Report: San Diego State to remain member of Mountain West

San Diego State made its stance with the Mountain West pretty clear. A letter was sent to the conference saying the Aztecs intended on leaving, potentially in favor of the Pac-12. Now, they are seemingly going nowhere as the Mountain West is holding firm.

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo, the Mountain West “informed” San Diego State they will remain a member of the conference. To make matters even worse, the school will be responsible for the fees the Mountain West occurred while hiring legal work.

“The Mountain West has informed San Diego State that the school will remain a member, sources tell @YahooSports,” Dellenger said. “The school will be responsible for covering fees that the conference expensed over legal work during a letter exchange with SDSU about its possible withdrawal.”

Dellenger also reports the lack of a Pac-12 media deal played a factor in the decision as well. Once there was nothing struck by the Pac-12, San Diego State preferred to stay in the Mountain West. Even so, the conference took the Aztec’s request as a “formal withdrawal.”

“San Diego State originally sent the Mountain West a letter announcing its *intention* to withdraw; the MWC took it as a formal withdrawal & withheld distribution,” Dellenger said. “After Pac-12 failed to finalize a new TV deal by SDSU’s June 30 deadline, SDSU requested it remain a MWC member.”

Back around the Fourth of July holiday, San Diego State claimed they had not placed a formal withdrawal from the conference. They argued payments should not be withheld against the university as a result.

“Because SDSU has not yet already resigned from the MWC, the formal Notice Date, as defined in Bylaw 1.04(a), has not yet occurred,” de la Torre wrote. “As such, no payments due to SDSU from the conference for the previous year should yet be withheld and applied to any future exit fee at this time.”

San Diego State has been a member of the Mountain West for over two decades, originally joining for the 2000 football season. They were previously in the Western Athletic Conference and the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. Leaving would make a fourth conference in the school’s history.

They wanted it to be the Pac-12 in the sometime near future. For now, those plans seem to be on hold thanks to the Mountain West. But conference realignment is never stopping, especially with a Pac-12 media deal pending.