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THIS IS THE MOUNTAIN WEST
From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West Conference has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Fresh off the celebration of its 10th anniversary in 2008-09, the MWC continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level, while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship. Over its 10-year history, the MWC has been assertive in its involvement with the NCAA governance structure and has taken a leadership role in the overall administration of intercollegiate athletics.
Progressive in its approach, the MWC has marked several achievements over its first decade 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 and win two BCS bowl games. 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 the only conference to have the No. 1 selection in each of the NFL, NBA and MLB drafts since the conference was founded in 1999. The MWC also ranks second in No. 1 draft picks in the NFL, NBA and MLB over the last five years with three overall, one behind the SEC which currently has four.
The Mountain West Conference is noted for its geographic diversity. Some of the most beautiful terrain and landscapes in the nation can be found within Mountain West Conference boundaries, including the majestic Rocky Mountain range, which borders four MWC schools (Air Force, BYU, Colorado State and Utah). 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 the MWC's most recent member, TCU.
HISTORY
The Mountain West Conference 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 the 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. Five of the MWC's eight original members have been conference rivals since the 1960s (BYU, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, 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 MWC in 1999. TCU rejoined the group with its first year of competition in the Mountain West in 2005-06, completing the Conference membership as it stands today.
When the MWC 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 MWC 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 years (1999 Motor City, 2000 Silicon Valley, 2001 New Orleans) before securing a four-year deal with the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco in 2002. An innovator in the postseason bowl structure, the MWC 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.
2008-09 IN REVIEW
The Mountain West Conference celebrated its 10th Anniversary in style, posting arguably its most successful campaign to date. In football, the MWC posted a league-high 28 non-conference victories, including a 22-12 record against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents, and sent five teams to bowl games for the second consecutive year. Three MWC football teams were ranked all eight weeks of the BCS Standings, and finished the season in final top 25 polls, including two in the top 10, for the first time in league history. Utah's No. 2 and TCU's No. 7 ranking in the final polls marked the first time two teams from non-automatic-qualifying conferences have been ranked in the top 10 since 1984. Defending conference champion Utah enters the 2009 season with the nation's longest win streak at 14 games, after finishing the 2008 campaign with the nation's only undefeated mark at 13-0. With their Sugar Bowl win over No. 4 Alabama, the Utes became the first team from a non-automatic qualifying BCS conference to win two BCS bowl games.
Utah, BYU and New Mexico shared the league's regular-season crown in men's basketball, with the Utes also capturing the MWC Tournament title to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. BYU received an at-large bid to NCAA postseason play, marking the ninth time in the last 10 years the MWC has sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the league sent six teams into postseason action for the third time in 10 years, highlighted by San Diego State's run in the National Invitation Tournament. The Aztecs became the second MWC team (Air Force in 2007) in three years to advance to the NIT semifinals held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In women's basketball, San Diego State and Utah shared the MWC regular-season title, with the Utes going on to capture the MWC Tournament crown and earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the league had four teams participate in postseason action, including three in the NCAA field for the third consecutive year, as the Aztecs and TCU joined Utah, while New Mexico advanced to the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
The league secured an at-large bid to the NCAA women's volleyball tournament for the 10th consecutive year as Colorado State joined MWC regular-season champion and automatic bid representative Utah in the postseason. The Utes became the second consecutive MWC squad to advance to the NCAA regional semifinals and finished the season with a No. 16 ranking in the AVCA Top 25 poll. The Rams closed out the year ranked No. 24 after advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. BYU clinched its sixth MWC Tournament title in women's soccer and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking the Cougars' ninth appearance in 10 years. The BYU men's cross country team finished ninth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, while the New Mexico women turned in an 18th-place effort in the 2008 NCAA postseason.
Twenty-one MWC student-athletes earned All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, highlighted by three individuals who were crowned national champions. BYU's Amy Menlove and Lacey Cramer captured the women's pentathlon and 800-meter run titles, respectively, while New Mexico's Lee Emanuel claimed the men's crown in the mile event.
UNLV earned the MWC's automatic team qualification for the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, while BYU automatically qualified on the women's side in NCAA postseason action. The league was also represented by swimmers from BYU, Colorado State and UNLV in the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, with UNLV freshman Zsuzsanna Jakabos earning All-American distinction in the 400-yard individual medley.
Five MWC men's golf teams were invited to the 2009 NCAA Regionals for the ninth time in the last 10 years. TCU advanced to the NCAA Championships and registering a ninth-place finish, marking the fifth time in the 10-year history of the league that a team has finished in the Top 10. Horned Frog sophomore Tom Hoge tied for third place, marking the highest finish by a MWC men's golfer since UNLV's Ryan Moore won the 2004 NCAA individual title.
Three MWC women's golf teams received NCAA Regional bids, with New Mexico and TCU advancing to the 2009 NCAA Championships.
Multiple MWC women's tennis teams appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive year with San Diego State, TCU and UNLV qualifying in 2009. For the first time in the league's 10-year history, multiple MWC men's tennis teams also participated in the postseason, with New Mexico and TCU earning bids to the NCAA field. In addition, the league qualified another six men and women for individual postseason competition.
San Diego State and UNLV joined regular-season champion BYU in the NCAA Softball Tournament, marking the sixth time in 10 years the league has had multiple teams selected for the postseason. A record-breaking three Mountain West teams represented the conference in the NCAA Baseball Championship as Utah claimed the league's automatic bid and was joined by San Diego State and TCU. The Utes made it to the finals of the Fullerton Regional, while the Horned Frogs became the first MWC team to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals after winning the Fort Worth Regional. Four Mountain West baseball student-athletes received All-America accolades in 2009, led by San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg, who became the MWC's first No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball Draft after capturing National Player of the Year honors from Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. Twenty-two MWC student-athletes earned All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, including BYU's Kyle Perry, who captured the individual national title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
EXPOSURE
With the addition of The Mtn. - The MountainWest Sports Network to DIRECTV on August 27, 2008, the Mountain West Conference enjoyed unprecedented national television exposure in 2008-09 with 48 football, 103 men's basketball and 32 women's basketball contests airing across the country through a combination of telecasts on The Mtn., CBS College Sports Network (formerly CSTV) and VERSUS. In addition to the new satellite carriage agreement, The Mtn. has been available to cable subscribers in the MWC footprint since it first aired in 2006-07.
On Aug. 26, 2004, College Sports Television (CSTV) and the Mountain West Conference 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.
A succession of events since the fall of 2004 has improved the television model, including CSTV's joint venture with Comcast SportsNet to create The Mtn., and CBS Corporation's purchase of CSTV. CBS acquired CSTV in January 2006, and on Feb. 12, 2008, incorporated CSTV's cable, broadcast and online activities into its world-famous brand as the CBS College Sports Network (CBS C). The Mtn. is co-owned by CBS College Sports Network and Comcast SportNet.
The relationship with Comcast SportNet also delivered a new national broadcast partner in VERSUS. The MWC was the first exclusive college programming provider for the Comcast-owned entity, with football and both men's and women's basketball games. The CBS C/MWC partnership has guaranteed greater levels of television exposure for all league sports and has resoundingly met the fundamental goals of more exposure and preferred start times and dates.
In the summer of 2006, the centerpiece of this historic relationship was realized with the launch of The Mtn. - the first sports network dedicated to serving a single collegiate athletic conference. The Mtn. provides sports fans blanket coverage of MWC athletics across multiple sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's Olympic sports. The Mtn. features more than just live games and has added its own original programming. Fans get a comprehensive array of news, features and analysis about their favorite MWC teams and players. More than 17,000 hours of MWC programming have aired on The Mtn. since the network's launch on Sept. 1, 2006, and over 250 MWC events are shown live on annually through a combination of telecasts on The Mtn., CBS College Sports Network and VERSUS. CBS College Sports Network is currently in 30 million homes, and available in over 84 million nationwide. VERSUS is in more than 74 million households across the U.S.
The MWC has remained steadfast in its mission to promote the league's athletic events to national and regional television audiences and will continue to grow its new TV model. Previously, ESPN served as the league's inaugural official television partner, while in-house productions guaranteed coverage for several MWC Olympic sports. Through the league's first 10 years, excluding institutional local packages, more than 1,350 football, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball events have aired on television, with 225 football games and over 260 men's basketball contests broadcast nationally.
EDUCATION INITIATIVES
Not only is the MWC committed to the highest academic standards for its member institutions, the league also launched an education initiative utilizing the platform of college athletics to provide a relevant teaching resource for Kindergarten-through-8th grade students. This web-based learning program is available to every public and private, elementary and middle school in the seven-state MWC region, impacting more than 6.5 million students. Designed by Learning Through Sports, Inc., "Kid's College" captivates and motivates children using their favorite sports with Mountain West teams and mascots reinforcing skills taught in the classroom.
ACADEMIC CONSORTIUM
From the outset, the MWC's member institutions were committed to creating academic relationships, as well as athletic competition. To that end, the chief academic officers of each institution meet on an annual basis and 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 MWC provides a first-class athletic and academic experience for more than 7,000 student-athletes each year. Over the past 10 years, 38 student-athletes from Mountain West institutions have earned NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, and since the league's inception in 1999, an additional 20 student-athletes have been named MWC Student-Athlete of the Year and awarded league-sponsored postgraduate scholarships. Two student-athletes have earned distinction as Rhodes Scholars (Jessica Mellinger, Wyoming and Delavane Diaz, Air Force).
Conference student-athletes are also given a voice regarding pertinent issues within the MWC and NCAA governance structure through representation on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The Mountain West Conference SAAC consists of 19 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 MWC has produced 539 All-America selections among its 19 sponsored sports in the last 10 years, including a league-record 53 All-America honorees in 2004-05. A total of 103 MWC student-athletes have also earned Academic All-America accolades in that span, while 29 MWC student-athletes have earned NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships. The MWC has sent at least 30 teams to NCAA postseason events each of the past 10 years. Mountain West institutions have captured seven NCAA team championships over the last 10 years. BYU has claimed three national titles in women's cross country and two in men's volleyball, while New Mexico and Utah have one national crown each in skiing. Additionally, the MWC has had several NCAA individual national champions in the sports of men's golf, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field.
MWC members have participated in 36 bowl games in 10 years, led by Utah's 8-0 mark in postseason contests. The MWC has earned 45 postseason bids in men's basketball, including 22 NCAA Tournament appearances and two NIT Final Four berths. MWC women's basketball has tallied 45 postseason bids, including 27 NCAA bids, four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight berth since 2000. Wyoming won the MWC's first WNIT championship in 2007 with a win over Wisconsin. In women's volleyball, the MWC has had 28 NCAA bids with seven Sweet 16 berths and one Elite Eight appearance. Women's soccer has earned 21 NCAA bids since 1999, including multiple berths in five of the last seven years, with BYU advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2000 and the Elite Eight in 2003. MWC men's golf has had at least four representatives in each of the last 10 NCAA Golf Regionals, while women's tennis has had at least two teams participate in NCAA Regionals each of the last nine 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 Conference implemented an extensive Sportsmanship Initiative, developed by the league's Ethics and Sportsmanship Committee and ultimately endorsed by both the MWC Joint Council and MWC Board of Directors. The program is made up of several elements, which are both practical and philosophical in nature. While the MWC 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.
In addition, the MWC has teamed up with Learning Through Sports, Inc. to launch the award-winning STAR Sportsmanship - the first in a new, seven-part Character Development Series on CD-ROM. An interactive learning program for 6-to-14 year-old boys and girls, STAR Sportsmanship was honored with the BESSIE Award in 2008 as best physical education software for upper elementary students. The program is based on an analysis of young athlete's needs and aptitudes, research literature and instructional content as well as extensive dialogue with coaches, parents, educators and young athletes. STAR Sportsmanship effectively provides young athletes the ability to apply the appropriate ethical attitudes and decision-making abilities in sports and in real-world social environments. It teaches courtesy, diligence, humility, integrity, respect and teamwork. The MWC also has partnered with mysportsmanship.com to help foster, promote and provide examples of good sportsmanship.
LEADERSHIP
The Conference office and institutional administrators have aggressively pursued committee appointments within the NCAA governance structure and a visible vote for the MWC within the legislative process. Commissioner Thompson chaired the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee in the league's inaugural season, completing a five-year term. Thompson is also at the forefront of the recent evolution of the postseason format for NCAA Bowl Subdivision college football. Currently, the MWC is represented on 28 NCAA committees, including several sport committees, cabinets, the Division I Management Council and the NCAA Board of Directors.
