In a move that’s more about securing a financial stronghold than any grand declarations of allegiance, UNLV, along with the Air Force Academy, has bet on stability over potential upheaval by choosing to remain in the Mountain West Conference. As college sports' tectonic plates continue to shift, it was revealed Wednesday that both schools will receive a significant financial incentive to stick with allegiance to the Mountain West, with those incentives rumored to be in the region of $25 to $30 million. This info comes via Brett McMurphy of the Fox5Vegas.
The whispers, involving a mix of exit fees from defecting schools and disputed poaching penalties, are currently echoing through the courtrooms as the Pac-12 challenges the fines. A person with knowledge of the situation elaborated, as reported by News3LV, that the signing bonuses were pivotal in keeping UNLV and Air Force from straying to greener pastures – which, beguiled by the shine of potential, were not enough to overlook the immediate financial bounty the Mountain West offered.
The Mountain West has been left scrambling for new alliances as departures steadily continue, under pressure to upholster its ranks to meet NCAA's football requirements. With the exit of five members to the Pac-12, including dominance in football championships for years, the Mountain West's skeleton crew is evidently embattled yet somehow stands its ground. On Thursday, confirmation is expected that the seven affiliated football members will stay loyal to the Mountain West fold, as reported by FOX5 Vegas.
Amidst these financially motivated decisions, the cost of changing conferences – a daunting $17 million exit fee as outlined by Mountain West protocols – is a stark contrast to the budgets currently strained, with UNLV's athletic department already navigating a $20.6 million shortfall, according to a fiscal report mentioned in News3LV. Therefore, the stability offered by the Mountain West, even as it teeters on the brink of further depletion, provides a semblance of security amid the wild west of college sports realignment.
With the dice still tumbling on the board of collegiate athletics, all eyes will remain on the Mountain West as they seek to add new entries to their roster. Hawaii sits as a football-only member, and with schools like Sacramento State eyeing a step up from the Big Sky Conference, the chess game is far from over. But for now, UNLV and Air Force have placed their bets on the familiar.
