The Mountain West could be in danger of territory it hasn’t seen since in nearly a decade.
For the better part of the conference’s first 20 seasons, the league was seen as a 2-3 bid league, only placing one bid thrice. But at the conference’s peak, the standard grew, as the conference netted at least four teams in the tournament each of the last four years — including six in 2023-24.
On the surface, that’s incredibly impressive for a non-power conference — even though the MW has been subject to plenty
of laughs, judgement, criticism and loudmouth scuttlebutt because of its propensity to flame out.
But the reality is that success can be fleeting, especially in college athletics in an era plagued by NIL and the transfer portal. One day, you can be one of the best teams in the MW — or in your respective conference. The next, you may be in the doldrums hoping to attract and mesh the right recipe of players.
It might be easier to build success, should you land top flight transfers, but it’s harder to sustain long-term success.
Fittingly, as the conference treads toward an unceremonius divorce, so has the success that’s gone with it.
The MW is popping its own bubbles:
The beauty of the Mountain West is the week-to-week parity.
And with 17 days until Selection Sunday, that parity has put the waning MWC in peril. A lot can happen over the next two-and-a-half weeks, especially in the MW Tournament. But as of right now, we’re risk of seeing just one team going dancing.
Not two, not three, not four, not five … *cue LeBron James’ The Decision speech*.
One.
The last time they just sent one was in 2016-17, when Nevada took home the regular season and conference titles. Fresno State earned the lone bid the year prior, and then BYU 15 seasons earlier in 2000-01.
Now, Utah State, even after their 17-point loss Wednesday to San Diego State, appeases as the likely lone member.
For most of the season, as we’ve delved into each week in our Bracketology column, that’s been the case. SDSU and New Mexico have teetered on the bubble. The Aztecs dropped two straight games to Grand Canyon and Colorado State before Wednesday’s win, while the Lobos lost by seven to Nevada on Tuesday.
Currently, New Mexico resides No. 44 in NET while San Diego State is No. 46. There are plenty of potential bid-stealers who can nab at-large spots come early March, so their margin-for-error is essentially zero — while Utah State has enough breathing room to be guaranteed.
Ideally, a top-35 standing is where you’re safe; SDSU and UNM are far from that territory, trailing Texas A&M, Santa Clara, UCF, Indiana, UCLA and Clemson, among others.
Ever since Boise State’s opening night loss to Hawai’i Pacific, the conference has failed to consistently win games they should. And as the sun sets, this is the bed they have made.
