San Diego State Athletic Director J.D. Wicker believes the Pac-12 Conference is nearing a new media deal and expects the conference to expand with an eighth team joining soon after. Speaking to a group of season ticket holders at a recent Aztecs fan appreciation event, Wicker stated that he anticipates a new media rights agreement will be finalized by the end of March.
“At the end of next month, we will have the MOU (memorandum of understanding) done for our television deal,” Wicker said. “So we will know what our TV deal is going to be and who our partners are. I will say this—they’re entities you are familiar with and would recognize.”
These comments follow remarks made last week by Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould on Next Up, a Front Office Sports podcast. Gould indicated that the conference expects its new media rights package to include multiple broadcast networks.
The Pac-12 has undergone significant changes in recent years. As of 2023, only Oregon State and Washington State remained from the conference’s previous lineup. To rebuild its membership, the conference has added Utah State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Colorado State, all set to join in 2026. Additionally, Gonzaga will become a member in 2026, though the school does not sponsor a football program.
As the conference works to stabilize its roster, securing a new media rights agreement remains a top priority. Reports suggest the deal could involve multiple networks. The NCAA requires each FBS conference to have a minimum of eight football-playing schools, prompting Wicker to emphasize that media negotiations must be settled before expansion plans are finalized.
“Once we know that, then we can go recruit that eighth football-playing member,” Wicker said. “Then after that, we’ll figure out if we’re adding one, two, or three more schools and whether they’re joining in all sports or just some.”
The Pac-12 began negotiating a new media rights deal before the end of 2024. The CW and FOX agreed to a one-year rights deal, providing platforms to broadcast football games for Oregon State and Washington State. The conference’s previous media agreement, which concluded in 2023, included partnerships with ESPN, FOX, and the Pac-12 Network.
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