Don’t look now San Diego State Aztecs fans, but it’s starting to feel like deja vu all over again.
Or is it?
In June of 2023, I wrote a Sons of Montezuma piece about the back-and-forth SDSU was engaging in with the Mountain West Conference. The topic? All about a potential departure for presumably much greener pastures.
At the time, I described the feeling of many Aztecs’ fans when I said:
“What long time Aztecs supporters worry about, since it’s such a big part of our history, will the opportunity many have longed for—a chance to play in a prominent athletic conference—again escape SDSU’s grasp?
The chance to compete at an elite level seems well within reach and yet as distant as ever without a firm offer on the table.”
Well, it’s nearly two years later and could it be that not much has changed?
San Diego State and the other members of the wannabe, newly formed Pac-12(ish) remain without a television/media rights deal and without an eighth football playing institution. For those keeping score at home—the minimum NCAA requirement to be eligible for College Football Playoff consideration is (you guessed it) eight.
What the Pac-12 does indeed have are distant yet growing rumblings that this conference deal may fall apart once again.
Before too much panic sets in, let’s take a step back and assess what we know for sure.
Through the 2025-2026 academic year, the Bill Walton-proclaimed “Conference of Champions” will function with two teams – Oregon State and Washington State – same as it did this year.
In 2026 the plan remains to expand the conference to eight member schools as the Pac-12 welcomes Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State, and San Diego State. Also joining at that time will be Gonzaga, a huge addition on the basketball side of the conference, but the Zags don’t have a football team to help the league reach the eight-team threshold.
While all this demonstrates positive developments for SDSU and its new conference counterparts, large issues remain to be resolved. Perhaps the biggest of these is the need to secure a media rights deal.
Early this spring, at a gathering of Aztecs supporters at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego State Athletic Director J.D. Wicker indicated that a media rights deal would be finalized by the end of March.
Or did he?
Online sports commentators, random fans and personalities have railed against the Aztecs AD taking shots at his competence and that of the Pac-12. But not so fast.
What those in attendance specifically heard Mr. Wicker say was that an M.O.U. would be finalized by the end of March. A Memorandum of Understanding is a non-binding agreement that outlines the intentions and terms of a potential collaboration or understanding between parties.
Far too often in the media those talking heads like to spin words create sensationalism. This insight into the timetable by J.D. wasn’t exactly saying a media rights deal would be done.
But make no mistake, J.D. would further expound and grease up the season ticket holders in attendance on purpose. His stating that after this M.O.U. formality is met, a media deal would soon be to follow and that it would be great for SDSU and the Pac-12.
What Wicker also eluded to with importance was the House settlement being ruled on. The final settlement hearing will gavel on April 7 but by his estimation it wouldn’t be ruled on until a week or two after.
J.D. adds that in addition to the settlement hearing the SDSU basketball team would be playing in the National Championship on Monday, April 7 as well. Having also thought that was happening, we won’t hold that one too hard against him.
Well, the calendar has turned to April, and the clock continues to tick on a deal.
In light of what someone assumed to have inside information said publicly, the question becomes why don’t we know yet where fans of the Red & Black will be able to catch our favorite athletic teams in action on our screens and mobile devices?
But there are certainly more questions than that. Foremost, is there a significant problem keeping a deal from getting done?
JD mentioned the network partners in the media deal would be names we are familiar with. But are networks and media outlets demanding to know who the eighth (ninth, tenth) football-playing member is going to be before they commit to a financial figure? Not according to him.
The previous debacle leads us to believe not everything being mentioned is 100% as it is. Has the Pac-12 not announced its ninth member because it hasn’t been able to convince anyone to agree to jump to this new conference?
Or, perhaps most concerning, are the dollars figures being presented less than what had been originally projected—making the deal untenable for the schools involved and their individual and collective desires to enrich their athletic coffers by substantial sums?
Unfortunately, I don’t have any answers for you. Seems no one does and for the so called experts following the beat closely, they aren’t any better having led us listeners astray once before with their previous Pac-12 promises.
In a release dated April 3, Washington State Director of Athletics Anne McCoy addressed the new conference’s pending media rights deal, sort of.
“The first building block is the new media rights agreement,” the release said. “While the negotiations are ongoing, there is optimism that the Pac-12 Conference will attract a valuation that supports Cougar athletics in the years to come. I’m excited to share updates as they become available.”
So, we’ve got one conference AD saying a deal is imminent (within 30 or so days of his announcement) and another who says talks are ongoing and an update will be shared when one becomes available.
Not sure either development instills much confidence seeing where we stand a little more than a year away from the deadline. Texas State, a school highly regarded as a potential Pac-12 addition, recently had cryptic messaging sent by their President filled with disapproval of helping this newly imagined conference off the ground.
Someone cue Chubby Checker. It’s time to continue dancing the “Limbo Rock,” Aztecs fans.
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2 Responses
The problem. This is really just the West of the Mt West with the least of the PAC 12.
Great storied name, but none of the storied programs.
Heck couldn’t even keep the two ‘brainiac’ schools from thinking they’re on the East Coast. (Note: They should look at a map and region the Pacific).
UNLV anyone?
Sacramento State wants in. Take them in and be done with it.