Mountain West Conference Reportedly Could Have Another Realignment Hit

SALT LAKE CITY – The uncertainty in the Mountain West was already at an all-time high but it got a little bit worse with the latest realignment rumors.

ESPN College Football Senior Writer Pete Thamel reported that Air Force was eyeing a move to the American Athletic Conference on Thursday.

Sources: Air Force has emerged as a serious target to be added to the American Athletic Conference. Air Force had emerged in conversations as a potential AAC add in recent months, prior to the Pac-12 taking four Mountain West schools last week. pic.twitter.com/yDhK1nBNaA

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 16, 2024

This news comes after it was announced that the Pac-12 would be taking four schools from the Mountain West in 2026.

Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State will all jump ship to join the Conference of Champions. This leaves the MWC with Utah State, Wyoming, UNLV, Air Force, Nevada, San Jose State, Hawaii, and New Mexico.

If the reports regarding Air Force’s exit are true, that would mean the Mountain West went from 12 schools to seven in just a few days.

Good morning! It’s a beautiful new day 😎#BackThePac pic.twitter.com/jfIU1Gk22u

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 12, 2024

Where Does The Mountain West Go From Here?

Although seven is considerably more than two in this context, the Mountain West is now in a similar position as the Pac-12 was a few months ago.

With that said, it’s very clear that neither conference is done making moves.

The Pac-12 will continue to look in other places for new additions. But, what’s next for the Mountain West?

Sources: every school is talking to every conference about realignment

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 16, 2024

Sacramento State, New Mexico State, and the University of Texas at El Paso among others are all candidates for a Mountain West bid.

However, as the Pac-12 proved over the past two years, conferences need to be proactive instead of reactive.

If the Mountain West can’t quickly fill the void left by the teams on the way out, it doesn’t bode well for the future of the conference.

Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on X for Utah Jazz and Locals In The NFL updates.

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