San Diego State AD Says Aztecs Will Join Either Big 12 or Pac-12
Things are quite fluid right now for the Big 12 Conference, and one institution that’s of major interest mutually is the San Diego Aztecs.
“One or the other [B12, P12] is going to happen,” said Aztecs athletic director JD Wicker, via CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. “We’re excited for the opportunity, and we’ve done a lot of work to prepare for that.”
The Aztecs, of course, are a very attractive brand and locale, the latter certainly a new one for the Big 12. It would allow entry into the West Coast and another time zone for the Midwest league.
“Getting into the SoCal market is good for marketing and recruiting, for both the Pac-12 and Big 12,” wrote The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel recently. “But markets don’t matter as much for television these days. Individual fan bases are more important as we move closer and closer to streaming-heavy contracts.”
And then it elevates the football brand as well, as Tramel very clearly documented.
“Aztec football is solid,” he said. “Good tradition on the mid-major level. Double-digit victories in five of the last eight seasons. A sparking new home, Snapdragon Stadium, which opened last season with 35,000 seats.”
We’ll see what ends up happening. But it’s clear multiple options are on the table, and the Big 12 is one of those which could work out for both sides.
