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Cougarfan87I think, silly as Lou Holtz is, that he is right that going independent is the perfect way to show the Big 12 what it is missing. It is also a way to say to the MWC, you try to screw my deal, watch this. I'm walking anyway. As has been posted, 4M a year from ESPN plus what we can make on our own (totaling about 9 M) is more than we get on the MTN even with BCS AQ status--about 4.3M. What no one seems to be mentioning either, is that the addition of Fresno and Nevada actually hurts the AQ status. Taking the also rans (not even top 50 teams which is what we need) from non BCS conferences does not give you a better case for AQ status.
Now, separating from the Mountain West and showing what we are really worth on our own (about 9M a year) will make us that much more enticing to the Big 12. I'm for parting ways since its what we should have done long ago. The WCC can have our other games, since ESPN will want to broadcast those, and we could still play four WAC teams a year for them in football if the WAC even survives. If it doesn't, it may be better for us. We can ask for more money, since they don't have to divide it amongst the dissolved WAC and we can be their pipeline to the West in football.
Now, separating from the Mountain West and showing what we are really worth on our own (about 9M a year) will make us that much more enticing to the Big 12. I'm for parting ways since its what we should have done long ago. The WCC can have our other games, since ESPN will want to broadcast those, and we could still play four WAC teams a year for them in football if the WAC even survives. If it doesn't, it may be better for us. We can ask for more money, since they don't have to divide it amongst the dissolved WAC and we can be their pipeline to the West in football.