Is Big 12 still in play for San Diego State? Fact-checking the back-and-forth between Mountain West and SDSU

For the last couple of days, there have been several theories flying across the internet that suggest a potential relocation of San Diego State to the Big 12 . Considering its ongoing drama with Mountain West, the above notion can be validated to a very large extent. It is crucial for the university to reach an agreement ahead of the 2023 season, otherwise, it would largely affect their reputation in the college world.

Although Commissioner Brett Yormark of the Big 12 has confirmed the conference’s expansionist ambitions, he refused to name any school it has particular interests in. This leaves fans and the media to speculate, as there are many schools the conference might make a move for in the ongoing conference alignment.

San Diego State had allegedly informed the Mountain West of its potential exit in the month of June. This helped the university cut its $34 million exit fee by half to $17 million. However, the school would later inform the conference of its intention to remain.

Middle Tennessee v San Diego State at the EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl

But Mountain West remained adamant that the school has already made its official exit and owes it a sum of $17 million as an exit fee. It further withheld a $6.6 million payment due to the school as the first installment of the exit fee.

The Fate of San Diego State as Mountain West gets hostile

As it stands, there might not be a place in the Mountain West for the school. But it is also not sure of a place in the Big 12. Yormark has made it clear that his conference is only out to obtain value from any potential expansion at the moment. What that means is that the conference will only add more members based on the value they bring to the conference.

The question to ask is whether the conference would consider San Diego State valuable to it. The school is currently not a Power 5 school, and its revenue capability is not on the same level as that of an average Power 5 institution.

Another option for the school, if its bid to remain in the Mountain West fails, is the Pac-12. The Pac-12 is a conference in need of new members after losing USC and UCLA to the Big Ten. But it has put its expansion plans on hold as it focuses on a search for a befitting media rights deal.

Hopefully, the Aztecs will continue to stay in the Mountain West. The board of directors of the conference meets on July 17, and the school’s status is one of the things on its agenda.