The Mountain West Conference: A History of Collegiate Athletics in the West

The Mountain West Conference (MW) is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States, participating in NCAA Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The MW officially began operations on January 4, 1999, marking a significant shift in the landscape of college athletics in the region. From its inception, the conference has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the MW continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship.

Formation and Charter Members

The Mountain West Conference was conceived on May 26, 1998, when the presidents of eight institutions - Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah and Wyoming - decided to form a new NCAA Division I-A intercollegiate athletic conference. The eight presidents then hired the league’s first commissioner, Craig Thompson, on Oct. 15, 1998. The charter members of the MW included the United States Air Force Academy, Brigham Young University, Colorado State University, San Diego State University, the University of New Mexico, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University of Utah and the University of Wyoming. Craig Thompson was hired as the inaugural commissioner of the Mountain West on October 15, 1998, and served until his retirement on December 31, 2022.

The split from a former 16-team conference re-established continuity and stability among the membership within the new league and signaled the continuation of its tradition-rich, long-standing athletic rivalries. Three of the MW’s eight original members have been conference rivals since the 1960s (New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado State), while San Diego State (1978) and Air Force (1980) were longtime members as well. UNLV and TCU entered the fold in 1996 and the Rebels continued as one of the original eight institutions that formed the MW in 1999. TCU re-joined the group with its first year of competition in the Mountain West in 2005-06.

Early Years and Conference Realignment

When the Mountain West officially began operations on July 1, 1999, the new league had in place a seven-year contract with ESPN, giving the broadcast entity exclusive national television rights to MW football and men’s basketball, and three-year agreements to send the league’s football champion to the Liberty Bowl and a second team to the Las Vegas Bowl. The Western Athletic Conference, which had initially announced plans to expand beyond its then-current 10 members to at least 12, ended up with even more potential expansion prospects. Ultimately, the WAC took in three of the four SWC schools left out of the Big 12 merger, Rice University, Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Texas Christian University (TCU). Three other schools were added to bring the total membership to 16, namely Big West Conference members San José State University and UNLV, plus the University of Tulsa, an NCAA football independent and otherwise a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. The WAC's 16 teams were divided into four four-team "quadrants", two of which rotated between the Mountain and Pacific Divisions every two years. In spring of 1998, BYU and Utah proposed a permanent split into two eight-team divisions.

With conference realignment sweeping the nation in recent years, the MW has been proactive in addressing membership changes. On June 11, 2010, Boise State University agreed to join the conference as its tenth member. On June 17, 2010, Utah announced it would be leaving the Mountain West to join what would become the Pac-12 Conference. On August 18, 2010, 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). Boise State University joined the Mountain West in 2011-12, followed by Fresno State and the University of Nevada on July 1, 2012. Also on July 1, 2012, the University of Hawai‘i became a football-only member of the Conference. On July 1, 2013, the Mountain West further expanded when San José State University and Utah State University joined the Conference, bringing to 11 the number of full-time member institutions and 12 football-playing members. On July 1, 2014, the Colorado College women’s soccer program became the first non-football affiliate member of the Mountain West, expanding that sport to 12 Conference participants.

Conference USA Alliance and Subsequent Developments

On October 14, 2011, the Mountain West and C-USA announced a plan for a football only alliance. On February 13, 2012, the two leagues announced that both conferences would be dissolving 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, when the two conferences discussed their plans with the NCAA, they were told that due to NCAA rules, they would forfeit substantial revenues. Specifically, the new conference would receive only one automatic bid to NCAA championships; at least one of the former conferences would lose future revenue distributions from the NCAA men's basketball tournament; and at least one former conference would not be able to collect exit fees from any members that departed to join the new conference. As a result, the Mountain West and C-USA backed away from a full merger.

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. Keeping SDSU in the conference gave the Mountain West 12 football members, allowing for a championship game to be held.

Potential Expansion and Pac-12 Conference Changes

In February 2018, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the MW was looking to expand in the near future. In the report, commissioner Craig Thompson revealed that the conference had discussed expansion with six schools, with WCC member Gonzaga (which has not sponsored football since World War II) the only school mentioned by name. Thompson added that Gonzaga could potentially join the MW as a full but non-football member as early as July 2018.

On June 30, 2022, UCLA and Southern Cal announced their departure from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten Conference beginning in the 2024-25 academic year. After that announcement, San Diego State had been considered one of the top candidates for Pac-12 expansion. In September 2023, after a mass exodus from the Pac-12 left Oregon State and Washington State as its only remaining members, MW commissioner Gloria Nevarez began discussions with the two schools regarding various options for partnership, affiliation, or merger. On December 1, 2023, the conference announced that it would enter into a football scheduling agreement with the two schools for the 2024 season. All 12 Mountain West members will play one game against either Oregon State or Washington State next season, giving both schools three home games and three away games.

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. The move became official on January 7, after approval by NIU's governing board. 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.

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On July 1, 2024, Washington State University joined the Mountain West for women’s swimming and baseball for a two year period.

Football Championship Game

From 1999 to 2012, the champion of the Mountain West was determined by regular season record.

Beginning in 2013, following the expansion to twelve members and the division of the conference into Mountain and West Divisions, the conference championship game was held between the two division winners. The most recent 2022 championship game was the last to feature division winners. Beginning in 2013, the conference split into two divisions, named the "Mountain Division" and "West Division," of six teams each for football. The Mountain West also added a conference championship game, pitting the winners of the two divisions. The 2015 championship game featured the Air Force Academy Falcons against the San Diego State University Aztecs.

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). The Mountain West Conference Football Championship game has featured a rematch of a regular-season game a total of eight times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025). Nevada and New Mexico have yet to appear in a Mountain West Championship Game.

Bowl Championship Series and College Football Playoff

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. 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.

In the inaugural year of the new College Football Playoff system, Boise State earned the automatic slot into a New Year’s Six bowl game as the highest-ranked champion from the Group of Five 5 conferences. The Broncos defeated then 10th-ranked Arizona 38-30 in the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl and finished the season 12-2. Boise State earned a No. When the CFP expanded to include 12 teams in 2024, Boise State earned the No. 3 seed and a bye into the quarterfinals of the playoffs, where it faced Penn State in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Boise State is the No. 3 seed and earned a first-round bye into the quarterfinals at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos finished the season No. 9 in the CFP rankings, while UNLV was No.

Mountain West Firsts and Accomplishments

The Mountain West has marked several achievements throughout its existence, most notably becoming the first league to establish a sports television network dedicated solely to an intercollegiate athletic conference (The Mtn.). The Mountain West also was the first to experiment with the coaches’ challenge in the college football instant replay system and was the first non-automatic-qualifying BCS conference to participate in four BCS bowl games, winning three.

An innovator in the postseason bowl structure, the MW engineered many “firsts,” as league teams have participated in seven inaugural bowl games (2000 Silicon Valley, 2001 New Orleans, 2002 San Francisco (Emerald), 2005 Poinsettia, 2006 New Mexico, 2015 Arizona, 2015 Cure), as well as placing the first non-automatic-qualifying FBS team into a BCS bowl game with Utah’s appearance in the 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and into the College Football Playoff (CFP) with Boise State’s selection to the 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. In 2024, the Broncos became the first team from a non-autonomous conference to claim an automatic bid and a playoff bye in the expanded 12-team CFP field. Boise State earned the No.

April 1, 2023 - San Diego State becomes first MW team to reach the NCAA Men’s Final Four.

Academic and Sportsmanship Initiatives

From the outset, Mountain West member institutions have been committed to creating strong academic relationships, as well as athletic competition. To that end, the chief academic officers of each institution have explored academic exchange programs, library crossovers and shared research. The Mountain West provides a first-class athletic and academic experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes each year. Over the past 26 years, 51 Mountain West student-athletes have earned NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, and since the league’s inception in 1999, an additional 52 student-athletes have been named MW Scholar-Athlete of the Year and awarded league-sponsored postgraduate scholarships.

Changes in the NCAA governance structure set the table for another Conference first, when two members of the MW Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) were included in the June 2014 meeting of the Mountain West Board of Directors. New Mexico track and field athlete Kendall Spencer, the national chair of the 2014-15 NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and Air Force Academy volleyball player Emma Dridge joined the BOD members in this historic meeting to advance the discussion on student-athlete involvement in the NCAA and MW governance structure.

The Mountain West is well-represented within the NCAA governance structure, including individuals who were appointed to serve on committees tasked with managing the day-to-day business of Division I athletics.

The Mountain West has been a driving force for sportsmanship within intercollegiate athletics. As part of its continuing growth and development, the MW implemented an extensive Sportsmanship Initiative, endorsed by both the MW Joint Council and MW Board of Directors. The program is made up of several elements, which are both practical and philosophical in nature. While the MW has significant penalties in place to deal with violations, the Sportsmanship Initiative is primarily promotional and educational in nature.

Geographic Diversity and Unique Characteristics

The Mountain West is noted for its geographic diversity. Some of the most beautiful terrain and landscapes in the nation can be found within Mountain West boundaries, including the majestic Rocky Mountain range, which borders five MW institutions (Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico and Utah State). The high plains of Wyoming (elevation 7,220 feet - the highest Division I campus in the nation) contrast with the desert cities of Las Vegas, Phoenix and Reno, home to UNLV, Grand Canyon and Nevada, respectively, while Fresno State, San Diego State and San José State add a West Coast influence with their locations in Central, Southern and Northern California. The inclusion of the Hawai‘i football program extends the Mountain West footprint to the beautiful islands in the Pacific Ocean, while the addition of the women’s soccer program at Colorado College gives the MW an additional presence in the Rocky Mountains.

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.

Individual Achievements and Milestones

Additionally, the Mountain West was the only conference to have the same member institution with No. 1 overall picks in both the NFL and NBA drafts in the same year (Utah’s Alex Smith and Andrew Bogut, respectively in 2005). With UNLV’s Anthony Bennett claiming the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Mountain West is one of six conferences to have multiple No. 1 NBA draft selections since 2000. Also, with San Diego State’s Stephen Strasburg earning the No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, the Mountain West is one of four conferences to have the No.

The MW has produced 1,843 All-America selections among its 19 sponsored sports (men’s swimming was discontinued as a Conference sport following the 2010-11 season and women’s gymnastics was added in 2023-24) in the last 26 years, including a league-record 103 All-America honorees in 2016-17. A total of 260 MW student-athletes has also earned Academic All-America accolades in that span.

December 12, 2024 - Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty wins the Maxwell Award as the national player of the year and the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in the nation.

June 2025 - MW student-athletes combine for five national titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, third-most in the nation behind only the SEC and Big Ten.

Basketball Success

MW men’s basketball has been the best league on the West Coast from 2022-2025, sending at least four teams to the NCAA tournament each of those four seasons, including a record six in 2024. MW women’s basketball has tallied 91 postseason slots, including 42 NCAA bids, five Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight berth since 2000. Wyoming won the MW’s first WNIT championship in 2007 with a win over Wisconsin.

Mountain West members have earned 133 bowl bids under the league umbrella, including four appearances in BCS games and two CFP games. The MW has earned 107 postseason bids in men’s basketball, with eight Sweet 16 appearances, one Final Four, one runner-up finish (San Diego State; 2022-23), and three NIT Final Four berths. In women’s volleyball, the MW has had 51 NCAA bids with nine Sweet 16 berths and one Elite Eight appearance. Women’s soccer has earned 39 NCAA bids since 1999, with two Sweet 16 berths and one Elite Eight appearance.

Leadership and Administration

On Dec. 31, 2022, Thompson retired after nearly 24 years at the helm of the MW, and Gloria Nevarez was named the league’s second Commissioner, beginning her post on Jan.

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