By Jeff Bugher
9/12/2024
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Just like that…Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State scanned their boarding passes and flew out of the nest of the Mountain West Conference and into the arms of the Pac-2…12…6? The changes will take effect in July of 2026. Ironically, all universities in the Pac-whatever have the word “state” in their names. We might as well call them the Pac-State conference... Word on the street is that two more MWC universities will be joining soon, and Wyoming likely won’t be one of them.
I reached out to the MWC this morning for comments, and I was provided a statement from Commissioner Gloria Nevarez:
“The Mountain West Conference is aware of media reports regarding the potential departure of several of our members, and we will have more to say in the days ahead. All members will be held to the Conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart. The requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they admit Mountain West members. Our Board of Directors is meeting to determine our next steps. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years ahead.”
I also reached out to the University of Wyoming for comment:
"No comment at this present time."
Here are the remaining Mountain West Conference schools:
Air Force
Hawaii
Nevada
New Mexico
Wyoming
Utah State
San Jose State
UNLV
Teams have left the conference before, yet the sun still came up
In 2011, BYU left to go independent, and Utah left for the Pac-12 conference...both seeking greener pastures. Then, in 2011, TCU did the same as they headed to the Big 12 conference. The Mountain West Conference gained Boise State in 2011 from the Western Athletic Conference. Then in 2012 Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada came over from the WAC. The moves into the MWC continued in 2012 as San Jose State and Utah State joined after leaving the WAC.
Following today’s exodus, only four original pillars remain from the MWC’s formation in 1999: Air Force, UNLV, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
The MWC has been through this before, but today’s news stings for several reasons. The giant TV deals are one of the conference's more prominent talking points. The loss of schools, mainly in California, will take a major hit on the number of viewers watching conference games, making the media deals less lucrative. I don’t have a copy of the media deals, but I can imagine there's a clause in the contract for university departures, and it's likely timed within specific years.
Here's what Gloria Nevarez told me at MWC Media Days in July 2024
Regarding realignment, "In this new environment, there's always talk. When I first took the job, there was talk of that, and I've always told our schools that I will not mount a campaign to keep a school from doing what they think is best for them. That is their responsibility and their obligation," Nevarez stated.
Nevarez pointed out that the conference has protective measures in place, such as bylaws and scheduling agreements, to mitigate any potential disruptions. "We have resources to either 'rightsize' any negative impacts, media rights, or to backfill institutions," she assured. Nevarez referenced the resilience and current alignment among member schools. "We've survived, we will continue to survive…and right now, I think our schools are aligned. This could change tomorrow, next week, next month, but we have a really good thing going."
But Why? …It’s all about the money, son
The highest bidder (Pac-2) broke up a healthy conference to revive a dead conference. The same conference featured Ryan Leaf as a special guest at a bizarre Pac-2 Media Days ’24 in Vegas, which showcased an open bar for all attendees. In the age of free agency…I mean… the transfer portal… and NIL, universities must also look out for themselves simultaneously. There might as well be a transfer portal for universities wanting to jump conferences, don’t ‘you say? To make matters worse, the MWC graciously gave the Pac-2 teams a chance to play football in 2024 with a one-year deal. Now they’re backstabbing the same conference that helped them.
Where does the MWC go from here?
It’s well known that the MWC will get a lot of cash, including poaching fees for each team who leaves. Therefore, the conference will be full of cash at least. With the exodus taking effect in July of 2026, there's time for a plan. In my opinion, they will likely go after some teams around the region, likely going after some schools in Texas. No sources indicate this, but it’s probably a very good possibility. Perhaps we could see the MWC venture further East than anticipated? Who knows…
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