The MWC is beginning to weigh its options on life without a cable deal. The logic is sound, there isn't enough money going into each mwc schools bank accounts to offset the lost fan interest.
The obvious ploy here is the MWC will be hoping for more money when their rights are renegotiated,I'll take it at face value and consider the pros and cons of such a move.
Pros
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Conference control - obviously, league could still piecemeal conference games out weekly if there is interest
Fan Engagement - I 100% agree that attendance numbers would go up
Digital Subscribers - Digital framework has existed, it seems to be steadily improving, if they price is right and there is a digital archive of on demand games casual football fans would purchase.
No Competition - The WAC is long since dead and as such they really don't have to sell being on tv. It's not going to hurt them in recruiting, college football players have to sign somewhere and there are so many FBS schools out west now
Cons:
Boise State - They'll still have their sweetheart deal with ESPN, the MWC won't get value off Boise State's home games
Attendance will go up but - there is a ceiling for this, fans aren't just going to flock to see SJSU play.. low attendance MWC schools have ALWAYS had low attendance, no promises of greater return because of fan engagement but may lose hungreds of thousands of tv money
Incentive To Bail: Certain schools, like Boise State, Hawaii and San Diego State would be just as well off putting its basketball into the Big West and scheduling as an Independent as this scenario. Their games off more value than the rest of the league.
Big Sky - Liberty's rise to the FBS without a conference home is eventually going to lead to an FCS league going FBS in mass, the horses are out of the barn on this. If a group of schools from the Big Sky were able to move up enmass and fill the void left by the WAC in recruiting and on ESPN/CBS by the MWC moving off, there would be a slow turn of recruiting dynamics in the West.
I think this is a lot of talk, MWC wants larger checks and I think they'll get slightly larger ones at the end of the day to maintain status-quo
