San Diego, CA – San Diego State will remain in the Mountain West Conference for all sports, the school's athletic department announced Wednesday.
Originally, on Dec. 12, 2011, the Aztecs accepted an invitation to join the Big West Conference for 14 of its sports beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, while the football program was expected to move to the Big East Conference this year.
"After substantial discussion and consideration of a broad range of factors, San Diego State University will be continuing as a full member of the Mountain West Conference in July 2013," said SDSU officials, Dr. Elliott Hirshman and director of athletics Jim Sterk in a statement. "We have the deepest respect for our colleagues in the Mountain West, Big East and Big West conferences who whom we have worked collaboratively during the period of conference realignment."
Under the school's new agreement with the MWC, the athletic department will receive revenue from Aztec teams during the 2012-13 season. A portion of that revenue will be used to account for SDSU's exit fee from the Big West Conference.
The Aztecs will not, however, have to pay an exit fee to the Big East, due to a clause in their original agreement relating to SDSU's commitment to the conference if there wasn't another team west of the Rocky Mountains.
On Jan. 1, Boise State announced its own intentions that it would be staying put in the MWC, despite initial plans like San Diego State, to leave for the Big East Conference in football only in 2013.
The Aztecs have been with the conference since its inception in 1999. SDSU's football team finished 7-1 in Mountain West play this season, capturing its first conference title since 1998 and played in a bowl game for the third consecutive season for the first time in program history.
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