June 5, 2007

SANTA FE, N.M. - As part of its annual meeting that concluded today, the MWC Board of Directors reaffirmed its unanimous support of the league's television model and its commitment to working collectively as a unified group to maximize the potential of this unique approach. It reviewed the MWC's new television structure, specifically focusing on the current unacceptable state of the distribution of The Mtn.--MountainWest Sports Network. The Mtn. is the Conference's groundbreaking network that is the first dedicated to a single college athletic conference.

The Board expressed its concern that the television coverage and distribution had not yet reached levels acceptable to members of the MWC - which is a matter of great urgency for all members of the Conference. The many positives of the television structure were noted, including control of the scheduling process, development of outstanding programming and playing games at preferred dates and times.

However, the Board's concern with the current state of distribution of The Mtn. led it to vote unanimously to retain Mr. Kelly Crabb of the Morrison & Foerster law firm in Los Angeles to clarify the nature of the television contract, delineate the distribution strategies available to the Conference and work directly with Commissioner Craig Thompson and an ad hoc committee of the Board in representing the MWC in ongoing negotiations. It agreed other expertise may be retained as needed to move the distribution negotiations forward as soon as possible.

Serving as the ad hoc committee will be Texas Christian University Chancellor Victor Boschini, Colorado State University President Larry Edward Penley and Brigham Young University President Cecil Samuelson.

"We look forward to having our representative work with CSTV and Comcast to accelerate distribution in the best interest of the Conference," said Dr. Penley, current chair of the MWC Board of Directors. "Feedback regarding The Mtn. programming for those who have access has been very positive, but the Board believes it is critical to expand the availability of the network to all MWC constituents. To that end, we have engaged Mr. Crabb to achieve the desired goal."