Pac-12 expansion: Will the conference open its doors for SDSU next season if the media rights deal gets finalized soon? 

There has been a lot of talk and focus on Pac-12 expansion as things seemed to have fallen through with the San Diego State Aztecs this season. The program was expected to join the conference but things fell through and SDSU remained part of the Mountain West Conference.

This was to the point that First-Team All-Mountain West tight end Mark Redman spoke during the Mountain West Media Day on Thursday. He revealed that players were told at multiple instances about their possible inclusion into the Pac-12 last year.

"A year ago they said we were going [to the Pac-12], two months ago they said we were going, but really at this point the focus is just on the Mountain West and being able to win that 22nd championship for us and that's all we are really focused on. If it comes it comes, if not...it is what it is." h/t MSN

The USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are both leaving the Pac-12 on July 1, 2024, the conclusion of the current media rights deal. The conference has been trying to figure out a rights deal before even deciding on Pac-12 expansion.

Will there be Pac-12 expansion once a new media rights deal is finalized?

It seems like San Diego State is waiting until the Pac-12 media rights deal is finalized before making the jump to the Power Five conference. However, it could be a little difficult as Mountain West appears to not be very lenient as they tried to leave this year.

It has been a huge cause for conversation and the Pac-12 has been trying to finalize a media rights deal for a while. They were expecting to have the deal finalized before the July 1 deadline for programs to switch conferences. However, we are still waiting three weeks later and it has been reported that we may not hear it during Friday's Pac-12 Media Day.

It seems fairly obvious that whatever deal is going to be finalized is with the intention of adding at least the San Diego State Aztecs to the conference.

As currently constructed, there will be 10 teams in the Pac-12 in 2024. Seeing some Pac-12 expansion once the ink dries on the media rights deal feels right.

Could there be another team on the horizon that joins the Pac-12 as well as SDSU? Will their media rights deal be enough to entice teams to stay in the conference? These are the questions we need to wait to be answered.