Commissioner doubles down on Mountain West's commitment to remain viable after 5 teams leave in 2026

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez issued a statement Wednesday reiterating the conference's commitment to remaining viable when five members leave for a rebuilt Pac-12 next year.

“A good deal of speculation has recently been offered by various media outlets regarding the current and future status of the Mountain West, and other collegiate athletic conferences," Nevarez said. “While I cannot and will not comment on other leagues, I can share some facts about the Mountain West.”

Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, Wyoming and Hawaii have executed a grant of rights agreement that binds the schools together through the conference via television rights from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2032.

Those seven schools also are “successfully executing a future membership strategy” that will ensure the stability of the Mountain West through June 30, 2026, and beyond, Nevarez said, and pursuing a media rights agreement that would begin July 1, 2026.

Hawaii will become a member in all sports starting in 2026-27 after having been a football-only member. Also in 2026, UTEP joins as a full member and Northern Illinois as a football-only member. UC Davis and Grand Canyon are joining in some sports in 2026.

Hawaii's upgraded membership and the addition of UTEP gives the Mountain West eight full members for 2026-27, the threshold required to meet the NCAA minimum for remaining a Football Bowl Subdivision conference and being eligible for the College Football Playoff.

The Mountain West has been rebuilding since Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Utah State agreed to join the Pac-12, which is trying to restock after all but two of its schools left for other conferences last summer.

Nevarez said the conference is confident it will prevail in litigation with the Pac-12. The Pac-12 in September filed a federal lawsuit asking the court to declare the Mountain West's demand for a $55 million payment for poaching five schools an antitrust violation. The Mountain West filed a motion asking the lawsuit be dismissed, and a hearing is scheduled in March in San Francisco.

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The Associated Press