San Diego State reportedly informs Mountain West conference of exit plans
San Diego State University is planning to leave the Mountain West conference, according to multiple reports.
SDSU reportedly gave the Mountain West written notice of its intentions this week.
In response, the Mountain West reportedly told SDSU that it had accepted the school's withdrawal from the conference. That prompted SDSU to inform the league that the notice was not meant as an official resignation, according to the reports.
If SDSU wants to depart the Mountain West in June 2024, it needs to give one year of notice by the end of this month. Should it fail to do so, then the school's exit fee will jump from around $17 million to $34 million. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported, citing sources, that SDSU asked the Mountain West for a "one-month extension given unforeseen delays involving other collegiate athletic conferences beyond our control."
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The Athletic, citing a source briefed on the matter, reported that "it’s unclear why the Mountain West would agree to extend the smaller exit fee."
SDSU has been linked to the Pac-12 and Big 12 in the past, but the school reportedly does not currently have an official invitation from a Power 5 conference. It's noteworthy that the Pac-12 is in the midst of negotiating a new TV deal, and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff has said the conference won't be expanding until the deal is in place.
SDSU has been part of the Mountain West since the conference was founded in 1999, but athletic director J.D. Wicker has been open about the school's desire to jump to a Power 5 conference. Wicker told The Athletic's Seth Davis in April that SDSU joining either the Pac-12 or Big 12 was "going to happen."
The Aztecs are coming off their first Final Four and national championship game appearances in men's basketball, while SDSU's football team has finished at or above .500 in every season dating back to 2010.
Source: NBC San Diego
