San Diego State Told Mountain West It Intends to Leave, per Sources

The Aztecs have been in the Mountain West since 1999.

San Diego State University has sent a written notification to the Mountain West that it plans on leaving the conference, and the school asked the conference to delay the official deadline to withdraw, Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reports.

According to Dellenger, SDSU has until June 30 to officially let the Mountain West know that it is leaving the conference. If the school makes the deadline, the exit fee will be around $17 million, whereas the fee doubles if it is late. 

SDSU would like the deadline moved to July and wants to discuss the conference lowering its exit fee. However, the Aztecs’ later clarified to the conference that its first notification was not an official withdrawal. The Mountain West is not expected to grant the school’s exit deadline extension request, Dellenger reports. 

ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported that the Aztecs intend to resign from the Mountain West. The school has been linked to possible expansion opportunities in the Pac-12 and Big 12.

At issue is a June 30 deadline for San Diego State to formally notify the Mountain West that it is, in fact, resigning from the conference.

The school owes a ~$17M exit fee if it notifies the league by then. If not, the exit fee doubles.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 16, 2023

The Aztecs have been a part of the Mountain West conference since 1999, when they joined the conference following over two decades in the Western Athletic Conference. 

While in the Mountain West, San Diego State basketball made 12 NCAA men’s tournaments, finishing as the national runner-up in 2023, after just making three total tournaments prior. The Aztecs football program has reached 12 bowl games since 2000, after making a total of four bowls before joining the conference.