Will SDSU leave Mountain West after Pac-12 media deal? San Diego State Aztecs deal with Pac-12 may not be dead after all

The San Diego State Aztecs recently gave the Mountain West Conference a written notice that they are planning to leave the conference. While they have not received an official invite from any of the Power Five conferences leading the school to inform the Mountain West that they intended to stay in the conference, talks with the Pac-12 may not be dead after all.

Take a look at how the Aztecs could still wind up in the conference following the departure of the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans.

Why could the Pac-12 be waiting to invite the San Diego State Aztecs?

The San Diego State Aztecs are considered a prime candidate to replace the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans, who will leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten on July 1, 2024. According to John Canzano, the conference could be awaiting to extend an invite to the Aztecs, along with the SMU Mustangs, for financial reasons. Canzano stated:

"It could be that they've discovered a financial advantage to waiting another year to invite two new members. The College Football Playoff is expanding for the 2024 season. The new TV deal is going to bring a windfall to the conferences that participate. Is it possible the Pac-12 doesn't want to split those first-year shares 12 ways vs. 10?"

"That it's waiting because doing so helps make up for the haircut they took in the Comcast overpayment fiasco? A veteran college administrator (not from the Pac-12) floated that theory to me on Friday as the news about San Diego State landed," he said. "He offered that being without Southern California as part of the Pac-12 for one football season wouldn't kill you on the recruiting or TV-deal fronts." [h/t Trojan Wire]

Splitting the revenue ten ways for the 2024 season would allow the Pac-12's remaining schools to make an additional few million dollars in revenue. Furthermore, the San Diego State Aztecs would save nearly $20 million in exit fees that would be owed to the Mountain West.

If the Aztecs depart from the conference prior to the 2024 season, the university would owe the conference $34 million. Waiting an additional season would allow San Diego State to pay just $16.5 million.

While the San Diego State Aztecs have shared their intent to remain in the Mountain West, the conference reportedly considered their initial letter a formal notice of departure. They are reportedly withholding $6.6 million, according to Mark Ziegler of the San Diego Union-Tribune.