It’s time for San Diego State and the Pac-12 to do what they want
San Diego State University and the Pac-12 Conference want each other. At least, that is and has been the indication for several months.
San Diego State would love to move up from the Mountain West, a Group of Five league, to the Pac-12, a Power Five conference. The Pac-12, for its part, wants to maintain a presence in Southern California. The conference has expressed optimism that it can fetch a competitive price point for its new round of media rights deals based on having the added inventory provided by both San Diego State and SMU, the two schools it has heavily courted.
Now, however, the Mountain West is refusing to give San Diego State an extension on its timeline for leaving the conference without paying added exit fees beyond what it already owes. The current deadline is June 30. San Diego State would pay close to $17 million in additional exit penalties if it doesn’t leave the Mountain West by then.
Why hasn’t SDSU already left? The Pac-12 hasn’t extended an offer to join the conference. Why hasn’t the Pac-12 extended an offer? Because it hasn’t finalized its media rights deal.
If San Diego State wants out of the Mountain West, it shouldn’t feel the need to wait beyond June 30. If the Pac-12 is confident that San Diego State will deliver a good media rights deal, what is the remaining holdup at this point?
Yes, SDSU would like to formally leave the Mountain West and then immediately announce its membership in the Pac-12. We can see and appreciate that desire to not be “unaffiliated” for even a few days or hours. However, is there any doubt SDSU would find a Power Five conference home? The optics might not be ideal, but the Aztecs should not be worried that they will somehow be left stranded. They will find a good home. They can leave the Mountain West and know they’ll land safety, even if the process is awkward.
The Pac-12 owes it to San Diego State to finalize this media rights deal before June 30 so that the Aztecs — and then, presumably, SMU — can join up and we can all move on with our lives.
This doesn’t have to be prolonged any more than absolutely necessary.
