The Mountain West Conference said Thursday it is seeking mediation in the lawsuit the Pac-12 filed against it in an attempt to avoid paying $55 million in “poaching” fees for bringing five Mountain West teams into its own league. The Pac-12 and some of the schools it is adding filed lawsuits last year, claiming the poaching clause it agreed to when it signed a scheduling agreement for its football teams for last season was invalid. The clause called for payments to the Mountain West of $10 million for the first team that left, with the amount growing by $500,000 for every additional team. That was on top of the $17 million-plus exit fees schools were responsible for as part of a different agreement. Colorado State, Utah State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Boise State are all set to join the Pac-12 starting in 2026. “The goal is to resolve the parties’ disputes through terms mutually agreed to by the parties,” the Mountain West said in a statement. “While the Conference remains confident in its legal positions, the ongoing litigation matters are a distraction from our main priorities: serving our member institutions and our student-athletes.” The Pac-12 did not immediately