The Mountain West Conference retained two key members on Wednesday night and may have saved itself.
Both UNLV and Air Force decided Wednesday to remain in the Mountain West for the next few years, sources told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.
The decision came after both schools were promised significant financial incentives, though it’s unclear how much they will receive. The seven remaining Mountain West schools also plan to sign a binding agreement with the conference on Thursday, which should solidify the league for the foreseeable future.
The two schools entered into a commitment to the Mountain West tonight, and all seven schools plan to sign a binding agreement by Thursday to solidify the conference and its future.
The agreement includes signing bonuses for all programs targeting UNLV and the Air Force.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 26, 2024
The decision comes amid the Pac-12’s rebuilding efforts, which have seen a number of former Mountain West schools opt to leave for the new Pac-12. The wave of schools moving to the former Power 5 competition has even led to fears that the Mountain West could collapse entirely.
The Pac-12 — which was left with only Oregon State and Washington State after former members left in the latest wave of realignment to include the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC — has added Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Utah State in recent days. The league now has seven members, but is still one shy of meeting the NCAA and CFP minimum requirements.
The Mountain West was on the verge of complete dissolution, and UNLV’s exit would likely have caused that — which could have included the elimination of exit fees and other penalties for departing conference members. If UNLV had left, Air Force likely would have entered serious discussions with the American Athletic Conference.
The Mountain West now has six full members and seven football members, including Hawaii. The league must add two more schools to meet the NCAA’s minimum requirements.
While that is still on the agenda, with UNLV and Air Force committed for the long term, the Mountain West appears to be in a safe place. The Pac-12 will have to continue looking elsewhere for its eighth member.
