As of this morning 6/23/2025, the Pac 12 has an extended television deal through 2031...thats if they can find an eighth football playing member......Many REPUTABLE media sources are saying that if TX State is offered a full media rights share, they will accept. Same sources are saying the per team/per year payout is going to be on the low side of 8-12 million per year. ( i Find eight mill difficult to believe....but ok) Tx State owes $5-mill to the conference if it leaves before July 1. After, that fee doubles to ten.
Some interesting information was included in the article about the media deal from Yahoo Sports:
"Time is of the essence for any of these conference moves.
Most programs must give their current conference at least 12 months of notice before any planned exit or risk a larger exit fee. For instance, Texas State’s Sun Belt exit fee is $5 million if the school gives the conference notice before July 1 that it is leaving in July of 2026. That figure doubles in seven days.
The exit fee for Conference USA programs is expected to be in the $5-7 million range, as it includes two years worth of withheld revenue distribution and a penalty for breaking the league’s grant-of-rights agreement. There is a $5 million entry fee into the Sun Belt — a figure that could be negotiated down at the discretion of the league’s board of presidents."
Additional quote about targets:
"Officials in the Sun Belt, in fact, have already held internal discussion over potential expansion targets in Conference USA, most notably Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky, according to those familiar with the talks."
Sun Belt is under the same time constraints as TX State. So look for an expansion candidate to be teed up immediately after the TX St announcement. In a recent article from JMU land, their beat writer opines:
Remember, three schools in the East seem to have a bit of a god complex in how things should work in the conference. JMU, Old Dominion and Appalachian St, through musings of a completely wrong podcaster have been advocating for schools that will never be interested in joining the SBC unless the world ends.....
For teams in the West, it should be Louisiana Tech or nothing. If any other team is chosen, Georgia State becomes a division mate. A west division of Louisiana, Monroe, La Tech, Southern Miss, Arkansas State, Troy and South Alabama is the reason Southern Miss joined....Regional opponents. Jonesboro would be the farthest trip for us at just under a six hour drive and with only one road game against the East, this is the best scheduling arrangement that Southern Miss would have ever had in the days of Conference football.
The best we had in CUSA was Tulane 2 hours, UAB 4 Hours, Memphis 4-5 Hours, Houston and Rice 8 hours.
In my opinion, if the Belt keeps with the things that were attractive to the last three expansion candidates... La Tech will be the school chosen!
Anything that dude from "locked on Sun Belt" podcast comes up with consider it click bait and un substantiated rumor.
Some interesting information was included in the article about the media deal from Yahoo Sports:
"Time is of the essence for any of these conference moves.
Most programs must give their current conference at least 12 months of notice before any planned exit or risk a larger exit fee. For instance, Texas State’s Sun Belt exit fee is $5 million if the school gives the conference notice before July 1 that it is leaving in July of 2026. That figure doubles in seven days.
The exit fee for Conference USA programs is expected to be in the $5-7 million range, as it includes two years worth of withheld revenue distribution and a penalty for breaking the league’s grant-of-rights agreement. There is a $5 million entry fee into the Sun Belt — a figure that could be negotiated down at the discretion of the league’s board of presidents."
Additional quote about targets:
"Officials in the Sun Belt, in fact, have already held internal discussion over potential expansion targets in Conference USA, most notably Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky, according to those familiar with the talks."
Sun Belt is under the same time constraints as TX State. So look for an expansion candidate to be teed up immediately after the TX St announcement. In a recent article from JMU land, their beat writer opines:
"METTLEN: If realignment is here again, Sun Belt doesn't need to rush"
Remember, three schools in the East seem to have a bit of a god complex in how things should work in the conference. JMU, Old Dominion and Appalachian St, through musings of a completely wrong podcaster have been advocating for schools that will never be interested in joining the SBC unless the world ends.....
For teams in the West, it should be Louisiana Tech or nothing. If any other team is chosen, Georgia State becomes a division mate. A west division of Louisiana, Monroe, La Tech, Southern Miss, Arkansas State, Troy and South Alabama is the reason Southern Miss joined....Regional opponents. Jonesboro would be the farthest trip for us at just under a six hour drive and with only one road game against the East, this is the best scheduling arrangement that Southern Miss would have ever had in the days of Conference football.
The best we had in CUSA was Tulane 2 hours, UAB 4 Hours, Memphis 4-5 Hours, Houston and Rice 8 hours.
In my opinion, if the Belt keeps with the things that were attractive to the last three expansion candidates... La Tech will be the school chosen!
Anything that dude from "locked on Sun Belt" podcast comes up with consider it click bait and un substantiated rumor.
