‘None of this is moving as quickly as I would like;’ San Diego State AD on Pac-12 expansion, MWC mediation

As summer nears, the Pac-12’s search for an eighth football-playing member wages on.

Count San Diego State athletic director JD Wicker among the growing list of people who are ready for the conference to finalize expansion and secure a TV deal. 

“None of this is moving as quickly as I would like it to move for us to get the answers that we want,” Wicker said earlier this week at a fan event. “Very pleased with where we are from a Pac-12 standpoint. Obviously, we have to add another team. That will happen. 

“TV, I have a good idea of what our TV (deal) is going to look like with the Pac-12. Right now, we’re trying to wrap up various items around that, but we have a really good idea of what that’s going to be and we’re pleased with what that is going to be.”

Left with only Oregon State and Washington State in August 2024, the Pac-12 regrouped and added Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State from the Mountain West Conference last September. West Coast Conference power Gonzaga came aboard at the beginning of October, giving the Pac-12 eight members for the 2026-27 athletics season.

The Pac-12 must add at least one more football-playing member before 2026 to reach the NCAA’s eight-team minimum to qualify as an FBS conference. Gonzaga does not field a football team.

Back in September, the Pac-12 filed a lawsuit against the MWC over $55 million in poaching penalties. Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State are also suing the MWC over exit fees. 

The Pac-12 and MWC began mediation on May 19. The mediation is ongoing. 

“From a Mountain West Conference mediation standpoint … that continues to progress,” Wicker said. “The next four or five weeks, there’s a lot that’s going to happen that is going to help dictate what we’re doing moving forward. But we’re very excited about our opportunities moving forward.”

Wicker has made comments in the past that didn’t come to fruition. 

In February, Wicker said the Pac-12’s TV deal would be finalized by the end of March. 

“At the end of next month, we will have the (memorandum of understanding) done for our television deal,” Wicker said. “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 are 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 … all of our sports are going to have the opportunity for this increased exposure. It’s going to be increased revenue, which is a big thing for us.”