San Diego State AD updates timeline for Pac-12 media rights deal, potential further expansion

The Pac-12’s media rights negotiations appear to be hitting the final stages. A deal could be on the way in the next month, San Diego State athletics director J.D. Wicker told fans this week – and further expansion could be on the way, as well.

Wicker said a deal appears likely to come together by the end of March, which is when he expects a memorandum of understanding to be signed. He also said fans will know the partners that will be part of the agreement, which is in line with what Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said last week.

Gould confirmed multiple networks will be in play for the Pac-12 as it enters the next stage of its rebuild. With it, Wicker added, revenue will also be increasing accordingly.

San Diego State AD JD Wicker shares that a Pac-12 media deal is expected to be announced by the end of March, and that the conference will add 1 full member after that, and then potentially up to 3 other members in some or all sports after that.

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“At the end of next month, we will have the MOU done for our television deal,” Wicker told fans at a San Diego State event. “So we will know what our TV deal is going to be, who our partners are going to be. I will say this, they’re entities you’re familiar with, that you would recognize. We’re going to get great exposure, and the really good thing is we’re going to get more exposure.

“It’s not just going to be football and men’s basketball, but it’s going to be all of our sports [that] are going to have the opportunity for this increased exposure. It’s going to be increased revenue, which is a big thing for us. That’s really the next big piece. Once we know that, then we can go recruit that eighth football-playing member.”

Pac-12 could add ‘one, two or three’ more schools

Once the media deal is in place, Wicker said the league will turn its attention to further expansion. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are all on the way in to join Oregon State and Washington State as full Pac-12 members. Gonzaga is also coming aboard, but does not sponsor football.

Still, one team is necessary to hit the FBS threshold. But Wicker indicated the Pac-12 might not be done adding from there.

“We need one more football-playing member that has all of its sports, to meet NCAA FBS rules,” Wicker said. “And then, after that, we’ll figure out if we’re adding one, two or three more schools, and whether they’re coming in in all of their sports. They might be coming in in some of their sports.”

The Pac-12’s previous media deal included partnerships with ESPN and FOX, as well as the Pac-12 Network, and concluded in 2023. Former commissioner George Kliavkoff worked to put a new agreement together – including one with Apple for a streaming-focused partnership – but nothing came to fruition.

‘We need to be on platforms that reach all of our stakeholders’

After a groundbreaking round of conference realignment left Oregon State and Washington State behind, they signed a one-year media deal with The CW. As conversations went on about what the next phase of Pac-12 media rights would look like, Gould made it clear the goal was to line up with multiple partners to reach a more “diverse” audience.

“I think for us, based on our objectives for our media rights partnerships – one of which is to reach a diverse audience,” Gould said. “You hear that all the time from our coaches. We have a diverse fan base, and we need to be on platforms that reach all of our stakeholders. And I think in order to do that, we’re going to have to have multiple media rights partners.

“I don’t see us being in a situation where we walk away with just one partner in order to accomplish all of the things we’re looking to accomplish, including reach, marketing and brand support. All of the things that we’re trying to achieve.”