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CannonCougar85"They (the MWC) are concerned about losing their TV contract entirely" if BYU leaves the league, and from what I know, that is an extremely valid concern.
I have talked to someone with knowledge of the MWC's external TV deal who says the contract is voided if both BYU and Utah leave the conference. A departure of one or the other would not be enough to negate the deal, but if both schools were to depart, the MWC would basically be starting from scratch with its media partners.
This right here tells me that BYU has the upper hand in these negotiations. BYU leaves and all bets are off with their TV money. They would have to renegotiate without their biggest money maker. So whatever little money the MWC is getting now from the TV deal it could be even worse if BYU leaves.
This could also be incentive for teams to leave the MWC and join the WAC where they could get more money from ESPN.