The Pac-12’s resurgence may see significant advancement in March, as San Diego State athletic director JD Wicker informed fans at a recent gathering that a new media rights deal for the Pac-12 is anticipated to be finalized by the month’s end. “At the end of next month, we will have the memorandum of understanding for our television deal,” Wicker stated. “We will know what our TV deal entails and who our partners are. I can assure you that they are recognizable entities. This will enhance our exposure, not just for football and men’s basketball, but across all of our sports, ultimately leading to increased revenue, which is crucial for us.”
“That’s really the next big piece. Once we know that, we can proceed to recruit an eighth football-playing member. Afterward, we will assess whether to add one, two, or even three more schools, and whether they will participate in all their sports or just some.”
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.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) February 23, 2025
This development feels timely, particularly since previous challenges in securing a new deal had resulted in Pac-12 members leaving for the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12, leaving only Oregon State and Washington State by last summer. Yet, the conference has made a comeback by adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, and Utah State in late 2024. It’s important to note that Gonzaga, a prominent NCAA basketball program, does not have a football team. As mentioned by Wicker, the Pac-12 must secure one more football school before the 2026 season to reach the requisite eight members for FBS classification, as Oregon State and Washington State will compete as independents in 2025.
As detailed in a recent Front Office Sports report, Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould anticipates that the new media rights package will likely encompass “multiple” networks, hinting that we won’t have to wait long to discover who they will be.
