

[utefansince79]

One reason some of the MWC members would be reluctant to invite BYU back is that when Utah and TCU left, BYU first explored the possiblity of heading over to the WAC and taking some of the other MWC teams with them.  This could have buried the MWC (ironically, as it turned out, the MWC ended up looting the WAC which is now a shell of what it used to be).

 

 

[Duhwayne]

BYU didn’t just explore, they were actively going for it with Utah State’s active support. Craig Thompson saved the conference only by picking off Boise and UNR.

Why on God’s earth would MWC add BYU again?

[utefansince79]

Doesn’t help BYU’s case that their football program is in free fall.

 

[PlainsUte]

Even less likely given the same people are still in their respective positions (Hair and Holmoe).

[Utah]

ESPN is not bleeding money. They are still profitable. They just aren’t the ATM machine they once were. The narrative that ESPN isn’t profitable or bleeding money just isn’t true. It’s a right wing myth/dream. It’s not reality. 

[utefansince79]

Back 20 years ago, ESPN was pretty much it for national cable/satelite sports channels. (Most systems had regional channels of course).  TNT/TBS had some sports such as NBA and Atlanta Braves games (but not around the clock).

Now FOX, NBC and CBS all have national sports channels meaning there’s a lot of viewer choices out there.

 

 

[THEeyepatch]

The MWC has 11 Men’s Basketball teams, why add two teams and still have an odd number? 

Per USA Today: 

“The only school Thompson identified was Gonzaga, one of the nation’s top mid-major programs.”

So is the tds the type of program that can add ‘tag-along’ to it’s reputation. Smells like a lesson learned in humility somewhere.