Nevarez: Mountain West finally has firm footing

Oct 17, 2024, 03:43 PM ET

LAS VEGAS– It was simply more than a month earlier when the Mountain West’s future was very much in doubt, and although realignment appears to be continuous, commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday she feels the conference is lastly in a good place.The decisions by UNLV and Air Force to stay in the conference, the addition of UTEP and making Hawaii a full member will give the Mountain West the minimum 8 full-time programs starting in 2026 to stay in great standing with the NCAA as an FBS conference.That was not such a sure thing after five schools left for the Pac-12 Conference last month.Editor’s Picks 2 Related “I do feel a lot better because we are safe

till’32,”Nevarez stated in an interview

with The Associated Press at conference basketball media days. “We have a core subscription, and I think everyone in the core subscription is devoted and in it to win it. The buy-in is actually strong.” Nevarez needed to act quickly to keep the league together after Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State revealed Sept. 12 they would leave in 2026 to sign up with Oregon State and Washington State in helping restore the Pac-12. Then the Mountain West was really rocked when Utah State also stated 11 days later it would leave for the Pac-12, which likewise welcomed UNLV. But UNLV revealed Sept. 25

that it would stay, which triggered Air Force to make the exact same commitment to provide the Mountain West a much-needed lifeline.”All the [athletic directors] and all the presidents had the ability to cut through to the core concerns and what makes us helpful for all of

us,” Nevarez stated. “We got to a terrific location. I think everybody’s delighted with it.”The work was still not done since the Mountain West needed 2 more full-time members. The conference got those by revealing Oct. 1 that UTEP would participate in 2026 and by making Hawaii -which has actually played football just in the league because 2012-a full-time member as well.Hawaii has actually assisted spend for travel costs to conference football groups, however Nevarez stated there will disappear subsidies to visiting groups in any sport. She stated many sports won’t be affected because they either have events on the mainland or travel to Hawaii every other year, which can be balanced out by how nonconference schedules are assembled.Basketball and volleyball are more difficult, Nevarez said, since those are annual trips.” We actually require to consider how to balance those out,” Nevarez stated. “But we have been a plane league permanently. It’s simply the nature of the Western area.

“The Mountain West could look to add more schools or even try to find a basketball-only member, such as local power Saint Mary’s. Nevarez wouldn’t discuss what prospective plans the conference might be considering.The conference appears to be in a secure area in the meantime– member schools committed up until 2032–

however Nevarez acknowledged realignment is an ever-changing landscape.” Whatever’s happening, I think it begins on the East Coast like this current realignment did,” Nevarez said.”We need to be prepared to react for that due to the fact that I believe it’s being pulled by conferences that aren’t in the Western area. “