Lost connection: Frustrated Utah, BYU hire lawyer to explore TV options

Last November, BYU and Utah staged one of the most memorable football games in their storied rivalry, with the outcome decided on a dramatic play after time had expired.

But because of the Mountain West Conference's new, sometimes nebulous television contract, legions of Cougar and Ute fans around the country — and even along the Wasatch Front — were unable to see that classic contest on TV. In fact, the lack of distribution of The mtn., the fledgling network dedicated to the coverage of MWC sports, was a major storyline during the 2006-07 sports campaign and drew the ire of fans who couldn't watch their favorite teams on a regular basis, if at all.

If the administrations at BYU and Utah have their way, however, broadcast distribution issues will be resolved — and soon. "That's our passionate commitment," said University of Utah President Michael K. Young. "We've been patient for quite a while. We've been frustrated. We've reached a point that the current situation isn't tolerable."

Friday, BYU and Utah announced they are joining forces and retaining the services of Los Angeles-based sports broadcasting attorney Kelly Crabb to explore all possible options pertaining to enhanced accessibility of BYU and Utah sports broadcasts.

"(BYU and Utah) have been talking on this topic for a year," said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe. "As we approach football season, being three months away, we anticipate that this will be done and we'll have distribution. In the case that it's not, we just don't want to be standing around. We need to strategize with experts. Kelly is a wonderful attorney in this area. We're going to look at every option possible for fans to get the games. What does that mean? We're finding out right now. There's a lot of potential roads we can go down. Some are long, long shots and some of them are highly possible."

Holmoe did not elaborate about what the options are, but, of course, litigation is among them.

Crabb, a BYU alumnus who graduated from Columbia Law School, is a partner in the international law firm Morrison & Foerster. He has represented the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee in connection with the negotiation of Olympic broadcasting agreements worldwide. According to the company's Web site, Crabb "is highly experienced in the arena of international entertainment, media and sports, with high-level clients and cross-border deal experience in Japan, China, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, the UK, Canada, Brazil and elsewhere across the globe."