BREAKING: The Mountain West Conference has officially announced a pause on expanding its membership as it navigates critical media rights negotiations. Commissioner Gloria Nevarez revealed this decision during the conference’s football media days held in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The Mountain West will still add Grand Canyon University in all sports except football, effective immediately. Additionally, Hawaii will join as a full member in 2026, along with Texas-El Paso. Notably, Northern Illinois will only participate in football, while UC Davis will join as a non-football member.
As part of this transition, five schools will exit the Mountain West for the Pac-12 next year: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State. This looming shift has heightened the urgency for the Mountain West to solidify its future amid ongoing legal disputes regarding poaching fees with the Pac-12.
In her statement, Nevarez emphasized the need to focus on upcoming media rights negotiations before considering further expansion. “We’re going to pause right now as far as additional membership,” she stated. “Never say never, but we really want to get through our media rights negotiation, take a deep breath and then we’ll readdress the issue.” She expressed optimism about announcing a new media deal soon.
In a significant operational change, the Mountain West’s headquarters will relocate from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Las Vegas in July 2026. This move marks a pivotal shift for the conference, which has been based in Colorado Springs since its inception in 1999.
Moreover, Nevarez addressed the ongoing discussions regarding the College Football Playoff. She confirmed that the Mountain West does not support proposals allowing conferences to receive more than one automatic berth, countering the Big Ten’s push for such a model, which has recently lost traction with the SEC.
As developments unfold, the Mountain West Conference’s strategic decisions over the next few months will shape the landscape of college athletics. Stakeholders and fans are advised to stay tuned for updates regarding the media rights negotiations and potential impacts on team memberships.
The urgency of these negotiations signals a critical juncture for the Mountain West Conference, with implications extending beyond its immediate membership, affecting college sports dynamics nationwide.
