Mountain West Conference facts for kids
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. In football, the MW plays in the top-level Division I FBS.
The league 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 grew from 10 schools to 16 in 1996.
Due to a 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 planned to form an alliance for scheduling and television purposes. After both conferences added more schools, they backed out of the planned alliance.
Current members
Eleven schools are "full members", meaning that they play almost all of their sports in the MW.
| School | Location | Type | Joined MW | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Air Force Academy (Air Force) |
Colorado Springs, Colorado | Federal | 1999 | Falcons |
| Boise State University | Boise, Idaho | Public | 2011 | Broncos |
| California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) |
Fresno, California | Public | 2012 | Bulldogs |
| Colorado State University | Fort Collins, Colorado | Public | 1999 | Rams |
| University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada) | Reno, Nevada | Public | 2012 | Wolf Pack |
| University of New Mexico | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Public | 1999 | Lobos |
| San Diego State University | San Diego, California | Public | 1999 | Aztecs |
| San Jose State University | San Jose, California | Public | 2013 | Spartans |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) | Las Vegas, Nevada | Public | 1999 | Rebels |
| Utah State University | Logan, Utah | Public | 2013 | Aggies |
| University of Wyoming | Laramie, Wyoming | Public | 1999 | Cowboys & Cowgirls |
Associate members
Two schools are "associate members", meaning that they play in the MW in some sports while playing most other sports in another league. Both schools play only one sport in the MW.
| School | Location | Type | Joined MW | MW Sport | Nickname | Main Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (Hawaiʻi) |
Honolulu, Hawaii | Public | 2012 | Football | Rainbow Warriors | Big West Conference |
| Colorado College | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Private | 2014 | Women's soccer | Tigers | Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA Division III) |
Former members
Two of the MW's first members, plus one school that joined later, are no longer in the conference.
| School | Location | Type | Joined MW | Left MW | Nickname | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University (BYU) |
Provo, Utah | Private | 1999 | 2011 | Cougars | West Coast Conference |
| Texas Christian University (TCU) |
Fort Worth, Texas | Private | 2005 | 2012 | Horned Frogs | Big 12 Conference |
| University of Utah | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | 1999 | 2011 | Utes | Pacific-12 Conference |
Images for kids
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Locations of Mountain West Conference members.
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Craig Thompson was hired as the inaugural commissioner of the Mountain West on October 15, 1998; he had been commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference.
See also
In Spanish: Mountain West Conference para niños
