San Diego State shifts gears, opts to remain in Mountain West

After a long period of uncertainty that threatened the well-being of the Mountain West, the league now is in a position of strength and stability.

That was made clear Wednesday when San Diego State - following in Boise State's path - agreed to remain in the Mountain West.

The Aztecs, like Boise State, had planned to send their football team to the Big East Conference this summer and their other sports to the Big West.

"There was a time period, perhaps, of a little more vulnerability than most of us would've liked, but I'm elated," Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said. "I'm elated on Jan. 16 where we are right now, today, with a 12-team league. We got the band back together, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. People are energized."

The Mountain West, which also welcomes San Jose State and Utah State this year, will be a 12-team football league beginning with the 2013-14 academic year, with 11 full members. Hawaii is a football-only member.

Thompson said he expected the conference to split into two divisions and play a conference championship football game, but the details still are in the works.

As for a conference title game, he said he thought it probably would go to a campus site rather than a neutral location. Las Vegas, which hosts the successful conference basketball tournament, probably would have been a strong candidate for a championship game.

Thompson said conference athletic directors probably will meet within a week to discuss those issues.

"It's going to be a very busy AD meeting," he said.

The conference also is pressed to put together a football schedule for next season, and Thompson said he thought one would be finalized in mid April or later.

As for expansion, Thompson said no new schools would be added before the next academic year but didn't rule out anything in the future. The conference could make a play for Brigham Young to return and pursue Texas schools such as Houston or Southern Methodist.

If the recent months are any indication, the Mountain West will be cautious in its discussions with other schools.

When Boise State and San Diego State announced last year they were leaving the Mountain West, conference officials didn't panic. They instead negotiated a more favorable TV contract with CBS that allows member schools a chance to receive more revenue and exposure by also going to other networks.

Then the Mountain West made a sweetheart offer to Boise State that allows the Broncos to establish a home TV contract separate from other Mountain West schools.

Boise State accepted the Mountain West's invitation Dec. 31.

"We kind of do our business behind the scenes," Thompson said. "We've had these same conversations for years that other leagues have had. We've just don't put out press releases or announce what our intention is, what our strategy is, who we're talking to."

The Broncos' return put more pressure on San Diego State to do likewise, but Aztecs athletic director Jim Sterk said he didn't want to rush a decision.

He said the decision to stay in the Mountain West was more influenced when the Big Ten Conference in late November grabbed Rutgers from the Big East and Maryland from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"It started another (realignment) chain reaction," Sterk said. "Our move today is part of that reaction to the changing environment."

And in the Mountain West, Sterk said he found something he believed existed in the Big East when the Aztecs agreed 13 months ago to join. He said, in fact, he would have taken the same steps again even with the knowledge of how the situation would play out.

"For us, we felt in the end that the Mountain West gave us the most stability and improved national exposure and opportunity to grow our programs," Sterk said.

Sterk, however, called a news conference Nov. 20 to reiterate San Diego State's commitment to the Big East.

That approach was a contrast to Boise State, which limited its public comments and kept an open dialogue with the Mountain West regarding its intentions.

Thompson disputed ill feelings existed among Mountain West members toward San Diego State, noting the vote by league presidents to bring back the Aztecs was overwhelming.

"I want to emphasize in my mind San Diego State did not leave the Mountain West Conference," Thompson said. "Their intention was to leave, but they've been a charter member since '99.

"We really excited that they're remaining in the Mountain West Conference."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.