Boise State's Pac-12 Gamble Could Cost Millions Than Expected

Boise State’s move to the Pac-12 is costing the athletic department, the university, and Idaho taxpayers a lot of money. Litigation involving the Mountain West and the new Pac-12 has ended with both sides agreeing to a financial settlement.

The good news for Boise State is that the unrevealed settlement number is less than half of what the Mountain West was demanding.

The bad news is the move has put the Blue into the red, and we’re not talking about the red of Eastern Washington University.

Boise State’s move to the Pac-12 was an improvement with promises of more exposure, greater revenue opportunities, and a commitment from partners to win.

However, the move comes with a major cost to the program as the athletic department is projecting a deficit that could reach $14 million to $18 million this fiscal year, according to Idaho Education News.

Idaho Education News covered the athletic department’s presentation to the State Board of Education. We'll have the meeting for you below, but in other words, Boise State's winning on the field, but has a deficit off the field.

The team presented their findings to the state board stating the athletics department has a deficit of two million dollars this year. It could go higher based on the current financial model in college sports.

Boise State's Move Towards Entertainment Pays Off

We learned that recent events like the Savannah Bananas, the monster trucks, and various concerts have helped the department raise more revenue. The more events that make money will help offset the escalating costs associated with today's games.

The move to the Pac-12 means Boise State will have to pay the Mountain West and will impact the budget. It gets confusing, but we’ll do our best to break it down for you.

Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey thanked the state board and described the athletic department's wins and losses. He explained that the 5,000 events this year helped offset the demands of funding players’ salaries and other necessities to compete in today’s world of college athletics.

Boise State is "Falling Behind" other program

Mr. Dickey told the board that Boise State will not be the top program in spending in the new conference, but third or fourth in spending. He didn't specify where the program is compared to other national programs.

Is The Pac 12 Helping Boise State Raise Money?

The athletic director revealed the conference is working with its members to raise money. He said it will look better a year from now. Mr. Dickey said the partnership with the Pac 12 was one of the reasons to move to the new conference.

Will President Trump Save Boise State Football?

Mr. Dickey spoke about the future saying the president's work with bringing folks to Washington was a encouraging move. He believes solutions are coming and is hopeful about the Save College Sports Act.

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Source: Why Boise State Is Projecting A Deficit After Joining The Pac-12

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