Pac-12 files a federal lawsuit against Mountain West over $43 million in ‘poaching’ penalties

AP College Football Writer

The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over what it calls unlawful and unenforceable fees that could cost the rebuilding conference more than $40 million for adding Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State. The antitrust lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in California and is seeking a declaratory judgment by a judge. The Mountain West has exit fees of upward of $17 million for departing schools. There are also poaching fees that were put in place in the Mountain West’s scheduling agreement with Oregon State and Washington State, the only current Pac-12 members this season.