San Diego State leaving the Mountain West conference: Where will the Aztecs land during college football expansion?

There have been multiple reports that the San Diego State Aztecs have given written notice to the Mountain West Conference that the program intends to resign from the conference. Per the report, the Aztecs have not received any invitation to join a new conference.

ESPN's Pete Thamel detailed everything to a fine powder, and this is the biggest part to understand:

"The withdrawal letter, which came from San Diego State president Adela de la Torre on June 13, comes with complexities and prompted a terse back-and-forth between the league and SDSU. That included San Diego State subsequently informing the league that the June 13 letter was 'not the official notice of resignation,' according to sources."

It is important to note that a decision, either way, will likely happen by June 30. If they wait until after that date, the exit fee jumps from $16.5 million to almost $34 million.

What is the most likely destination for the San Diego State Aztecs if they leave the Mountain West Conference?

There could be a few answers, but the one that immediately jumps to mind would be San Diego State joining the Pac-12 Conference. They have some notable subtractions coming in 2024, as they are losing both the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins to the Big Ten Conference. However, if they were to get San Diego State, this would still give the conference a presence in the southern portion of California.

The Pac-12 Conference is a Power Five conference that is about to sign a media deal and could make it a little more attractive with the Aztecs on board. They are a good football program and an excellent men's basketball program that can really boost the presence of the conference as a whole. The geographical rivals could also happen as they occupy the same space that USC and UCLA did.

There is no other feasible option for either team if the Aztecs decided to officially leave the Mountain West Conference. They would not be the most attractive independent program and can be a fit for a conference that is either looking to expand or replace some losses. Expect the Big 12 Conference to also be a potential landing spot, but it feels like a stretch to expect them anywhere but the Pac-12 or Mountain West.

What does this mean for the future of both conferences and would you want to see the Aztecs leave the Mountain West?