Mountain West Conference

Colorado State University playing football against the United States Air Force Academy

The Mountain West Conference (abbreviated as either "MW" or "MWC") is a group of colleges and universities in the Western United States, who play NCAA Division I sports against one another. It was formed in 1999 when eight schools split from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Most of the original members had been members of the WAC before it expanded from 10 schools to 16 in 1996.

Due to an ongoing major realignment of Division I conferences, the MW and Conference USA announced plans to merge into one conference, possibly for the 2013–14 school year. However, because of money issues, the conferences backed away from a full merger. They are now likely to form an alliance for scheduling and television purposes, but remain separate leagues.

Current members

• United States Air Force Academy (Air Force)
• Boise State University
• Colorado State University
• California State University, Fresno (Fresno State)
• University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada)
• University of New Mexico
• San Diego State University
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
• University of Wyoming

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, more often known as Hawaiʻi, is a member in football only.

Former members

Two of the charter members, plus one later addition, are no longer in the conference:

• Brigham Young University (BYU) – member from 1999–2011; left to become a Division I FBS independent (not in any conference) in football and a member of the West Coast Conference for most other sports
• University of Utah – member from 1999–2011; left to join what is now known as the Pacific-12 Conference
• Texas Christian University (TCU) – member from 2005–2012; left to join the Big 12 Conference

Future members

Two schools will join as all-sports members in July 2013.

• San Jose State University
• Utah State University

References

• "Mountain West Conference". themwc.com. http://themwc.cstv.com/. Retrieved 2012-02-19.