Axios San Diego

September 13, 2024

It is the last day of the week, if this pesky wall calendar is to be believed. But beware... it's also Friday the 13th! 😈

Today's weather: Coast — Morning drizzle then sunny in the high 60s; Inland — Same outlook, but it'll be in the mid 70s.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios San Diego member Michelle Gasparovic!

👋 Attention LA-based readers! Join Andrew and Axios' Niala Boodhoo Tuesday, Sep. 17 at 10am for an event in Long Beach looking at the latest progress on decarbonization projects in Southern California.

City of Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Lowercarbon Capital operating partner Lauren Faber O'Connor and Los Angeles County's chief sustainability officer Rita Kampalath will join the conversation. RSVP here.

Today's newsletter is 834 words — a 3.5-minute read.

1 big thing: SDSU punches ticket to Pac-12

A football team in black and red with San Diego State on the uniforms — San Diego State is headed to the Pac-12. Photo: Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

San Diego State is headed to the Pac-12. Photo: Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

San Diego State is joining a reinvigorated Pac-12 in 2026, the conference announced Thursday morning.

Why it matters: The decision ends years of SDSU flirtations with moving to a bigger conference after an abandoned 2023 attempt to leave the Mountain West.

Driving the news: The two remaining Pac-12 members — Oregon State and Washington State — voted Thursday to bring the Mountain West's four marquee schools into "a new era" for the conference.

Colorado State, Boise State and Fresno State will also join the new Pac-12 for the 2026-27 season.

Catch up quick: The Pac-12 was gutted heading into this season after Oregon and Washington left for the Big Ten; Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah headed to the Big 12; and California and Stanford moved to the ACC.

Follow the money: Oregon State and Washington State are on the hook for $43 million in "poaching fees" to the Mountain West, the Union-Tribune reported.

Each departing school is expected to owe the Mountain West $20 million in exit fees, too.
"There will be conversations going forward about the Mountain West exit fees and Pac-12 support for our transition," CSU president Amy Parsons said. "We are confident the path forward will not impact our current university budget and will set CSU up for incredible opportunities to come."

Between the lines: This "long-term move" comes with a nationally recognized Pac-12 brand and potential revenue streams, including a projected TV rights deal, that puts SDSU in a better financial position, even with the exit fee, according to athletic director JD Wicker.

The university is working through what "pots of money" will pay for that fee, but it won't be university funds, student fees or state money, he said at a press conference Thursday.
"That's on me and the development team to figure that out," Wicker said.
Plus, the Pac-12 will help SDSU pay the exit fee, he said. The assistance could be through existing revenue or by taking out future loans based on new revenues coming in.

What's next: The conference will now search for at least two additional schools to reach the NCAA's eight-school minimum for a conference.

Go deeper

2. 💵 SD County poverty rate is declining again

Kate Murphy

Line chart showing the estimated share of people living below poverty level in the San Diego metro area from 2012 to 2023. In 2012, about 15% of residents were living in poverty, compared 17% statewide. In 2023, the share in poverty dropped to 10% in the metro area and 12% statewide. — Data: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; Note: Poverty thresholds determined by annual income, family size and family composition; Chart: Axios Visuals

The share of San Diego County residents living in poverty in 2023 was the lowest it's been in over a decade, new census data shows.

The big picture: The poverty rate has been declining locally and statewide over the years as wages have increased, particularly for low-income workers.

It's trending down again since a small rise during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By the numbers: San Diego County's poverty rate dropped slightly to 10.1% in 2023 from 10.6% in 2022, according to new data released by the American Community Survey (ACS) this week.

It was about 15% a decade earlier.

Reality check: San Diego's upward mobility is one of the worst in the nation as people born to low-income families here tend to be worse off than their parents, per a recent analysis.

Context: The poverty rate in 22 of the 25 most populous metropolitan areas did not change significantly from 2022 to 2023, according to the ACS.

Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis metros had among the lowest poverty rates at about 8%.
Houston, Detroit and San Antonio were among the highest at about 14%.

Zoom out: Most states did not see a significant change in poverty rates last year, including California which stands at 12%.

Read more

3. The Lineup: 🔋Battery storage facility saved

🔥 The San Diego County Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal to ban new renewable energy battery storage projects, instead directing the county's fire chief to develop new standards for how far they need to be from homes. (Voice of San Diego)

The county was reacting to resident opposition to the projects after battery storage facilities caused fires in recent years.

💰 San Diego received a $240 million loan from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Lake Hodges Dam, an over 100-year-old facility. (City News Service)

🏗️ City officials are considering three proposals to convert the scandal-plagued 101 Ash Street downtown high rise, which the city purchased in 2022 for about $86 million, into low-income housing. (Union-Tribune)