The Evolution of the Mountain West Conference: A Comprehensive History
The Mountain West Conference (MW) stands as a prominent collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States, actively participating in NCAA Division I, with its football teams competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Officially commencing operations on January 4, 1999, the MW has undergone significant transformations, marked by strategic realignments, expansion initiatives, and a steadfast commitment to athletic excellence.
Genesis and Charter Members
The genesis of the Mountain West Conference can be traced back to the late 1990s when several institutions sought to create a more competitive and geographically cohesive athletic alliance. The charter members, comprising esteemed universities and military academies, laid the foundation for what would become a dynamic and influential conference. These founding members included:
- United States Air Force Academy
- Brigham Young University (BYU)
- Colorado State University
- San Diego State University
- University of New Mexico
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
- University of Utah
- University of Wyoming
Craig Thompson was appointed as the inaugural commissioner of the Mountain West on October 15, 1998, and served until his retirement on December 31, 2022.
Formation Amidst WAC Restructuring
The formation of the MW was intertwined with the restructuring of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The WAC, initially intending to expand beyond its existing ten members, ultimately recruited three schools excluded from the Big 12 merger: Rice University, Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Texas Christian University (TCU). Additionally, San José State University, UNLV, and the University of Tulsa were added, bringing the total membership to sixteen.
The WAC's sixteen teams were divided into four quadrants, with two rotating between the Mountain and Pacific Divisions every two years. In the spring of 1998, BYU and Utah proposed a permanent split into two eight-team divisions.
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Expansion and Realignment
Throughout its history, the Mountain West Conference has experienced periods of expansion and realignment, driven by factors such as market access, competitive balance, and strategic partnerships. These changes have reshaped the conference's composition and competitive landscape.
- 2010 Expansion Efforts: On June 11, 2010, Boise State University agreed to join the conference as its tenth member, signaling a significant addition of a rising football power. However, on June 17, 2010, Utah announced its departure to join what would become the Pac-12 Conference.
- Further Expansion: Amidst rumors that BYU was considering leaving the Mountain West to go independent in football and rejoin the Western Athletic Conference in all other sports, the Mountain West Conference officially extended invitations to California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) and the University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada) on August 18, 2010.
- Potential Merger with C-USA (2011-2012): On October 14, 2011, the Mountain West and Conference USA (C-USA) announced a plan for a football-only alliance, which evolved into discussions of a full merger. By February 13, 2012, the two leagues announced that both conferences would dissolve after the 2012-13 season to reform into one conference with at least 15 members for all sports, and a 16th team, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa as a football-only member. However, the plan was abandoned due to NCAA regulations that would have resulted in substantial revenue losses.
- Continued Expansion: On May 2, 2012, San José State and Utah State agreed to join the conference for the 2013-14 academic year. On January 16, 2013, San Diego State accepted an offer to remain/return to the Mountain West Conference in all sports, bringing the total to 12 football members and enabling a conference championship game.
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Era
During the era of football's Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which was replaced by the College Football Playoff (CFP) in 2014, the MW champion qualified for a BCS bowl four times after the BCS formula was tweaked to allow teams from non-BCS conferences to play in BCS bowls if ranked in the top 12. This provided significant exposure and revenue opportunities for the conference and its member institutions.
Recent Developments and Future Outlook
The Mountain West Conference continues to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. Recent developments and future plans include:
- Football Scheduling Format Changes: On May 20, 2022, the conference approved a new football schedule format, set to take effect in the 2023 season. Under this format, the conference removed divisions, and instead plays a 2-6 format, where each team plays 2 designated rivals every year along with six separate 6-team rotations that flip every other year, such that every team will have at least one home game and one away game against every other team in a three-year cycle (less than the standard length of a college player's career).
- Potential Expansion Discussions (2018): In February 2018, it was reported that the MW was considering expansion, with discussions involving six schools, including Gonzaga University (which has not sponsored football since World War II).
- Partnership with Oregon State and Washington State (2023): In September 2023, after a mass exodus from the Pac-12, MW commissioner Gloria Nevarez began discussions with Oregon State and Washington State regarding various options for partnership, affiliation, or merger. On December 1, 2023, the conference announced a football scheduling agreement with the two schools for the 2024 season.
- Future Membership Changes: On December 10, 2024 it was announced that UC Davis would join the Mountain West Conference in all sports except football, for which it will remain in the Big Sky Conference. On January 3, 2025, Northern Illinois University accepted an invitation from the MW to join for football only in 2026. On October 2, 2025, the MW announced that NIU would also join for women's gymnastics in 2026. On October 29, 2025, it was announced that the Mountain West would begin sponsoring both men's soccer and men's swimming and diving for the 2026-27 school year.
Conference Composition and Unique Characteristics
The Mountain West Conference boasts a diverse membership, encompassing a range of institutions with unique characteristics and athletic programs.
- Geographic Diversity: The conference spans a wide geographic area in the Western United States, with member institutions located in states such as California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
- Altitude Advantage: The Mountain West's slogan is "Above the rest", and over half of the member institutions, plus women's soccer-only member Colorado College, are at more than 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level. This impacts endurance in sports like football, soccer, and the distance races in track & field and swimming meets; air resistance in sprints and horizontal jumps in track & field; and aerodynamics in baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and the discus and javelin throws.
Mountain West Conference Champions
Since the 2014 season, the Mountain West champion is eligible for an at-large berth in the Cotton Bowl Classic, Fiesta Bowl, or Peach Bowl, if it is the highest-ranked conference champion among the "Group of Five" conferences (which also includes The American, CUSA, MAC, and Sun Belt) in the final College Football Playoff rankings, if it is not in the top 4.
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Mountain West vs. Missouri Valley Challenge
The Mountain West and Missouri Valley Conferences hold an annual challenge series that was renewed in the 2015-16 season after a two-year hiatus. The series began in the 2009-10 season but temporarily ended when the original contract ran out after the 2012-13 season, During the first four seasons of the series, it involved all members of the MW and an equal number of the 10 MVC teams in basketball. The first game was on November 13, 2009, featuring the Bradley Braves and the BYU Cougars in Provo and it concluded on December 23 with the Wyoming Cowboys visiting the Northern Iowa Panthers in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
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