San Diego State is running out of time to make an expensive decision regarding its future conference plans.
Last week, the Mountain West Conference (MWC) denied SDSU’s request for a “one-month extension given unforeseen delays involving other collegiate athletic conferences beyond our control,” leaving the Aztecs until June 30 to give a year’s notice of withdrawal before their exit fee doubles from $16.5 million to nearly $34 million.
The back-and-forth started last week when SDSU seemingly provided the MWC with written notice that the school intends to depart the conference next year, according to ESPN. The MWC responded last Wednesday informing SDSU it had accepted the school’s letter of withdrawal and started the separation process, which included withholding $6 million due next month.
SDSU president Adela de la Torre tried to walk back the school’s initial statement, claiming the Aztecs are not yet leaving the MWC. However, the MWC answered Friday saying it did not accept SDSU’s argument that the school had not offered formal notice of resignation.
The Pac-12 has been speculated to be a potential destination for SDSU, which could help the conference fill the Southern California market gap left by UCLA and USC’s move to the Big Ten next year. But negotiations surrounding the Pac-12’s next media rights deal have dragged on and complicated the situation for SDSU without a formal offer to join the conference yet.
The Pac-12 is expected to announce its media deal and expansion decision before media day, July 21 in Las Vegas.
This past season, the SDSU women’s swimming team recorded their eighth undefeated dual-meet schedule in the last nine seasons en route to the MWC title, extending their winning streak to 50 victories dating back to January of 2018.
If the Pac-12 expands, another rumored candidate is SMU. The Mustangs meet the academic requirements, possess big-time football potential, and — most importantly — bring the Dallas media market to the table. SDSU and SMU account for a combined 4.12 million households, nearly making up for the 5.7 million Los Angeles-area homes that the Pac-12 will be losing next year.
Last season, the SMU men’s swimming team edged Cincinnati for the American Athletic Conference title, while the Mustang women placed third behind Florida International and Houston.
The conference realignment wheels could start spinning again soon, with reports of Colorado and Arizona considering leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12. Back in March, the Big 12 reportedly renewed talks with Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado about potential membership. Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff accused the Big 12 of “trying to destabilize our remaining conference.”