The rebuilt Pac-12 secured a significant victory in its legal fight with the Mountain West on Tuesday when a federal judge denied the Mountain West’s motion to dismiss the so-called “poaching penalty” lawsuit .

Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen of the Northern District of California denied all four causes of action in the motion and set a case management conference for Nov. 18.

But she did more than that: van Keulen’s ruling legitimized the Pac-12’s claims and seemingly signaled a long road ahead for the Mountain West, which is counting on $55 million in poaching penalty fees that could be in jeopardy.

On a key piece of the Pac-12’s lawsuit -- that the poaching penalties violated antitrust law by restraining trade -- van Keulen wrote:

“The MWC’s arguments do not provide a basis for t

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