Bit by bit, the Pac-12 information starts to flow. CBS will be the anchor of the rebuilt conference’s media rights package, announcing a five -year agreement that goes from 2026-31. At least three regular-season Pac-12 games will be on big-boy CBS, with a healthy additional dose on CBS Sports Network. This is probably not good news for the Mountain West, as there’s not enough of that airtime to go around. (And that will likely affect the dollars the MW have promised to UNLV and Air Force to keep them around.)
There might be more money in streaming, but that would have been a short-sighted move by the Pac-12. Commissioner Teresa Gould has said all along that the goal of the rebuilt conference is exposure, and you don’t get that with just Apple TV, etc. CBS, even if only the three regular-season football games and title game are shown on the main network, gives the league exposure. There’s still room for ESPN and the CW to be involved—and even Fox. Of course, the first focus is football here. But CBS provides a solid anchor for Pac-12 basketball, as at least three regular-season games will be telecast on the primary platform (and probably more, considering how strong the conference will be in hoops). That’s going to be a good place to be down the stretch during basketball season. Cue the CBS hoops theme music.
MAYBE YOU KNOW BY NOW?
The next domino beyond the unveiling of the remainder of the media partners will be the announcement of the eighth football-playing member of the Pac-12. Logic tells us that—if it is Texas State—we’ll know by a week from today, as the Bobcats’ Sun Belt exit fee goes from $5 million to $10 million on July 1. Maybe you know by the time you read this, but things appear to be moving slowly. The best-case scenario at some point would be nine Pac-12 football teams and 10 basketball teams.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
John Canzano and Jon Wilner, two West Coast sportswriters who are as dialed-in as anybody on Pac-12 developments, both see Texas State as the answer for football member No. 8 on their weekly podcast. But they think if Memphis (or anybody else) has a shot of being No. 9, the Tigers have to think about it. Here’s what Wilner says: “If I’m one of those schools, I want to be where Boise is, because Boise is the flagship school outside of the Power 4 and Notre Dame. Boise is the biggest draw and has the best reputation. Just like in basketball, I want to be with Gonzaga. The core strength of the rebuilt Pac-12 is that they’ve got Boise football and Gonzaga basketball.” It’s hard to disagree with that. The Group of 6 spot in the College Football Playoff is going to favor the Pac-12—the Broncos, or whoever beats them.
YES, EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH
Phil Steele’s college football preview magazine is always highly-anticipated. Phil doesn’t always get it right, but his is the most detailed publication, and around here it is hoped he got this right. Steele has 13 Boise State players among the 29 on his first-team All-Mountain West squad. For perspective’s sake, San Diego State is next with four, San Jose State has three, New Mexico and Fresno State two, and everybody else one or none. Steele’s most interesting first-team picks among the Broncos are Sire Gaines at running back and Latrell Caples at wide receiver. That’s a vote of confidence in Gaines in what is a crowded running backs room (although Gaines is healthy now)—and in Caples, who was Boise State’s third-leading pass-catcher last year after topping the team in 2022 before his Achilles injury two years ago.
THE COMMIT LIST GROWS
This remarkably active June recruiting period continues for Boise State. Since last weekend there have been commitments from Jackson Taylor, Jayden Flournoy, Isuoa Faleagafua and Rowan Rupp. Taylor is a quarterback from Thousand Oaks, CA, who had offers from 10 Power 4 schools, according to 247 Sports. Taylor essentially fills the spot vacated by Bryson Beaver, who decommitted. Flournoy is a cornerback-slash-wide receiver from Burleson, TX, who had five interceptions last season. His bio on “X” says he has personal bests of 4.4 in the 40 and 10.9 in the 100-meters.
Faleagafua is an offensive tackle from San Diego who chose Boise State over Colorado, Cal, Michigan State and Arizona, among others. And Rupp is a local, a defensive lineman out of Rocky Mountain. His other offers included Nevada, Air Force and Army. Rupp is rated as the seventh overall prospect from the state of Idaho by 247. He’s the 13th Broncos commitment in the month of June alone—there are currently 19 overall.
DEGENHART READY TO ROLL WHEREVER
It’s NBA Draft week, and while Boise State’s all-time leading scorer isn’t expected to be drafted, he’s in good hands. Tyson Degenhart is one of nearly two-dozen potential NBA rookies represented by Wasserman, the powerhouse sports, music and entertainment agency. Whether Degenhart ends up in an NBA camp or not, Wasserman will find the best possible landing spot for him, be it stateside or across a pond somewhere. Tyson is willing to go wherever and see the world. And he can come home to Boise anytime.
MOUNTAIN WEST DRAFT DOCKET
What kind of a week will it be for the Mountain West in the NBA Draft? Probably above average. For a long time it was looking stellar, as Colorado State’s Nique Clifford and San Diego State’s Miles Byrd were projected as first-rounders in some mock drafts. Well, Byrd withdrew from the draft and returned to the Aztecs. Clifford is good news on his own, though. Tonight he’s in line to be the conference’s first first-rounder since fellow former Ram David Roddy went No. 23 overall to Memphis in 2022. Who can forget Clifford’s 36 points against Boise State in a pivotal win at ExtraMile Arena in March? Some projections have Nevada’s Kobe Sanders being selected in the second round Thursday night.
BOISE STATE & BUTLER: DISTANT RELATIVES
When Butler was the Cinderella of NCAA hoops 15 years ago, Boise State was the darling of mid-major football, and Brad Stevens’ hoops program was often compared to Chris Petersen’s football operation. That doesn’t exactly join the schools at the hip, especially since so much time has gone by, but I like the home-and-home men’s basketball series they have inked. The Broncos play at renowned Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 6, and the Bulldogs will visit ExtraMile Arena the following season. Boise State and Butler have met twice before and split, including the wild 100-93 Broncos win in the quarterfinals of the inaugural College Basketball Crown in April. Javan Buchanan went off in that one, putting up 27 points on 11-for-13 shooting, and he returns for Boise State in the upcoming season.
THE NEW TOAST OF OAKLAND
When it became clear that the A’s were past the point of no return in their quest to move to Las Vegas, the Oakland Ballers were formed as a Pioneer League expansion team. They coexisted with the A’s last year, and now they have Oakland all to themselves at cozy Raimondi Park. The B’s have achieved cult-like status in the city—at least while the honeymoon phase continues. They’ve done endless community outreach, and it’s paid off so far. The Ballers have soothed the heartbreak and anger over the A’s departure, and now they’re in Boise to visit the Hawks for the first time. Last night marked the opening of a six-game series at Memorial Stadium, with the Hawks rallying for four runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat first-place Oakland 14-13 and extend their winning streak to eight games.
RON COLLINS
Who wasn’t saddened to hear of the death last week of Boise State defensive senior analyst Ron Collins? He was only 61. Collins was one of those guys who—despite a well-traveled coaching career—came back to live in a place he and his family love. One of the most underappreciated facts of Boise State’s rise to prominence in the early 2000s was its defense, and Collins was the D-coordinator who made it go. It was especially good in 2004, the school’s first undefeated regular season, when the Broncos were top 10 in the country in three categories: interceptions, turnovers forced and rushing defense.
This Day In Sports…brought to you by POOL SCOUTS…perfect pools, scout’s honor!
June 25, 1968: Bobby Bonds of the San Francisco Giants becomes only the second player in major league history to hit a grand slam home run in his first game in a 9-0 rout of the rival L.A. Dodgers at Candlestick Park. He played right field that day alongside his mentor, centerfielder Willie Mays. Bonds would go on to play 14 seasons in the bigs and hit 332 career homers. At the time of his major league debut, Bonds had a son named Barry who was a month shy of his fourth birthday.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
