Commissioner Gloria Nevarez tried to put a good face on the new Mountain West, and maybe she will be proven correct in the long run that the conference indeed has a bright future.
There is no question, however, the Mountain West faces a pivotal moment as the league enters its 28th season.
Gone to the new-look Pac-12 Conference are five notable football programs: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State. The Mountain
West filled the void by adding FCS powerhouse North Dakota State as well as Northern Illinois and UTEP, dropping from 12 football-playing members to 10.
“We really do believe in the strength of Mountain West football," Nevarez said. "We’re not doing our own preseason ranking or poll, but there’s a lot of industry experts, our own experts, that are really, really optimistic about the talent we’ve retained, the talent we’ve attracted and the coaching caliber that we have in this league. You never know until they’re actually out there playing, but that optimism is real and founded.”
Oddsmakers expect a competitive race. New Mexico, North Dakota State and UNLV are 3-1 odds or better at three prominent sportsbooks to win the league title. Air Force and Hawaii also are projected to be factors in the conference race.
The Rebels lost to Boise State in the conference title game each of the past three years, and hope to take that next step this season.
“I think our players embrace the expectations," UNLV coach Dan Mullen said. "If you go into the locker room and say, ‘What are the expectations of this team this year?’ Certainly to play for the Mountain West championship. In reality, how do you accomplish that? That’s where the team’s been fantastic is the focus.”
UNLV and Air Force deciding to remain in the Mountain West potentially saved the league. The Pac-12 made a pitch for the Rebels, and the Falcons could have gone to the American Conference, the current home of both Army and Navy.
North Dakota State won 10 of the past 15 FCS championships, most recently in 2024. The Bison could have continued to compete for titles and maybe even add to their trophy case had they stayed.
Coach Tim Polasek was Wyoming's offensive coordinator from 2021-23, so playing in the Mountain West is not a foreign concept.
“We are positioned to compete at a high level because the scholarships are there, the resources are there," Polasek said. "I’ve given a lot of thought to identifying what areas are we potentially short in in a week-to-week fight in an FBS league. It’s simple to win maybe one game a year in the FBS, and we did that, I think, nine or 10 times vs. some really good opponents. But those are one-game deals. Now every week you’ve got to show up against really talented coaches and players.”
UNLV RB Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas might be the conference's most exciting player, a threat to reach the end zone seemingly every time he touches the ball. He averaged 7.0 yards per carry last season, rushing for 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns.
It wouldn't have been shocking if a Power Four school had swooped in and made Thomas an offer he'd have a hard time refusing.
“He gets all these calls and people are probably throwing all this money at him to leave," Mullen said. "To sit there and say, ‘Hey, I can accomplish everything I want right here at UNLV. I don’t have to go anywhere.’ That says a lot about your team and your culture and what it’s all about.”
Thomas said the city played a major role in his decision to stay.
“Vegas has showed me love since I’ve been here,” Thomas said. “I love that. I want to continue a legacy.”
Rob Harley was thrust into the interim head coaching role in February when Thomas Hammock left after seven seasons to become the running backs coach for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
“What helps you a ton is the foundation that’s been set over many, many years at NIU,” Harley said. “I think that is well beyond me.”
Harley was the Huskies' defensive coordinator and likely will continue to oversee that side of the ball while running the entire team. He did not name a DC.
Nevarez said she finally expected some stability with her conference because of the timing of multimedia contracts nationally that go through the 2031-32 academic year. She also said sticking with 10 football programs is likely for now after 12 each season since 2013.
“We’ve been open to 12,” Nevarez said. "That’s where we’ve been in the past. However, we don’t want to add just to add. So I would say we’re not actively looking right now, but we’re always open to thinking about if there’s another school that could fit that makes sense for us.”
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