Trying to game this one out, if SDSU announces before the end of the month, they join B12/PAC (probably PAC) for 2024 and $17M.
If they announce after June 30, they can join in 2025 for $17M or 2024 for $34M.
They’ve asked for some sort of negotiation. Sounds like the MWC is playing chicken and hoping to pull something closer to the $34M by betting on the PAC screwing around into July or August and still wanting new members for 2024.
Yeah, I think they could nab a partial share from the B12 just by asking, and that would blow the MWC payment out of the water by year 3. With the timezone and a newfound ability to further ignore the PAC, ESPN might even be willing to come close to the P5 pro-rata. SDSU is taking a risk, but a calculated one. It just makes them look a little silly.
All this also hints that maybe the PAC is not just sitting on a good deal and waiting to announce it. They probably do have multiple proposals in front of them, but maybe nothing good enough for everyone simply to sign and be done with it. Then, if there are even three schools in the PAC who think they’re too good for a Cal State, that could scuttle a PAC offer.
Strange days.