Mountain West League Pledges Unity Until 2032 Amid Conference Turmoil!

In a bold move to ensure its future stability, the Mountain West Conference has successfully secured a binding commitment from all its members to remain intact until 2032. This agreement includes vital media rights that will be critical for the league's financial health.

Originally, the pact had to be signed by six members to be officially recognized. However, all seven institutions, including football-only member Hawaii, signed the agreement by Thursday afternoon, solidifying the Mountain West's resilience in the midst of recent upheaval caused by the Pac-12's significant restructuring efforts. Notably, the Pac-12 has recently absorbed five Mountain West schools—Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State—along with Utah State, which bolstered the Pac-12's roster just this week.

Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez expressed her satisfaction with this commitment, stating, "Our immediate priority was solidifying the membership of the Mountain West. Now our focus turns to our collective future on behalf of our student-athletes. The agreements announced today mark a historic moment for the Mountain West and provide much-needed stability as intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve."

Initially, UNLV and Air Force had anticipated signing an eight-member binding agreement, but following Utah State's recent departure, plans shifted. The Pac-12 has shown interest in both Air Force and UNLV, and the American Athletic Conference has been monitoring their situations closely.

Despite these pressures, the promise of significant financial payouts from the Mountain West proved enough to retain unity among the teams. The league is expecting approximately $150 million from exit fees ($18 million for each departing member) and poaching fees ($55 million), which will be equally distributed among the seven member institutions. Notably, Air Force and UNLV are projected to receive around $25 million each from these funds.

However, there's a twist. The Pac-12 has filed a lawsuit against the Mountain West regarding the legality of these poaching fees, which could potentially impact the financial distributions if the courts rule against the Mountain West.

Currently, the Pac-12 is left with seven full members for 2026 and is seeking to add another to reach the standard eight-member threshold. Meanwhile, the Mountain West, down to six full members, faces its own deadline to bring in additional teams to avoid further instability.

Potential candidates emerging from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) include UTEP, New Mexico State, and Texas State, while teams like Tarleton State, Sacramento State, and North Dakota State might be sought from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

As the collegiate sports landscape changes rapidly, the Mountain West’s recent commitments signal a pivotal moment in maintaining competitiveness while facing new challenges. Stay tuned as this story unfolds!