Sources: SDSU informs Mountain West it prepares to go

• Pete Thamel, ESPNJun 16, 2023, 02:11 PM ET

San Diego State provided the Mountain West written notice this week that the school “means to resign from the Mountain West Conference,” sources informed ESPN.In the letter, it asked the Mountain West for a “one-month extension provided unexpected delays involving other collegiate athletic conferences beyond our control.” As of now, there does not appear to be an invitation to San Diego State from a Power 5 conference.The withdrawal letter, which originated from San Diego State president Adela de la Torre on June 13, features complexities and triggered a terse back-and-forth in between the league and SDSU. That consisted of San Diego State consequently informing the league that the June 13 letter was”not the main notification of resignation,”according to sources.San Diego State would need to provide a year of notice to withdraw next June.

If it waits previous June 30, the exit cost it ‘d owe would jump from nearly$16.5 million to almost$ 34 million.San Diego State has actually long been linked to the Pac-12, which is in the middle of a drawn-out procedure of landing a tv contract. There’s been no official invite for SDSU to join the league, and the timeline for that has actually been connected to either the Pac-12’s tv offer or the departure of a Pac-12 member.”San Diego State does not have an offer from the Pac-12,” according to a source.San Diego State is attempting to explore all options if it does get to June 30 and the Pac-12 doesn’t have a television deal done, according to a source.The school has also belonged to the Huge 12’s adjustment expedition and there have actually been conversations, per a source. But sources state neither side has actually focused on each other to this point

.”SDSU is checking out all of the choices and asking all the concerns, “the source stated.” The intention of the June 13 letter wasn’t that San Diego State is leaving.”Along with the one-month extension asked for in the very first letter SDSU wrote to the Mountain West, it likewise asked the league to be available to go over the exit charge. SDSU mentioned the earnings the Aztecs have generated

for the Mountain West through the NCAA basketball competition– approximated this March to be at least $10 million from NCAA units– which it will not see any of if it leaves the league.San Diego State also asked that a four-year time payment plan be considered for paying the exit charge. As of now, it would need to pay that money by June 2024, which would consist of the league withholding payment of the Mountain West’s circulation of money to the school.The Mountain West responded to San Diego State and informed the school in a June 14 letter that the conference had actually accepted the letter of withdrawal which the repercussions of withdrawing had actually started. Those consist of that de la Torre’s seat on the MWC board of directors is being pulled which the league’s policies on monetary obligation tied to withdrawal are going to be withheld.That prompted another exchange from San Diego State to clarify that the June 13 letter was not a main resignation, just a request for a month extension. It also asked that no payments must be kept, which is the league’s practice to apply to the exit fee.(Mountain West schools are anticipating a check for nearly$6 million in the upcoming weeks.)”They’re looking for out what we’re willing to do,” stated a Mountain West source informed on the exchange. “They want to see if the Mountain West Conference is going to handle this well. Well, that’s not going to happen. Everyone wishes to find the very best monetary course for themselves, and it’s cumbersome.”The Mountain West Conference held a call with athletic directors Thursday afternoon that detailed the back-and-forth between the league and San Diego State. The news didn’t come as a surprise, as SDSU athletic director J.D. Wicker has freely discussed switching leagues.That consisted of Wicker telling ESPN in March that SDSU would be”ready to step into a power conference”and informing CBS in January that the Pac-12 would wish to offer SDSU a full share of the media revenue to prevent it from going to the Big 12 and have that league recruiting in the Pac-12’s backyard.