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Mountain West Conference

American collegiate athletic conference


American collegiate athletic conference

FieldValue
nameMountain West Conference
color#4F2D7F;
font_colorwhite
logoMountain West Conference logo.svg
logo_size150
founded
associationNCAA
divisionDivision I
subdivisionFBS
teams12 (10 in 2026)
sports19
mens8
womens11
regionWestern United States
headquartersColorado Springs, Colorado (Current)
Las Vegas, Nevada (to relocate in 2026)
commissionerGloria Nevarez
sinceJanuary 1, 2023
TVCBS Sports
streamingParamount+
website
mapMountainwestconference2025.png
map_size250

Las Vegas, Nevada (to relocate in 2026)

Fox Sports

Fox One

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. Geographically, the MW covers a broad expanse of the Western United States, with member schools located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Hawaii. Gloria Nevarez took over as commissioner of the MW on January 1, 2023, following the retirement of founding commissioner Craig Thompson.

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. Before forming the Mountain West Conference, all eight charter members had been members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and half of these had been charter members of that conference from 1962.

History

Genesis

The creation of the MW was a delayed aftereffect of the 1996 NCAA conference realignment, which had initially been triggered two years earlier when the Big Eight Conference agreed to merge with four members of the Southwest Conference (SWC) to create the Big 12 Conference, which would begin competition in the 1996–97 school year.

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. However, the newly expanded WAC was soon wracked by tension between the established and new members.

In spring of 1998, BYU and Utah proposed a permanent split into two eight-team divisions. The proposal would have forced some schools into an unnatural alignment because of the geographic distribution of the conference. Air Force was the most strident opponent of this proposal, threatening to become an independent. Soon after the proposal by BYU and Utah, the presidents of Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Utah, and Wyoming met at Denver International Airport to discuss their future, and they agreed to break away from the WAC to form a new conference. They invited the WAC members New Mexico, San Diego State, and UNLV to join them in what became the Mountain West Conference.

The next move for the MW came in 2005, when the conference added TCU, who had spent the previous four seasons in Conference USA (C-USA).

Early–2010s realignment

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). Both schools accepted and would become the tenth and eleventh members of the league. BYU announced on August 31, 2010, that it would leave the Mountain West Conference and go Independent in football and become a member of the West Coast Conference (WCC) in other sports starting in 2011. On November 29, 2010, TCU announced all athletic teams would move to the Big East Conference effective in 2012. (Less than a year later, on October 10, 2011, TCU announced it would not join the Big East but would join the Big 12, home to fellow former SWC members Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech, and formerly Texas A&M, in 2012 instead.) On December 10, 2010, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa accepted a bid to become the 10th member of the conference for football only.{{cite web |url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/40611296/ns/sports-college_football/ |title=Hawaii Joins Mountain West Conference

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. However, two of the three schools that qualified are no longer with the conference.

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. In late March of that year, the commissioners of both conferences stated that all 16 schools had entered into binding agreements to form a new "association", although the Mountain West and C-USA would have apparently remained separate legal entities. In the end, this alliance never materialized due to both conferences soon adding new teams.

On May 2, 2012, San José State and Utah State agreed to join the conference for the 2013–14 academic year. On December 31 of that year, Boise State announced that it had backed out of its previously announced move to the Big East for football and the Big West for other sports, and would remain in the MW.

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. The first championship game took place on December 7, 2013.

Further membership 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. While Thompson said that BYU had not contacted the conference, the report indicated that BYU would be open to an MW return, at least in non-football sports, should Gonzaga join. A later Union-Tribune report indicated that talks were advanced enough that the conference's presidents planned a vote on an invitation to Gonzaga during the MW men's and women's basketball tournaments in Las Vegas, but decided to delay the vote until after the Final Four. However, on April 2, the day of the Division I men's title game, Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth notified the MW, the WCC, and media that the school would remain in the WCC for the immediate future.

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. On June 16, 2023, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that San Diego State had given the Mountain West Conference notice that the school would be departing from the conference and asked for an extension for the departure deadline of July 1, 2023, to avoid paying extra exit fees. The Mountain West Conference denied the request for a deadline extension and considered the letter from San Diego State as a formal notice of departure and began to proceed with the separation process; however, San Diego State disputed that its letter of intent was a formal notice. On June 30, 2023, with the Pac-12 still lacking a media rights agreement for 2024–25, ESPN reported that San Diego State would remain in the Mountain West Conference, rescinding the intention to withdraw from the conference. The MW and San Diego State reached a settlement of their dispute the following month, with SDSU remaining a member for the immediate future.

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. These games will not count towards Mountain West conference standings, and Oregon State and Washington State will remain members of the Pac-12. On April 16, 2024, it was also announced that Washington State would be joining the MW as an affiliate for baseball and women's swimming.

On September 12, 2024, it was announced that Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and San Diego State would be leaving the MW and joining the Pac-12 in 2026. On September 23, Utah State also accepted an offer to join the Pac-12 in 2026 as its seventh member.

On October 1, 2024 it was announced that the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) will be joining the Mountain West starting in the 2026–27 academic year. On October 14, Craig Angelos, athletic director of football-only member Hawaii, confirmed outside reports that the school would upgrade to full MW membership in 2026. This move was officially announced the next day. On November 1, 2024, Grand Canyon University announced it was joining the Mountain West no later than July 1, 2026. On July 8, 2025, the Mountain West announced Grand Canyon would join the conference for the 2025-26 school year.

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. This move is expected on July 1, 2026.

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. Alongside them, Utah Tech announced they would join as a baseball and men's soccer affiliate.

Member schools

Current full members

Members departing for the Pac-12 Conference in 2026.

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeEnrollmenturl=https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2024-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-REVISED.xlsxtitle= U.S. and Canadian 2024 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2024 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY23 to FY24, and FY24 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent StudentNicknameJoinedColors
publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)access-date=February 17, 2025format=XLS }}
(Air Force)Air Force Academy, Colorado1954Federal
(Military)4,181$98.9Falcons1999
Boise State UniversityBoise, Idaho1932Public26,155$161.5Broncos2011
California State University, Fresno
(Fresno State)Fresno, California191125,047$254.8Bulldogs2012
Colorado State UniversityFort Collins, Colorado187033,648$623.6Rams1999
Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, Arizona1949Private for-profit
(Non-denominational)$21.6Antelopes2025
Reno, Nevada1874Public21,034$560.0Wolf Pack2012
(UNLV)Las Vegas, Nevada195730,660$423.8Rebels1999
Albuquerque, New Mexico188921,738$661.0Lobos1999
San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, California1897Public32,599$415.7Aztecs1999
San José State UniversitySan Jose, California1857Public32,432$203.6Spartans2013
Utah State UniversityLogan, Utah1888Public27,943$614.9Aggies2013
Laramie, Wyoming1886Public11,100$810.2Cowboys &
Cowgirls1999

;Notes:

Future full members

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeEnrollmenturl=https://www.nacubo.org/Research/2022/Public-NTSE-Tablestitle=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Endowment Market Value, and Change* in Endowment Market Value from FY21 to FY22publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAAdate=February 15, 2024access-date=February 15, 2024archive-date=February 15, 2024archive-url=https://www.nacubo.org/Research/2023/Public-NCSE-Tablesurl-status=live }}NicknameJoiningColorsCurrent
conference
University of California, Davis
(UC Davis)Davis, California1905Public40,848$2,172.7Aggies2026Big West (BWC)
Honolulu, Hawaii190719,097$341.4Rainbow Warriors &
Rainbow Wahine
University of Texas at El Paso
(UTEP)El Paso, Texas191325,121$241.7MinersConf. USA (CUSA)

;Notes

Current affiliate members

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeEnrollmenturl=https://www.nacubo.org/-/media/Nacubo/Documents/research/2021-NTSE-Public-Tables--Endowment-Market-Values--REVISED-February-18-2022.ashx?la=en&hash=FA57411CC4244B7D49C25377165FEC42FFBDEB56title=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Endowment Market Value, and Change* in Endowment Market Value from FY20 to FY21publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAAdate=February 18, 2022access-date=February 19, 2022}}NicknameJoinedColorsMW
sportPrimary
conference
Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, Colorado1874Nonsectarian2,266$908.6 millionTigers2014nowrapWomen's soccernowrapSouthern (SCAC)
Honolulu, Hawaii1907Public19,097$341.4 millionnowrapRainbow Warriors2012FootballBig West (BWC)
(MW in 2026)
Washington State UniversityPullman, Washington1890Public24,139$1.28 billionCougars2024nowrapBaseballPac-12
nowrapWomen's swimming

;Notes:

Future affiliate members

InstitutionLocationFoundedJoiningTypeEnrollmentEndowmentNicknameColorsMW
sportPrimary
conference
Northern Illinois UniversityDeKalb, Illinois18952026Public16,769$99 millionHuskiesnowrap{{sortnameFootballNorthern Illinois Huskies football}}
nowrap
Utah Tech University1911$16.3 millionTrailblazersnowrapBaseballWestern (WAC)
(Big Sky (BSC) in 2026)
nowrap

;Notes:

Former full members

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftColorsCurrent
conference
Brigham Young University
(BYU)Provo, Utah1875LDS Church34,390Cougars19992011Big 12
Texas Christian University
(TCU)Fort Worth, Texas1873Disciples
of Christ11,938Horned Frogs20052012
Salt Lake City, Utah1850Public34,900Utes19992011

;Notes:

Membership timeline

DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1998 till:2031 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5

Colors = id:line value:black id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote) id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two id:Ind value:rgb(0.83,0.83,0.83) PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:WAC bar:1 color:Full from:1999 till:end text:Air Force (1999–present)

bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:WAC bar:2 color:Full from:1999 till:2011 text:BYU (1999–2011) bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2023 text:WCC (fb. independent) bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:Big 12

bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:WAC bar:3 color:Full from:1999 till:end text:Colorado State (1999–2026) bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:Pac-12

bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:WAC bar:4 color:Full from:1999 till:end text:UNLV (1999–present)

bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:WAC bar:5 color:Full from:1999 till:end text:New Mexico (1999–present)

bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:WAC bar:6 color:Full from:1999 till:end text:San Diego State (1999–2026) bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:Pac-12

bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:WAC bar:7 color:Full from:1999 till:2011 text:Utah (1999–2011) bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:end text:Pac-12 bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:2024 till:end text:Big 12

bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:WAC bar:8 color:Full from:1999 till:end text:Wyoming (1999–present)

bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2001 text:WAC bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2005 text:C-USA bar:9 color:Full from:2005 till:2012 text:TCU (2005–2012) bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:end text:Big 12

bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:1998 till:2001 text:Big West bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2011 text:WAC bar:10 color:Full from:2011 till:2026 text:Boise State (2011–2026) bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:Pac-12

bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2012 text:WAC bar:11 color:Full from:2012 till:2026 text:Fresno State (2012–2026) bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:Pac-12

bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2012 text:WAC bar:12 color:AssocF from:2012 till:2026 text:Hawaiʻi (2012–present) bar:12 color:Full from:2026 till:end

bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:1998 till:2000 text:Big West bar:13 shift:(20) color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:2012 text:WAC bar:13 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:Nevada (2012–present)

bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2013 text:WAC bar:14 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:San Jose State (2013–present)

bar:15 color:OtherC2 from:1998 till:2005 text:Big West bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:WAC bar:15 color:Full from:2013 till:2026 text:Utah State (2013–2026) bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:Pac-12

bar:16 color:AssocOS from:2014 till:end text:Colorado College (2014–present)

bar:17 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:2026 text:Washington State (2024–2026)

bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2004 text:CCAA bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:2004 till:2005 shift:(-5) text:D-II Ind. bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:PacWest bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2026 text:WAC bar:18 color:FullxF from:2025 till:end text:Grand Canyon (2025–present)

bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2026 text:MAC bar:19 color:AssocF from:2026 till:end text:Northern Illinois (2026–future)

bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2006 text:Scenic West (NJCAA) bar:20 shift:(-10) color:OtherC2 from:2006 till:2007 text:D-II Ind. bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2018 text:PacWest bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:2018 till:2020 text:RMAC bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:2026 text:WAC bar:20 color: AssocOS from:2026 till:end text:Utah Tech (2026–future)

bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2004 text:CCAA bar:21 color:OtherC2 from:2004 till:2007 text:D-I Ind. bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2026 text:Big West (Big Sky fb.) bar:21 color:FullxF from:2026 till:end text:UC Davis (2026–future)

bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2005 text:WAC bar:22 color:OtherC2 from:2005 till:2026 text:C-USA bar:22 color:Full from:2026 till:end text:UTEP (2026–future)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1999

TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:(0,20) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Mountain West Conference membership history"

  1. If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space.

NCAA team championships

Excluded from this list are all national championships earned outside the scope of NCAA competition, including Division I FBS football titles, women's AIAW championships (17), equestrian titles (0), and retroactive Helms Athletic Foundation titles.

SchoolTeam ChampionshipsTotalMenWomenCo-edSan Jose State Spartans}}"San Jose StateNew Mexico Lobos}}"New MexicoWyoming Cowboys}}"WyomingFresno State Bulldogs}}"Fresno StateUNLV Rebels}}"UNLVBoise State Broncos}}"Boise StateSan Diego State Aztecs}}"San Diego StateColorado State Rams}}"Colorado StateNevada Wolf Pack}}"NevadaAir Force Falcons}}"Air ForceGrand Canyon Antelopes}}"Grand CanyonUtah State Aggies}}"Utah StateTotal221363
10730
3021
3102
2110
2200
1100
1100
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000

Sports

The Mountain West Conference sponsors championship competition in eight men's and 11 women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Hawai'i is only an associate member for football, and Colorado College is only an associate member for women's soccer.

SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Basketball
Cross country
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Soccer
Softball
Swimming and diving
Tennis
Track and field (indoor)
Track and field (outdoor)
Volleyball

Men's sports

MemberBaseballBasketballCross
countryFootballGolf*Soccer
(begins in 2026)**Swimming and Diving
(begins in 2026)*TennisTrack
& field indoorTrack
& field outdoorTotal
MW
sports1077696785877Current Totals8+1121011+1124489977+2Future members6762026-27 Totals8+11088+1105+1576772+4
Air Force
Boise State
Fresno State
Colorado State
Grand Canyon
Nevada
UNLV
New Mexico
San Diego State
San Jose State
Utah State
Wyoming
Hawai'i
UC Davis
UTEP

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Mountain West

Future members in green.

SchoolFencingGymnasticsIce
hockeyLacrosseRifleVolleyballWater
poloWrestling
Air ForceIndependentMPSFAHAASUNPRCWCCBig 12
Hawai'iBig West
San Jose StateWCC
UC DavisWCC
WyomingBig 12

Women's sports

MemberBasketballCross
countryGolfGymnasticsSoccerSoftballSwimming
& divingTennisTrack
& field indoorTrack
& field
outdoorVolleyballTotal
MW
sports910101010101010101199Current Totals121210412+11010+112121212108+2Future members101182026-27 Totals101093+110+189910101093+1
Air Force
Boise State
Fresno State
Colorado State
Grand Canyon
Nevada
UNLV
New Mexico
San Diego State
San Jose State
Utah State
Wyoming
Hawai'i
UC Davis
UTEP

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Mountain West

Future members in green. Departing members in pink.

SchoolBeach
volleyballEquestrianFencingField
hockeyLacrosseRifleSailingWater
polo
Air ForceIndependentPRC
Boise StateBig 12
Fresno StateBig 12Golden Coast
Grand CanyonMPSF
Hawai'iBig WestPCCSCBig West
San Diego StateBig 12Golden Coast
San Jose StateMPSFMPSF
UC DavisWCCECACMPSFBig 12Golden Coast
UTEPCUSAPRC

Athletic department revenue by school

Total revenue includes ticket sales, contributions and donations, rights and licensing, student fees, school funds and all other sources including TV income, camp income, concessions, and novelties.

Total expenses includes coach and staff salaries, scholarships, buildings and grounds, maintenance, utilities and rental fees, recruiting, team travel, equipment and uniforms, conference dues, and insurance.

The following table shows institutional reporting to the United States Department of Education as shown on the DOE Equity in Athletics website for the 2023–24 academic year.

Institution2023–24 Total Revenue from Athletics2023–24 Total Expenses on Athletics
San Diego State University$83,949,123$83,949,123
United States Air Force Academy$81,240,615$69,453,628
University of Nevada, Las Vegas$65,376,772$65,376,772
Boise State University$59,885,466$59,885,465
California State University, Fresno$55,761,420$55,761,420
University of Nevada, Reno$53,922,006$53,916,558
University of New Mexico$53,653,134$53,043,230
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa$53,350,682$53,350,682
University of Wyoming$53,042,120$53,042,120
Colorado State University$50,262,504$50,262,504
Utah State University$42,936,608$42,936,608
University of Texas at El Paso$37,006,248$36,602,226
Grand Canyon University$30,628,914$30,628,914
San José State University$30,593,724$30,593,724

Since Air Force is not available from that source, it was obtained from Knight Commission for the 2022–2023 academic year.

Conference champions

Main article: List of Mountain West Conference champions

Rivalries

Conference (football)

Totals and records following the completion of the 2022 football season.

TeamsRivalry nameTrophyMeetings
(last)RecordSeries
leader
Air ForceColorado StateAir Force–Colorado State football rivalryRam-Falcon Trophy60
(2022)38–21–1
Hawai'iAir Force–Hawai'i football rivalryKuter Trophy22
(2019)14–7–1Air Force
Boise StateFresno StateBoise State–Fresno State football rivalryMilk Can25
(2022)17–8
NevadaBoise State–Nevada football rivalry45
(2022)31–14Boise State
Fresno StateHawai'iFresno State–Hawai'i football rivalryThe Golden Screwdriver55
(2022)30–24–1
San Diego StateBattle for the Oil CanOld Oil Can61
(2022)27–30–4San Diego State
San José StateBattle for the ValleyValley Trophy86
(2022)44–39–3Fresno State
Colorado StateWyomingBorder WarBronze Boot114
(2022)59–50–5
Hawai'iSan José StateDick Tomey Legacy GameDick Tomey Legacy Trophy4622–23–1
UNLVHawai'i–UNLV football rivalryIsland Showdown Trophy33
(2022)19–14Hawai'i
WyomingHawai'i–Wyoming football rivalryPaniolo Trophy27
(2022)11–16Wyoming
NevadaUNLVBattle for NevadaFremont Cannon48
(2022)29–19
Utah StateWyomingBridger's BattleBridger Rifle72
(2022)40–28–4

Non–conference (including other sports)

SchoolsFirst
meetingGameTrophynowrapReigning champion
(last meeting)Next
meeting
Air Force / Army / Navy1972Commander-in-Chief's TrophyNavy
(2024)2025
Boise StateIdaho1971Battle of IdahoGovernor's CupBoise State
(2010)
Colorado StateColorado1893Rocky Mountain ShowdownCentennial CupColorado
(2024)
New MexicoArizona1908Arizona–New Mexico football rivalryKit Carson RifleArizona
(2024)
New Mexico State1894Rio Grande RivalryNew Mexico
(2024)2025
San José StateStanford1900Bill Walsh Legacy GameStanford
(2013)
Utah StateBrigham Young (BYU)1922Battle for The Old Wagon WheelThe Old Wagon WheelBYU
(2022)
Utah1892Battle of the BrothersUtah
(2015)
Utah State / BYU / Utah1971Beehive BootBYU
(2022)2025
UTEPNew Mexico State1914Battle of I-10Silver Spade Trophy and the Mayor's CupUTEP
(2024)

Football

Divisions

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. This first championship game took place on December 7, 2013, at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, the home stadium of Fresno State, the divisional winner with the higher BCS ranking. Each team played five divisional games and three cross-divisional contests annually. The 2015 championship game featured the Air Force Academy Falcons against the San Diego State University Aztecs. The 2016 championship game featured the San Diego State University Aztecs against the University of Wyoming Cowboys.

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 MW Championship is no longer contested by the winners of the two divisions; the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage play instead. The designated rivals under this system are as follows:

SchoolRival 1Rival 2
Air ForceColorado StateWyoming
Boise StateNew MexicoUtah State
Colorado StateAir ForceWyoming
Fresno StateNevadaSan José State
HawaiiSan Diego StateUNLV
NevadaFresno StateUNLV
New MexicoBoise StateSan José State
San Diego StateHawaiiUtah State
San José StateFresno StateNew Mexico
UNLVHawaiiNevada
Utah StateBoise StateSan Diego State
WyomingAir ForceColorado State

Prior to this, the division format was as follows:

Mountain DivisionWest Division
Air ForceFresno State
Boise StateHawaii
Colorado StateNevada
New MexicoUNLV
Utah StateSan Diego State
WyomingSan José State
  • No other MW sport is split into divisions—including women's soccer, the only other conference sport with 12 competing schools (with Colorado College as the 12th member).

Bowl games

The Mountain West Conference has agreements with six bowls.

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 2014 season, Boise State became the first team to receive this berth, being selected for and winning the Fiesta Bowl.

As of 2020,

PickNameLocationOpposing
conferenceOpposing
pick
1LA BowlInglewood, CaliforniaPac-125
Non–specificHawaii BowlHonolulu, HawaiiThe AmericanNon–specific
Non–specificFamous Idaho Potato BowlBoise, IdahoMACNon–specific
Non–specificNew Mexico BowlAlbuquerque, New MexicoCUSANon–specific
Non–specificArizona BowlTucson, ArizonaMACNon–specific
Conditional*Rate BowlPhoenix, ArizonaBig 10 And Big 12
Conditional*San Francisco BowlSanta Clara, CaliforniaBig 12 or Pac-12Non–specific (Big Ten) or 4 (Pac-12)
  • If Hawaii is bowl eligible and not MW champions or selected for a CFP bowl, they will receive a berth in the Hawaii Bowl.
  • The MW will only send a team to the Cactus or San Francisco Bowls if one of the primary conferences affiliated with those bowls is unable to fill their slots.

Bowl records

As of the 2024-25 bowl games

SchoolAppearancesWLTWin
%BCS/
NY6National
championships
Air Force30161310–00
Fresno State2817140.5480–00
Boise State221390.5913–12 — 1958 (NJCAA), 1980 (NCAA Division I-AA)
San Diego State20101000–03 — 1966–1968 (NCAA College Division)
Nevada1871200–00
Wyoming1810900–00
Colorado State176120{{winpct6120}}0–0
Utah State1561100–00
Hawai'i148600–10
New Mexico144910–00
San Jose State127500–00
UNLV64200–00

Bowl Challenge Cup

ESPN created the Bowl Challenge Cup in 2002 for the conference that had the best college football bowl record among Division I Football Bowl Subdivision conferences. The conference has won it five times, more than any other conference, by finishing with bowl game records of 2–1 in 2004–05, 4–1 in 2007–08, 4–1 in 2009–10, 4–1 in 2010–11 and 5–1 in 2021–22.

Men's basketball

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. With the MW now having 11 basketball members to the MVC's 10, the renewed series involves all MVC teams, with one MW team sitting out.

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. The challenge is similar to the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, which pits men's basketball teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten Conference.

NCAA tournament records

As of the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

SchoolAppearancesWLWin
%Wins per
appearanceNational
championships
Utah State23624.2000.2730
UNLV2033191.6501 (1990)
San Diego State161114.4400.7330
Wyoming169210.5631 (1943)
New Mexico158160.5330
Colorado State125120.3630
Nevada11611.3530.6000
Boise State100100.0000
Fresno State5250.4000
Air Force4040.0000
San Jose State3030.0000

Women's basketball

NCAA tournament records

SchoolAppearancesWLWin
%Wins per
appearanceNational
championships
UNLV10310.2310.3000
New Mexico8380.3750
San Diego State9690.5710
Fresno State7070.0000
Boise State6060.0000
Colorado State656.4550.8330
Wyoming2020.0000
Air Force0000.0000
Nevada0000.0000
San Jose State0000.0000
Utah State0000.0000

Facilities

Wyoming Cowboys}}"[](wyoming-cowboys-and-cowgirls)War Memorial Stadium30,514Arena-Auditorium11,612Non-baseball school}}

;Notes

Elevation

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 4000 ft 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. The Mountain West's institutions have the highest average elevations in NCAA Division I sports.

Campus and football stadium elevations

Schools in italics are single-sport members. In the case of women's soccer-only member Colorado College, "stadium elevation" refers to the school's soccer venue.

SchoolCampus
elevation (ft)Stadium
elevation (ft)
Air Force Academy7,2586,621
Wyoming7,2207,220
Colorado College6,0536,053
New Mexico5,1745,100
Colorado State5,0075,190
Utah State4,7774,710
Nevada4,5644,610
Boise State2,6972,695
UNLV2,0242,190
San Diego State43325
Fresno State338335
Hawai'i10519
San Jose State8593

References

References

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