SDSU Athletic Director JD Wicker made public this week how the BIG-12 conference wanted SDSU to join their conference, but only “wanted us to come in at basically half a share with no opportunity to make any money in the new TV deal they just started” as quoted in Mark Zeigler’s article in the Union-Tribune.
To say last year’s conference shakeup and ultimate collapse of the PAC-12 was devastating, is an understatement.
For the man who had seen the athletic program through two stops in his professional journey, a global pandemic, a new campus expansion & world-class stadium facility, only to rise to heights of success unseen at SDSU—the opportunity lost with the PAC-12 cut deeply. It was personal.
When leaders reveal information of that weight publicly, there’s a reason for it. We knew someting was up. Something BIG was about to happen. And that something was deeply personal.
News broke Wednesday evening of more conference shake-up when the PAC-12’s remaining two teams, Washington State and Oregon State, were set to invite four new schools to their conference membership, according to sources.
Our first reaction: Here we go, again.
Four teams currently in the Mountain West are set to join: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and your beloved San Diego State Aztecs are in the PAC-12 baby. Just like how we all imagined it, right?
After being heartbroken by the former PAC-12 members, your Aztecs can officially announce they have joined the ranks of one of the prestigious conferences in all collegiate athletics—or so we’ve been told. So why would they now join the league that left them standing at the altar once before?
The Brand. The Brand. The Brand.
Some have asked, why wouldn’t the Beavs and Wazzou just join the Mountain West and make it easy? Despite all the deserters, the PAC-12 as a brand still holds a ton of weight & legitimacy in the minds of college fans all over the world.
Washington State and Oregon State, two long time members of the PAC-12 fought through litigation to hold onto the PAC-12 branding and they were not going to forfeit all those millions earned to the former members that left for the money rich conferences of the BIG TEN, BIG 12, and ACC.
They were not going to give that up for the Mountain West’s reputation one bit.
So who is next to join?
With just 6 teams total in the conference as is, the new group will need to add two more schools to maintain their conference designation before the 2026 season. But I wouldn’t be in any rush to make that decision.
One thing we know is that the teams remaining from the Mountain West should not likely be looked on as potential options—at least not right now.
This announcement made a clear line in the sand of just who from the Mountain West fit into how this new PAC-12 sees themselves now and their long term vision for the future.
Although Fresno State’s financial feasibility has been called into question, over the likes of a more prosperous UNLV for example, this new conference is undoubtedly centered around football. The Rebels have much to be optimistic about this season, but have not proven to be a consistent winner with the support to back up this kind of next level step.
So who does that leave realistically to add?
CAL & Stanford each are top-tier institutions with very different cultural aspects from this new look conference. They made that abundantly clear when choosing to leave the Beavers & Cougars the first time.
Hoping that Stanford and CAL come on back home and release themselves of the travel stresses & obligations of the ACC is a far-fetched reality. But it is for sure one of the possibilities the new PAC-12 is hoping for in the back of their minds.
The decision to only announce six teams at this point leaves open that possibility, but also so much more. When asked wether the next additions would be centered around the western time zones, Adela De La Torre, the San Diego State President, eluded that it would largely be about who was the best that could be out there—not geographically restrictive.
Does this leave room for perhaps recruiting hot bed and prestigious university of Tulane, maybe Memphis? Or perhaps break ground back in Texas with UT-San Antonio or North Texas?
Perhaps there is room to add basketball schools Gonzaga to join in the Pacific Northwest footprints?
Either way another wise call on capping the teams to just six right now, is the fear for litigation from the Mountain West. Situations are tense right now and any further teams taken away from the Mountain West could’ve left the conference without their own 8 of eligibility.
Limiting to only 4 teams poached eliminates much of that threat.
No matter who is brought next into the fold, the Aztecs by making this move adds new territories of the Pacific Northwest to their travel and increases their brand awareness. A true western conference will tailor to SDSU student-athletes and fans alike in avoiding the harsh journeys into the Mountain West.
The new PAC-12’s media footing will certainly be enhanced from an Aztec prospective and should yield more revenue than what SDSU has been used to.
“We’re working through what that final contract will be,” said JD Wicker as he shared his thoughts in the announcement presser Thursday morning.
“But certainly that base revenue share where everyone has the chance to be successful, but then also to a certain extent the ability to reward people for those successes is important.”
Though it may not be the reward Wicker and San Diego State had their hopes pinned to, today and finally, the Aztecs celebrate a day where they can be rewarded for their successes.
And yes JD, that is important.
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One Response
Yippie. Tx St joins the Pac 2. They haven’t been so happy since they joined the WAC. SDSU will now reap a 5.8 million dollar payout after the Pac 12 pays its PAC 12 Network staff to cover CW games. So, SDSU will finally reap a profit in 2036 after it’s poaching and exit fees are finally paid. Wicker the AD and the Prez are not the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree, and you will finally see that when the Big 12 poaches Oregon State in a year or two. Suckers. But at least you will have a patch on your jersey that says “PAC 11”. $5.8 million. Hoo boy; What will you do with it all?