Mountain West in Trouble Already

[Gundo]

Sept 16, 2024 8:50:50 GMT -8 perch said:

I remember Mexico Poly. In the week before the game Coryell built them up as though they were the second coming of the Green Bay Packers. He said they aren't very big but boy they are really fast! Coryell always did that, built up the opposing team so they sounded great.

How did we get here?

In 1999, the Mountain West Conference (MWC) was formed when eight schools broke away from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The WAC had expanded rapidly from 10 to 16 schools in 1996, leading to scheduling issues, disrupted rivalries, power struggles, and financial disagreements. As a result, the presidents of Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah, and Wyoming met secretly to discuss their future. They decided to split from the WAC, officially launching the MWC on July 1, 1999.

The schools left behind in the WAC were UTEP, Hawaii, Fresno State, Tulsa, San Jose State, TCU, Rice, and SMU—many of which had strong football programs. The WAC's geographic spread, from Honolulu to Tulsa and Laramie to Houston, had some serious logistical and operational challenges. Under WAC President Karl Benson, the member schools struggled to reach consensus on key issues. This tension culminated in a meeting of the soon-to-be MWC presidents at Denver International Airport, where they made the decision to break away, an event somewhat reminiscent of the recent turmoil in the MWC, which opened the PAC 12 opportunity. 

The MWC began its next phase of expansions when BYU left for football independence and Utah departed for the Pac-12 in 2011. TCU joined the Big 12, while Boise State and San Diego State briefly accepted invitations to the Big East before that conference's football division collapsed. Boise State joined the MWC in 2011, followed by Fresno State and Nevada in 2012. When the Big East fell apart, both Boise State and San Diego State returned to the MWC in 2013. Commissioner Craig Thompson upheld the invitations extended to Utah State and San Jose State, bringing the MWC to its current structure. The Aztecs left again in 2023 prior to the PAC 12 collapse, as they were promised a spot to replace Colorado who left in July 2023, prior to the PAC 12 Media Rights debacle. 

Today, the future of the conference remains uncertain. Schools like San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, and Fresno State are now members of the PAC in realignment, while Air Force has been linked to the American Athletic Conference (AAC), and UNLV’s future remains unclear, with potential moves to the Pac-12, MWC, or AAC in play. Only time will tell. But the new PAC 12 is Deja Vu and similar to the MWC formation.