• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Colorado State, Utah State File Lawsuit Against Mountain West Over Exit Fees

Colorado State and Utah State are arguing they shouldn’t have to pay at least $19 million in exit fees.

Colorado State's Jordan Ross looks back as he runs in to the endzone during a home game against Utah State on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 in Fort Collns, Colo.
Logan Newell/Imagn Images

On Monday, Colorado State and Utah State filed a lawsuit against the Mountain West in Colorado state court. The complaint, obtained by Yahoo Sports, alleges the two universities had not agreed to the minimum $19 million in exit fees that the conference has requested they pay before they join the Pac-12 in 2026.

Attorneys for the two schools called the exit fees “extraordinary and illicit actions penalizing the five members planning to join the Pac-12 Conference in 2026.”

“The conference and its commissioner, Gloria Nevarez, willfully disregarded conference bylaws and governance procedures and have threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars—including this season’s College Football Playoff revenues and post-season travel cost reimbursement—from the members,” O’Melveny & Myers partner Steve Olson said in a statement.

In September, the Pac-12 announced it would add five schools from the Mountain West in 2026 including Colorado State and Utah State—part of a plan to rebuild the conference. The other three departing schools—Boise State, Fresno State, and San Diego State—are not parties to the lawsuit. 

“The lawsuit filed today by Colorado State and Utah State is an inappropriate attempt to circumvent their clear financial obligations as departing members of the Mountain West,” the conference said in a statement. “The Mountain West rules pertaining to withdrawal from the Conference are long-standing and were developed and codified by the current member institutions – including Colorado State and Utah State.”

The Pac-12 made the announcement in the middle of a football scheduling partnership with the Mountain West, which allowed remaining members Oregon State and Washington State to enter a season-long conference schedule with Mountain West programs this year. But the contract also said that if the Pac-12 admitted any of the Mountain West programs during a certain window, the conference would owe the Mountain West tens of millions in damage fees.

The Pac-12 currently owes $55 million for poaching five schools, according to a copy of the contract previously obtained by FOS. But the Pac-12 quickly filed a lawsuit against the Mountain West to get out of paying the poaching fees.

Remaining Mountain West members signed a memorandum of understanding to keep the league together for several years. The agreement also offered bonuses to the schools that would be funded through departing members’ exit fees. O’Melveny partner Matt Cowan, Utah State and Colorado State counsel, referred to the memorandum as created through “secret meetings” and “side agreements.”

The league has since announced plans to upgrade Hawai‘i to a full football-playing member, as well as add UTEP, UC Davis, and Grand Canyon University. GCU is embroiled in realignment-related litigation of its own, as the West Coast Conference is going after the school in court to obtain entry and exit fees, the league announced last week.

Disputes over exit fees are common in conference realignment, though schools and conferences usually come to agreements outside of court. This particular wave of realignment, however, has also brought a wave of litigation.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

SEC Coaches Kiffin, Smart Question LSU’s Firing of Kelly: ‘Ridiculous’ 

Three SEC teams have fired their football coaches midseason.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to an audience at Louisiana Tech University on Aug. 25, 2025.

Why Louisiana’s Governor Was Involved in the Brian Kelly Firing

Jeff Landry reportedly hosted a meeting at the governor’s mansion Sunday.
Brian Kelly

CFB Firings Tracker: LSU Owes Brian Kelly $53 Million

The sum owed Kelly slightly tops James Franklin’s at Penn State. 
Tigers Head Coach Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.

College Football Coach Buyouts Are Not What They Seem

LSU will likely not have to pay Kelly the $53 million he has left on his contract.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Sankey

SEC’s Sankey Blasts NCAA Plan to Allow Pro Sports Betting

NCAA athletes can bet on professional sports starting Nov. 1.
October 26, 2025

Revenue-Sharing Era’s New Powers: Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Vandy

Indiana is the most notable, having ascended to No. 2.
October 26, 2025

LSU Ends Brian Kelly Era, $53M Buyout Negotiations Underway

The Tigers fell to 5–3 after losing to Texas A&M.
Sponsored

Why Alexis Ohanian Is Betting Big on Women’s Sports

Alexis Ohanian reflects on his evolution from Reddit cofounder to one of today’s most dynamic sports investors.
October 26, 2025

Sarkisian, Kiffin Address Rumors As Coaching Carousel Spins Again

Reports are rampant about the coaches taking new jobs.
Azzi Fudd
October 24, 2025

Government Shutdown Moves UConn Season Opener Out of Germany

The shutdown is now on its 24th day.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrates following the game between Vanderbilt University and Louisiana State University at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025
exclusive
October 24, 2025

Diego Pavia Is Trying to Kill NCAA JUCO Eligibility Rules for Good

Vandy’s QB is amending his own lawsuit to encompass all NCAA athletes.
Oct 11, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell after losing the game to the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.
October 23, 2025

CFB’s Chaotic (and Pricey) Coaching Carousel Only Getting Started

Firings have already accounted for roughly $116 million.