Getty Image / David Becker
The Mountain West has recently been linked with potential expansion, including potentially adding the Pac-12’s 4 remaining teams.
Today they released a statement making it clear that they are exploring their expansion opportunities.
Over the past couple of weeks, the college sports landscape has undergone some massive changes.
The Big Ten has added Oregon and Washington to their haul of top tier Pac-12 football programs that already included USC and UCLA.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 did some poaching of their own and picked up Colorado, Utah, Arizona State, and the University of Arizona.
All of these schools will be challenge their conference alignment starting in 2024, leaving college sports fans to wonder what the future holds for the Pac-12.
Will the conference cease to exist and what will happen to the 4 teams remaining in the conference?
So far, there have been a few options presented. There have been reports that some of the teams have talked to the ACC.
There remains some hope that Stanford will be able to join their conference rivals in the Big Ten.
However, the most likely outcome has seemed to be the remaining teams ending up in the Mountain West, whether it’s as part of the 2 conferences combining or joining the mid-major conference after the Pac-12 dissolves.
Today, the conference released a statement that made it clear they are going explore their expansion opportunities.
Mountain West Statement on Conference Alignment pic.twitter.com/bK9vpluvJY
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) August 9, 2023
There has perhaps never been a better time for the Mountain West to build up its ranks than right now.
They should feel pretty safe that they won’t be losing any programs after San Diego State briefly tried to leave this summer.
They now have the chance to add multiple schools with a Power 5 pedigree and could potentially look to expand beyond that.
Fans of the conference have long hoped that they would bring Gonzaga and St Mary’s over to strengthen the Mountain West in basketball.
With a few bigger names and more schools in California and the Pacific Northwest, the move could become more enticing for these WCC powerhouses.
Earlier this summer it looked like the Mountain West could lose one of it’s top programs. Now they’re ready to take their chance to establish themselves as the nation’s best mid-major conference.