SDSU Alerts Mountain West Conference That They WIll Be Leaving

SDSU Athletics Have Been Thriving And They May Be On The Move

According to multiple reports, San Diego State University has given notice to the Mountain West Conference of its intention to resign. While the school has not received an invitation from any other conference, the Pac-12 seems like a logical destination if San Diego State were to leave the Mountain West. With the departure of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, the Pac-12 would likely want to maintain a presence in Southern California. Although San Diego State wouldn’t replace the Los Angeles TV market, it would be a sensible addition to the conference.

From ESPN’s Pete Thamel: 

The withdrawal letter, which came from San Diego State president Adela de la Torre on June 13, comes with complexities and prompted a terse back-and-forth between the league and SDSU. That included San Diego State subsequently informing the league that the June 13 letter was “not the official notice of resignation,” according to sources.

San Diego State would need to give a year notice to withdraw next June. If they wait past June 30, the exit fee that they’d owe would jump from nearly $16.5 million to nearly $34 million.

There are no other clear candidates from the Mountain West for the Pac-12. San Diego State stands out as the most natural fit. However, the Pac-12 is facing its own challenges, including the expiration of its current television contract on July 1, 2024. The conference has not yet finalized a new TV deal, which played a role in USC and UCLA’s decision to leave for the Big Ten. The lack of a new TV deal has also hindered the conference’s progress. Pac-12 schools received around $30 million each in 2022 from the current rights agreements with ESPN and Fox, but the presence of marquee programs like USC and UCLA is significant for the league. It becomes more difficult to negotiate higher payments with fewer teams and without a Los Angeles presence.

Rumors of conference realignment have persisted, especially as the Big 12 expressed its desire to add members even after the recent additions of Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and BYU. There have been mentions of Pac-12 member Colorado as a candidate for the Big 12, despite its previous membership in the conference before joining the Pac-12 in 2011. San Diego State was specifically mentioned as a replacement for Colorado in the Pac-12 in an ESPN report, further fueling speculation about potential conference changes.

SDSU Has Excelled in Hoops And Football

If San Diego State were to leave the Mountain West for the Pac-12 or another conference, it would be a move to a larger conference. Both the football and men’s basketball teams at San Diego State have been successful in recent years. The football team has achieved at least 10 wins in five of the past eight seasons and has had a winning record every year since 2009. The men’s basketball team had a strong season in 2022-23, reaching the national title game before losing to UConn. They have made the NCAA tournament in each of the past three seasons, including an outstanding 30-2 record in 2020 before the tournament’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.