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The Mountain West has come to terms with CBS Sports and Fox/FS1 for the next six years for TV broadcasts:
CBS Sports has reached a new, multi-year agreement with the Mountain West Conference. The six-year deal, which begins with the 2020-2021 season and runs through 2025-2026, extends CBS Sports’ long-term relationship with the Mountain West.
The new deal looks to be a lucrative and—apparently—good one for the conference as a whole:
$270 million contract. Not sure yet how the math works per team, but also remember Boise State will get an additional $1.8 million per year.
— Dave Southorn (@davesouthorn) January 9, 2020
If we are to do some rudimentary math that could be north of $3.5 million per school. But, and I would still have to find the info, I believe Hawaii is still treated a little differently in their contract.
As for Boise State and their home game package, this is what Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson had to say:
Thompson says it "arguably could be the last contract we will negotiate Boise State separately."
— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) January 9, 2020
That's interesting.
Which is interesting.
Six years is a lifetime in college football. This could be very prescient, or very ‘meh’, in the time to come.
As it stands, the Boise State home games are looking to be played on Fox or FS1:
The @MountainWest announces CBS Sports and FOX Sports as their new television partners.
— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) January 9, 2020
BIG NEWS: FOX/FS1 will now have the rights to all #BoiseState home football games. pic.twitter.com/cmpjJ6xnHz
As far as visuals, this may be the biggest news for Boise State fans.
No more ESPN (outside of non-conference away games of course, like BYU). Which is really huge news. Boise State built it’s cache off of the odd-night football games and, as far as recent history goes, late-night games. Having the visibility of ESPN is going to change a lot of things. Who knows, right now, if it will help or hinder.
The Boise State/Florida State match up next fall is already being talked about for Fox’s ‘Big Noon Saturday.’
And the Mountain West championship football game is going to be on Fox (much like the Pac-12). So that should be nice.
But don’t get your hopes up, yet, Broncos fans regarding the late starts:
As far as late night kickoffs...
— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) January 9, 2020
Commissioner Craig Thompson says that it will be similar to the previous TV contract.
It does sounds like latest games will kickoff is 8 PM MT, instead of 8:30 PM MT this time around though.
So, yeah, the late kickoffs are going to haunt the Broncos for the foreseeable future. But maybe 8 pm. is slightly better than 8:26 pm? Maybe.
The more money for each team is going to be helpful. It’s getting harder, and harder, to compete in the FBS. Every school is going to need as much cash as they can get. This is a decent start.
While not being on the Worldwide Leader is going to be different, perhaps change will be a good thing.