On a scale of “it never hurts to ask” to “total delusions of grandeur”, I’m not sure where Boise State’s power play of trying to get the Big East and Mountain West to allow the Broncos to keep their home television rights as a deal maker for its membership fits, but I can’t say I disagree with this sentiment:
“Boise reminds me of the teenage recruit who is starting to believe he’s the biggest star in town,” a source said. “It might be a pretty big letdown when all is said and done. Actually the sentiment of ‘who do they think they are’ is starting to seep into conversations with folks across college football.
“Let’s remember this isn’t Alabama, or even Texas Tech, we’re talking about. This sorry episode is starting to make it seem like Boise is one of the power assets in college football. In reality their value is relative to the conference they belong to.”
But it’s on the table. And that in and of itself should tell you how much things keep shifting under college football’s feet these days.
One industry source believes Boise State is the “lynchpin” in whether the Big East or MWC survives. Another source said “it’s pathetic it has come to this — Boise State shopping itself to get the best deal. It’s not like they’re Alabama. These guys were a side show until 10 years ago.”
If either conference caves and gives them what they want, if you’re Houston or Cincinnati, both of which sit in much, much larger home TV markets than Boise State does, are you not going to be asking for the very same treatment five seconds afterwards? And if you get it, too, what’s left for the rest of the conference that does it?
Weird times.
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