News Summary
San Diego State University and four Mountain West Conference schools have announced their intention to leave the conference, aiming to join a re-formed Pac-12 starting in 2026-27. This strategic decision allows them to avoid increased exit fees. The schools reportedly face financial implications due to the transition, including discussions around potential loans to manage costs. The developments reflect ongoing changes in college athletics as institutions reassess their conference affiliations.
San Diego – San Diego State University (SDSU) and four other schools from the Mountain West Conference have formally submitted their notifications to depart from the conference as they set their sights on joining a re-formed Pac-12 Conference starting in the 2026-27 academic year. The schools making this move alongside SDSU include Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and Utah State.
The notification is a strategic decision that allows these institutions to avoid a doubling of their exit fee from an estimated $18 million to approximately $36 million, a deadline set for June 1. Without this announcement, the financial burden for the schools would have significantly increased, placing further strain on their athletic budgets.
Last September, the five universities expressed their intention to join the re-formed Pac-12, which currently consists of seven football-playing members, including SDSU, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and Utah State, as well as Oregon State and Washington State. Additionally, Gonzaga represents the conference in basketball and other non-football sports. The Pac-12 is required to add an eighth full member by July 1, 2026, to maintain NCAA recognition for the College Football Playoff.
The potential fallout from these departures might have significant repercussions for the remaining Mountain West schools such as UNLV and Air Force, making it increasingly unlikely for them to join the Pac-12 due to high exit fees that would be incurred if they make a short-notice decision. The situation is further complicated by ongoing mediation related to exit fees and “poaching fees” that arise from a scheduling agreement between the two conferences.
SDSU has a history of conference changes; it originally withdrew from the Mountain West in 2012, joining the Big East, but returned to the Mountain West following the collapse of the Big East. The university’s President, Adela de la Torre, had previously made motions to resign from the Mountain West, which were later retracted after changes occurred in the membership structure of the Pac-12.
As part of their exit process, the universities submitted their notices of withdrawal with a $5,000 fee. However, due to these transitions, the Mountain West could potentially withhold its upcoming distribution of $6 million per school, creating financial difficulties for its athletic departments during a critical time.
To alleviate potential financial strains, various financial proposals are being discussed, including the possibility of loans from the Pac-12 to the incoming schools, which would subsequently be deducted from future conference distributions. This may serve to smooth the transition process and ensure that these institutions can adequately manage the pending changes without severe financial repercussions.
As conference realignments continue to reshape the landscape of college athletics, the changes undertaken by SDSU and its allied schools illustrate the ongoing efforts of both the Power 5 and Group of 5 conferences to expand and restructure. Athletic Director John David Wicker expressed optimism regarding the future of the Pac-12, indicating that developments concerning growth and media rights deals for the conference might be forthcoming.
This significant shift conveys the complexities and financial implications associated with conference affiliations in college sports, highlighting an ongoing period of transition within the collegiate athletic framework. As decisions reverberate through the sports community, the impacts of such moves can be profound, influencing not just the institutions directly involved, but the broader context of college athletics as a whole.
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Additional Resources
- Nevada Sportsnet
- Wikipedia: Pac-12 Conference
- ESPN
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Mountain West Conference
- Fresno Bee
- Google Search: Mountain West Conference
- San Diego Union-Tribune
- Google Scholar: college athletics conference realignment
- Mountain West Conference
- Google News: San Diego State University
- Go Aztecs
