QUICK FACTS
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THIS IS THE MOUNTAIN WEST
From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the MW continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level, while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship. Now in its 13th year, the MW has been assertive in its involvement with the NCAA governance structure and has taken a leadership role in the overall administration of intercollegiate athletics.
The Mountain West has marked several achievements over its first 12 years of existence, most notably becoming the first to establish a sports television network dedicated solely to an intercollegiate athletic conference (The Mtn.). The Mountain West also was the first to experiment with the coaches' challenge in the college football instant replay system, and was the first non-automatic-qualifying BCS conference to participate in four BCS bowl games, winning three. Additionally, the Mountain West was the first conference to have a member institution with No. 1 overall picks in both the NFL and NBA drafts in the same year (Utah's Alex Smith and Andrew Bogut, respectively in 2005). With San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg claiming the No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, the Mountain West is one of two conferences to have the No. 1 selection in each of the NFL, NBA and MLB drafts since the MW was founded in 1999. In 2011-12, the Mountain West will be among the first conferences to implement a league-wide state-of-the art basketball instant replay system.
The Mountain West is noted for its geographic diversity. Some of the most beautiful terrain and landscapes in the nation can be found within Mountain West boundaries, including the majestic Rocky Mountain range, which borders three MW institutions (Air Force, newest member Boise State and Colorado State). The high plains of Wyoming (elevation 7,220 feet – the highest Division I campus in the nation) contrast with the desert city of Las Vegas (the fastest growing metropolitan area in the West) and the Pacific Ocean locale of San Diego State. The southwestern flavor of New Mexico complements the western heritage and culture of Fort Worth, Texas, home of TCU.
HISTORY
The Mountain West was conceived on May 26, 1998, when the presidents of eight institutions — Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah and Wyoming — decided to form a new NCAA Division I-A intercollegiate athletic conference. The split from a former 16-team conference re-established continuity and stability among the membership within the new league and signaled the continuation of its tradition-rich, long-standing athletic rivalries. Three of the MW's eight original members have been conference rivals since the 1960s (New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado State), while San Diego State (1978) and Air Force (1980) were longtime members as well. UNLV and TCU entered the fold in 1996 and the Rebels continued as one of the original eight institutions that formed the MW in 1999. TCU re-joined the group with its first year of competition in the Mountain West in 2005-06. Effective July 1, 2011, Boise State University became the newest member. California State University, Fresno and the University of Nevada, Reno will join the Mountain West effective July 1, 2012. Also on July 1, 2012, the University of Hawai‘i will become a football-only member of the Conference.
When the Mountain West officially began operations on July 1, 1999, the new league had in place a seven-year contract with ESPN, giving the broadcaster exclusive national television rights to MW football and men's basketball, and three-year agreements to send the league's football champion to the Liberty Bowl and a second team to the Las Vegas Bowl. Commissioner Craig Thompson also arranged a third bowl tie-in each of the first three seasons (1999 Motor City, 2000 Silicon Valley, 2001 New Orleans) before securing a four-year deal with the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco in 2002. Entering the 2011 season, the MW has four contracted bowl affiliations – the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas, San Diego Country Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl and Gildan New Mexico Bowl.
An innovator in the postseason bowl structure, the MW engineered many "firsts," as league teams have participated in five inaugural bowl games (2000 Silicon Valley, 2001 New Orleans, 2002 San Francisco (Emerald), 2005 Poinsettia, 2006 New Mexico), as well as placing the first non-automatic-qualifying BCS team into a BCS bowl game with Utah's appearance in the 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
2010-11 IN REVIEW
From the gridiron to the diamond, Mountain West teams enjoyed an outstanding year in 2010-11. For the third consecutive year, the MW sent a record five football teams to bowl games, posting the best win percentage among the 11 FBS conferences for the fourth time in seven years. The Mountain West finished with a 4-1 (.800) mark in postseason play and claimed the 2010-11 Bowl Challenge Cup, becoming the only conference to win the trophy four times since the award's inception in 2002-03. Two MW teams were ranked in the final BCS Standings and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls for the third straight year. TCU's No. 3 BCS ranking marked the highest finish by a non-automatic-qualifying team in the final BCS Standings, surpassing the Horned Frogs' No. 4 ranking in 2009. The Horned Frogs' automatic bid to the Rose Bowl marked the MW's fourth BCS bowl game since 2004. The MW set a record for attendance with 1.86 million fans coming to football games in the 2010 season.
Three men's basketball teams represented the Mountain West in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, marking the 11th time in the last 12 years the Conference has sent multiple teams to the Big Dance. Regular season co-champion San Diego State captured the MW Tournament title to earn the league's automatic bid, while MW co-regular-season champion BYU was joined by UNLV in receiving at-large invitations. San Diego State and BYU advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, the first time the league had multiple teams make the round. The 2010-11 season marked the second straight year the Mountain West had two teams ranked in the final Top-25 polls. Overall, the league had three different teams ranked in the national Top-25 polls at some point during the season for the second straight year. BYU's Jimmer Fredette picked up the Naismith Trophy, the John R. Wooden Award and National Player of the Year honors from the NABC, USBWA and the Associated Press. A league record 1.32 million fans came through the turnstiles, ranking the Mountain West sixth in the nation in attendance.
In women's basketball, BYU won the MW regular-season title, while Utah captured the MW Tournament crown and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The league had four teams participate in postseason action, as BYU, TCU and Wyoming advanced to the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
The league secured at least one at-large bid to the NCAA women's volleyball tournament for the 12th consecutive year, as New Mexico joined MW regular-season champion and automatic bid representative Colorado State in the postseason. The Rams finished the season with a No. 16 ranking in the AVCA Top 25 poll. Volleyball also set a league attendance record with over 137,000 fans coming to matches for a new league average of 1,000+ fans per match.
In women's soccer, BYU and New Mexico earned bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars earned the league's automatic bid after clinching their sixth MW Tournament title, while the MW regular-season champion Lobos made their first NCAA appearance by virtue of an at-large invitation.
Three MW teams placed in the top 20 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The New Mexico women's squad made their best team showing in program history with a fifth-place finish. It was the best finish by a MW women's team since 2003. The New Mexico men's team placed 16th overall, followed by the BYU men in 18th place. Four student-athletes received All-America honors led by BYU's Miles Batty in 15th place for the men and Natalie Gray of New Mexico in 15th place for the women.
Three MW student-athletes won national titles at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, including BYU's Miles Batty, who claimed the men's crown in the mile event, the third straight year a MW student-athlete has won the title. BYU's Leif Arrhenius won the men's shot put, while women's teammate Lacey Bleazard earned first-place honors in the 800-meter run. Batty was named the USTFCCCA National Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, while leading the Cougars to a third-place team finish.
Student-athletes from BYU, TCU, UNLV and Wyoming represented the Mountain West in the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, while BYU, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming provided participants on the women's side in NCAA postseason action. Air Force senior Eric Robinson became the 35th MW student-athlete to earn an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Robinson was the Falcons team captain in 2010-11.
For the 12th consecutive season, the Mountain West sent at least four men's golf teams to the NCAA Tournament. San Diego State earned the league's automatic bid and was joined by Colorado State, TCU and UNLV with at-large invitations. The Aztecs won the Southwest Regional and, along with Colorado State, advanced to the 2011 NCAA Finals, the eighth time in league history multiple teams advanced. For the second consecutive year, five MW women's golf teams received NCAA regional bids, marking the eighth consecutive year the Mountain West has sent at least three teams to the postseason.
Multiple MW women's tennis teams appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th consecutive year, with UNLV and Utah qualifying in 2011. BYU earned the men's automatic bid to the NCAA field. In addition, the league qualified three individuals for postseason competition.
San Diego State joined regular-season champion BYU in the NCAA Softball Championship for a second year in a row, marking the eighth time in 12 years the Mountain West has had multiple teams selected for the postseason.
Twenty-seven MW student-athletes earned All-America honors at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, led by BYU's Leif Arrhenius with second-place finishes in the discus and shot put. On the women's side, TCU's Jessica Young placed third in the 100-meter dash, while the UNLV tandem of Amanda Bingson and Chelsea Cassulo placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the hammer throw. BYU senior Miles Batty was named the Capital One Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-American of the Year for his work on the course and in the classroom. Batty is the first MW student-athlete to earn the Academic All-American of the Year honor.
New Mexico, the No. 6 seed, made a surprising run through the 2011 Mountain West Baseball Tournament to earn the league's automatic bid and the Lobos' second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Lobos were joined in the national postseason by MW regular-season champion TCU, who was ranked in the Top-10 in the major college baseball polls all season. 2011 marked the third straight year the Mountain West sent multiple teams to the NCAA Baseball Championship.
Four Mountain West individuals received national player/coach of the year honors in their respective sports in 2010-11. BYU men's basketball student-athlete Jimmer Fredette earned numerous 2010-11 National Player of the Year awards, including the Naismith Award. TCU football student-athlete Jake Kirkpatrick was the recipient of the Rimington Trophy (top center). Cougar men's track & field student-athlete Miles Batty was honored as the USTFCCCA Indoor Male Track Athlete of the Year and the Capital One Academic All-America of the Year in Men's Track & Field/Cross Country (University Division). San Diego State men's basketball head coach Steve Fisher earned several national Coach of the Year honors, including the Naismith Coach of the Year, Adolph Rupp Cup and UPS/NABC Coach of the Year.
EXPOSURE
The Mountain West continues to receive unprecedented national television exposure through a combination of telecasts on The Mtn., CBS Sports Network and VERSUS. In 2010-11, 47 football, 88 men's basketball and 27 women's basketball Conference-controlled contests were broadcast nationally.
On August 26, 2004, CBS Sports Network (formerly CSTV and CBS C) and the Mountain West announced a visionary partnership that revolutionized the college sports landscape. The landmark agreement was the first NCAA Division I football and men's basketball conference-wide deal for CSTV and provided the network exclusive rights to all Conference events, including cable and satellite television coverage, national over-the-air and satellite radio, video-on-demand and online broadcast rights.
In the summer of 2006, the centerpiece of this historic relationship was realized with the launch of The Mtn. – MountainWest Sports Network, the first sports network dedicated to serving a single collegiate athletic conference. Nearly 32,000 hours of MW programming have aired on The Mtn. since the network's launch on Sept. 1, 2006, and nearly 300 MW events are shown live annually through a combination of telecasts on The Mtn., CBS Sports Network and VERSUS. CBS Sports Network is currently in 43 million homes, and available in 95 million nationwide. VERSUS is in 75 million households across the U.S.
ACADEMIC CONSORTIUM
From the outset, the MW's member institutions were committed to creating academic relationships, as well as athletic competition. To that end, the chief academic officers of each institution have explored academic exchange programs, library crossovers and shared research. In addition, the faculty athletics representatives routinely provide academic assistance and test-taking services for student-athletes visiting from fellow member institutions for competition.
OPPORTUNITY
The Mountain West provides a first-class athletic and academic experience for more than 7,000 student-athletes each year. Over the past 12 years, 35 Mountain West student-athletes have earned NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, and since the league's inception in 1999, an additional 24 student-athletes have been named MW Scholar-Athlete of the Year and awarded league-sponsored postgraduate scholarships. Three student-athletes have earned distinction as Rhodes Scholars (Jessica Mellinger, Wyoming and Delavane Diaz and Brittany Morreale, Air Force).
Conference student-athletes are also given a voice regarding pertinent issues within the MW and NCAA governance structure through representation on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The Mountain West SAAC consists of 17 representatives; two student-athletes from each member institution and one faculty athletics representative. The committee reviews and reacts to legislation and to other topics referred by the Conference constituent groups or committees related to the student-athlete experience.
ACHIEVEMENT
The MW has produced 708 All-America selections among its 19 sponsored sports in the last 12 years, including a league-record 80 All-America honorees in 2010-11. A total of 118 MW student-athletes have also earned Academic All-America accolades in that span. The MW has sent at least 30 teams to NCAA postseason events each of the past 12 years. Mountain West teams have captured three NCAA team championships, with BYU claiming three national titles in women's cross country. Additionally, the MW has produced 27 NCAA individual national champions in the sports of men's golf, men's cross country, and men's and women's indoor track & field and outdoor track & field.
Mountain West members have participated in 46 bowl games under the league umbrella, including four appearances in BCS games. The MW has earned 55 postseason bids in men's basketball, including 29 NCAA Tournament appearances and two NIT Final Four berths. MW women's basketball has tallied 55 postseason slots, including 30 NCAA bids, five Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight berth since 2000. Wyoming won the MW's first WNIT championship in 2007 with a win over Wisconsin. In women's volleyball, the MW has had 33 NCAA bids with eight Sweet 16 berths and one Elite Eight appearance. Women's soccer has earned 25 NCAA bids since 1999, with BYU advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2000 and the Elite Eight in 2003. MW men's golf has had at least four representatives in each of the last 12 NCAA Golf Regionals, while women's tennis has had at least two teams participate in NCAA Regionals 10 of the last 11 years.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Named a Sports Ethics Fellow by the Institute for International Sport in 1998, Commissioner Thompson has been a driving force for sportsmanship within intercollegiate athletics. As part of its continuing growth and development, the Mountain West implemented an extensive Sportsmanship Initiative, endorsed by both the MW Joint Council and MW Board of Directors. The program is made up of several elements, which are both practical and philosophical in nature. While the MW has significant penalties in place to deal with violations, the Sportsmanship Initiative is primarily promotional and educational in nature. The goal is to develop an environment that fosters appropriate behavior from all Conference constituencies.
