Less than a week since the bombshell news that both Oklahoma and Texas are actively working to end their tenures in the Big 12 Conference and join the Southeastern Conference, another league with double-digit members on Monday made clear it isn't sitting idly by.
Mountain West Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, on the College Football Playoffs four-person working group that last month revealed its plan to advance a 12-team playoffs proposal, asserted the league's intention to be proactive in a statement.
“The Mountain West immediately engaged when we became aware of the potential for conference realignment,” Thompson said in the afternoon statement. “That has included gathering information the past few days from across the industry, and earlier today our board of directors and directors of athletics convened to evaluate that intelligence and discuss the next steps.
“Our intent is to actively appraise various scenarios, identify potential opportunities and take actions which can positively impact the trajectory of the conference and member institutions.
“We will do our work confidently and only comment further as necessary.”
The MWC, now more than two decades old and with 12 members, is headlined on the football field by Boise State – but also boasts larger-market programs at San Diego State and UNLV, as well as the Air Force Academy, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah State, New Mexico and San Jose State.
Boise has three times appeared in the Fiesta Bowl in the past 15 years.