Pac-12 realignment: How much could each team make as part of media deal in Teresa Gould's conference?

The Pac-12 realignment and expansion plan continued on Monday when the Utah State Aggies joined the exodus from the Mountain West Conference. The Pac-12, led by commissioner Teresa Gould, now has seven members and needs just one more program to be NCAA compliant to be considered an FBS conference.

According to AP reporter and college football insider Ralph Russo, the Pac-12's pitch to the teams joining the rejuvenated conference will be for a media deal ranging between $8-10 million.

So far, the Pac-12 only has programs in the Pacific and Mountain time zones, and targeting schools in the Central time zones, including the Tulane Green Wave and the Memphis Tigers, was a move to strengthen the conference's media deal-negotiating position.

The figure would have been higher with the addition of the American Athletic Conference schools. However, the teams recently released a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to the conference, leaving the Pac-12 realignment plan in tatters.

Pac-12 realignment owes MWC huge exit fees

The capture of Fresno State, San Diego State, Boise State and Colorado State in the latest Pac-12 realignment move in one swoop had revitalized what many thought was a dead conference.

On Monday, commissioner Teresa Gould revealed that her conference had poached one more school from the Mountain West Conference. The exit fees by the Pac-12's departing members had availed the conference of a huge pot of cash, which was being utilized in its expansion plan.

The only snag in the Pac-12's plan was the pre-existing agreement with the Mountain West Conference, which included an anti-poaching clause that could rise to up to $12 million per school.

According to The Athletic's Chris Vanninni, MWC Commissioner Gloria Nevarez tried to consolidate the programs under her charge by signing a solidarity agreement but was bamboozled by the capture of the Utah State Aggies in a Pac-12 realignment move.

"Mountain West leadership spent the weekend working to get its eight remaining members to commit to each other, either through a grant of rights or other financial means," Vannini wrote. "That process remains ongoing. The league is supposed to have around $111 million coming its way in the ensuing years through exit fees and poaching fees from the Pac-12."

There's a loophole in the Mountain West Conference regulations that will waive the notice period and exit fees owed by departing schools should nine members vote for the dissolution of the conference. This would suit the Pac-12 realignment plan perfectly.