Pac-12 settlement clears the way for San Diego State's new era

Aztecs left MWC for new-look Pac-12 on July 1

San Diego State Aztecs quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. (5). | Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

The reborn Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences have reached legal peace just a month before they begin new eras with new members. 

The leagues announced Tuesday morning that they’ve finalized a settlement in the fight involving an estimated $150 million in exit fees and penalties for poaching. 

Specifics of the settlement were not made public. 

The conferences issued a joint statement that didn’t shed any light on how the legal fight was settled, just that it’s over. 

“The Mountain West Conference, the Pac-12 Conference, Boise State University, Colorado State University, Utah State University, and The Board of Trustees of the California State University for the benefit of San Diego State University and California State University, Fresno have reached final agreements to settle all pending litigation among the parties. With these matters concluded, the conferences and institutions can move forward with certainty and focus on serving their student-athletes, campuses, fans, and communities,” the statement read.

With the lawsuits out of the way, the conferences and their member schools can get on with the new football season without a big off-field distraction hanging over them.

In the Pac-12, holdovers Washington State and Oregon State are joined by newcomers Texas State and five schools that left the MW: SDSU, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State. Gonzaga joins in basketball.

The Mountain West is soldiering on with holdovers UNLV, New Mexico, Air Force, Nevada, San Jose State, Hawaii and Wyoming. It has added UTEP, Northern Illinois and North Dakota State. 

What the fight was over

Back in the summer of 2023, the “old” Pac-12 literally fell apart overnight. USC and UCLA had already announced their intentions to leave for the Big Ten starting with the 2024-25 academic year. Washington and Oregon announced that they, too, were headed to the Big Ten, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah hitched on with the Big 12. Stanford and Cal bolted for the ACC, leaving WSU and OSU as the only teams left. 

In 2024, the Pac-12 extended invitations to BSU, SDSU, FSU, USU and CSU. Those teams officially joined the Pac-12 on July 1.

The MWC was seeking a total of approximately $155 million. That broke down to about $20 million in exit fees from each of the five schools that bolted to the Pac-12, as well as $55 million in so-called poaching penalties related to a football scheduling deal the conferences signed so that WSU and Oregon State could fill out their schedules for the 2024 season. That agreement was not renewed. 

The Pac-12 then sued the MW, saying the penalties were anti-competitive. 

Boise State, Utah State and Colorado State filed a separate lawsuit concerning the exit fees. 

Moving forward

Having peace between the two major conferences in the West will help rebuild relationships, especially when it comes to filling out schedules for football and basketball. With only eight football-playing members, the Pac-12 has added a “flex” game for each team at the end of the regular season, with the opponent and location to be determined. It’s unclear whether that will continue beyond this season. 

In basketball, each Pac-12 team will have room on its schedule for 16 non-conference games, so fans shouldn’t be surprised to see games against former MW foes. 

In fact, SDSU will host UNLV in men’s hoops on Dec. 5, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said he would like to continue rivalries with MW teams that aren’t located in high-altitude cities.