Q: How do you feel about the University of Utah's decision to leave the Mountain West at the end the season to join the Pac-10 Conference?
A: "Utah was a great member of this conference, a charter member that set a lot of standards for the Mountain West Conference. It's been a benchmark program with two BCS bowl games. They were the first non-automatic qualifying team to appear in a BCS game in the Fiesta Bowl in '05. Utah has been a great member of this conference."

Q: What do you feel about the addition of Boise State to the Mountain West Conference?
A: "Boise State is going to be a tremendous addition to the Mountain West Conference. They are one of the hottest names in college football right now. As a program, they have grown impossibly fast. They've obviously had phenomenal success in going 26-1 the last two years. They have more than just a regional following. I think people have really caught on to who they are. People are aware of the teams Boise State has played and the teams it has beaten. Geographically, it will be a nice fit. We don't have a lot of history against them, but there is a history there with most of our sports. They are going to be a tremendous asset to the Mountain West Conference."

Q: What are your feelings about the BCS and how it currently relates to the Mountain West Conference?
A: "Our statement all along has been that if we're 9-3 in bowl games against BCS automatic-qualifiying members and have played in three BCS bowls and have one of the top five or six records in bowl games and regular-season games against those leagues, if we look like them, why are we not treated similarly to them? We understand we are only halfway through this four-year cycle of being evaluated (to become the seventh automatic-qualifying conference). Our message is simply that in terms of performance, we look, act and play an awful lot like a BCS automatic-qualifying league."

Q: What are your thoughts about the conference's current television package?
A: "We continue to push on distribution. The positives that were there (when the television contract was negotiated) four years ago remain. We play almost exclusively on Saturdays, when college football should be played. We have nearly every football game being televised. We have 100 men's basketball games being televised. We have 40 women's basketball games and nearly 20 volleyball games being televised. All of those rank us in the top two or three in the country in total number of sheer exposures."

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Officials from the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl were on hand Wednesday as the MWC wrapped up its 2010 football media days. The third selection from the Mountain West Conference will meet the seventh selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference on Dec. 27 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La.

The Independence Bowl's relationship with the Big 12 and SEC ended after the conclusion of last year's game.

"I've always had an interest in trying to make the bowl better," said Shreveport native Richard Wright, who served on the executive committee of the Independence Bowl before becoming the preisdent and CEO of AdvoCare. "We view this as a major step up for us from a bowl standpoint to have the Mountain West as one of our affiliates."

Officials from the MWC's four other bowl partners were also in attendance: MAACO Bowl Las Vegas, San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and New Mexico Bowl.  Representatives from both the Rose and Fiesta bowls were also available at the MWC event.

BY THE NUMBERS

9 - Teams on UNLV's schedule that appeared in bowl games in 2009
10,847 - Mountain West Conference student-athletes who have graduated with a 3.0 GPA since the conference's inception in 1999
4,624 - Mountain West Conference student-athletes who have graduated with a 3.5 GPA since the conference's inception in 1999
5 - Mountain West Conference teams earning bowl bids each of the last three seasons

FROM FLORIDA TO THE FRONT RANGE

Colorado State's 2010 roster includes 22 players from Florida, eight of whom hail from Orlando. Of those eight, quarterback Nico Ranieri, running back Marvin Ford and linebackers Charles Favors and Marquis Ford - all freshmen - attended Dr. Phillips High. Located in southwest Orlando, the school in 2008-09 featured 12 students that scored a perfect 800 on the SAT test. This, despite there being one small distraction when it comes to focusing on classwork. Universal Studios is located roughly 2,500 feet from the school's front door.

TCU made a clean sweep of the Mountain West Conference preseason individual awards, with quarterback Andy Dalton being selected the Offensive Player of the Year, linebacker Tank Carder grabbing Defensive Player of the year honors and punt/kick returner Jeremy Kerley being named the Special Teams Player of the Year. TCU was also picked by the media to defend its 2009 conference title.

It would seem, however, that while the Horned Frogs are clearly appreciative of the accolades, the sting of falling to Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl has yet to subside. It was TCU's lone loss of the season.

"Last season didn't end like we wanted it to," said Dalton, who currently leads the nation with 29 career victories. "That's been a big part of our drive, to get back to (a BCS) game and win it this year. I think what we've done in the offseason and throughout the summer shows how hungry we are and how hungry we are to have the season start."

A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE

If Air Force cornerbacks Reggie Rembert and Anthony Wright would like to show their appreciation for being selected to the 2010 Preseason All-Mountain West first team on Tuesday, they might start with a player that played a major role in helping the Falcons finish second in the league total defense and third in pass efficiency defense in 2009 --- former nose tackle Ben Garland.

Garland was a free-agent signee of the Denver Broncos. A second-team all-conference pick, he led the Falcons in tackles for loss last year with 10.5. "Ben was such a key part of what we did," said Air Force coach Troy Calhoun. "A lot of the reason we were able to do the things we did defensively was because of how forceful and dominant Ben Garland was. There were many times last year when we only utilized a three-man pass rush. Because of that, we were able to play a ittle bit more zone and vary the kind of zone coverages we played. We were a lot more effective with our zone blitzes. Our secondary really prospered because of the play of Ben Garland."

Ryan Gardner, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound junior, is Garland's heir apparent.

"He just fits, especially attitude-wise," Calhoun said. "He's got great feet. He's one of those guys who really loves to work out and carries that approach over to the field."

Air Force, which has never failed to earn a bowl bid in Calhoun's three seasons, was picked to finish fourth in the 2010 MWC preseason media poll.

PUTTING A HOLD ON THE HYPE

Before folks get the idea that BYU incoming freshman quarterback Jake Heaps is about to erase the memory of Ty Detmer with but a single swing pass, Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall would like to tone down the fanfare a bit.

Heaps, a Parade All-American from Skyline High in Issaquah, Wash., is considered by many scouting services as being the top college quarterback prospect in the nation.

At present, the Cougars have four potential starting candidates at quarterback in Heaps, junior Riley Nelson, sophomore James Lark and redshirt freshman Jason Munns.

"He's a freshman at BYU who plays quarterback and he has a lot to live up to," Mendenhall said of Heaps at Tuesday's MWC football media days. "He has to make it through the workouts, which he struggles to do. He has to learn what it takes to swing sledgehammers, flip (tractor) tires, pull ropes and learn why it takes those kinds of things to be a quarterback. He also has to learn that unless he's willing to do that, no one will follow him. Regardless of what recruiting services build into a young man, they can easily build (unrealistic) expectations. He's a freshman at BYU, and that's exactly how he'll be treated. He'll earn any role that he gets."

WORK IN PROGRESS

Second-year New Mexico coach Michael Locksley is convinced you can't change a program's fortunes without simultaneously changing its culture. After finishing 1-11 last season, the Lobos' motto for 2010 is "All In."

"That means being committed academically, athletically and socially," Locksley said. "I've seen that out of this team."

Locksley would like nothing more than to match the electricity routinely generated in Albuquerque by New Mexico's men's and women's basketball programs.

"It's my job to put a product on the field that fans want to come see and support," he said. "That's something we intend to do; that's something we have to do. by nature, we're a bandwagon society. But if we can find a way to get on a roll --- and I've seen the support our basketball team gets --- our fans are very capable of supporting a winning program."

NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK

Wyoming second-year coach Dave Christensen is opting to employ a 4-3 defense this season after the Cowboys utilized a 3-4 in 2009.

"I wanted to make the change because I think it allows us to get more speed on the field," Christensen said. "I think we can become more sound in gap control and it's easier to recruit the personnel to our needs, which is a little more difficult when you're running a 4-3 than a 3-4. We've been able to use smaller linebackers with a little more speed."

READY OR NOT

Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild is not about to coddle his starting quarterback candidates despite the fact that both --- Pete Thomas and Nico Ranieri --- are freshmen.

"I want it to be much tougher on a quarterback in practice than it would ever be in a game, so we're in their ear from the second they come out of the locker room," Fairchild said. "Hopefully, one of them will develop. We know we've got young talent; we just don't know where it will be by the time we start the season. But I do like our talent, and I think before long we're going to be in pretty good shape at quarterback."

MOTIVATION FACTOR

San Diego State coach Brady Hoke's Aztecs were two games removed from garnering their first bowl bid since 1998 last season when they dropped their final four games of the campaign.

"The way we finished the season last year was unacceptable," Hoke said. "We've talked about it as a team and as a staff, and I can tell you we're excited about the opportunity to go out and play football."

SDSU returns 18 starters, a figure surpassed in the Mountain West only by TCU.

"We have some experience and some guys who have been in the heat of battle," Hoke said. "These kids know what we expect of them."

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

First-year UNLV coach Bobby Hauck didn't venture far in compiling his first recruiting class. Hauck, the former coach at FCS power Montana, signed a school-record eight recruits from Las Vegas. The program's previous high was five. Hauck signed only one junior college player.

"Philosophically, we feel Nevada kids are where we want to start," Hauck said. "We'll evaluate the best kids to help us win a Mountain West Conference championship and we'll also (go outside of Las Vegas) to help supplement that. This year, it worked out that we took eight kids out of Vegas. We're going to try and keep as many of those kids as we can at home."

POINTS AFTER

• San Diego State was picked to finish sixth in the preseason media poll, its highest positioning since 2006. The Aztecs had three players --- wide receiver Vincent Brown, tight end Alston Umuolo and punter Brian Stahovich --- selected to the preseason all-conference first team. SDSU had just three players selected to the first team in the last four years.
• New Mexico linebacker Carmen Messina returns for his junior year after leading the nation in tackles last season with 162. A first-team preseason all-conference selection, Messina confessed that claiming the tackles title did not come without a price.

  "It was a lot of damage to the body, but we have a great group in the training room that helped me to stay healthy throughout the season," said Messina, whose 162 tackles rank as a MWC single-season record. "But I'm not going to slow down this season. I'm still going to be a vocal leader on defense so that everyone is on the same page."

To kick off the 2010 Mountain West Conference Football Media Days Monday night at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, two players from each of the league's nine teams gathered at the hotel's Red Rock Lanes to determine supremacy in a sport where perfect 300 games are rare and 300-pound offensive tackles are an absolute oddity.

Take the case of New Mexico offensive tackle Byron Bell. When the 6-foot-5, 325-pound Bell arrived for the festivities, he was asked what size shoes he would need. When Bell told the attendant he was looking for something in a size 17, he was informed that the bowling alley had nothing exceeding a size 15.

Determined to carry on, Bell, who joined New Mexico teammate Carmen Messina on a six-man team also comprised of Colorado State's Zac Pauga and Guy Miller and Utah's Brandon Burton and Zane Taylor, wrestled the size 15's onto his feet.

Despite the fit, he managed to roll three strikes but was less than enamored with his final tally --- 90.

"They put the squeeze on me pretty good," said Bell, who admitted he hadn't bowled since taking part in the festivities leading up to the New Mexico Bowl in 2007. "Toward the end, I think I was knocking down about one pin every time I threw the ball. I don't think that's the way you want to play this game."

The top individual performance was turned in by Pauga, a senior fullback who rolled a 165.

"I guess you could kind of say that (bowling) is like football," Pauga said. "Just line 'em up and knock 'em down."

The top team score (774) was posted by the six-player grouping of BYU's Matt Reynolds (159) and Andrew Rich; UNLV's John Gianninoto and Ronnie Paulo; and Wyoming's David Leonard and Chris Prosinski (153).

Finishing second with a combined score of 733 was the team of San Diego State's Vincent Brown and Andrew Preston (144); TCU's Andy Dalton and Tejay Johnson; and the Air Force's Reggie Rembert and Jared Tew.

MWC football media days continue Tuesday with the media's selection of the preseason all-conference team and this season's predicted order of finish. Each team's head coach and representative student-athletes will also take the podium to address the media tomorrow afternoon.

Do you want an inside look at the 2010 season before your friends? Do you want to ask the head coach or student-athletes from your favorite MWC team a question that could be answered during the live online press conferences or one-on-one interviews? Do you want to win a full-sized MWC football helmet signed by all nine head coaches?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, TheMWC.com is the place to be, starting today through the 2010 MWC Football Media Day activities, held Tuesday July 27 and Wednesday July 28 at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas.

For a complete MWC Football Media Day experience, fans should follow this easy five-step program:

Step 1: Between now and Tuesday morning, submit questions to the head coaches and student-athletes of your favorite MWC teams by clicking HERE.

Don't know which MWC players will be attending media day? Check out the 2010 Mountain West Conference Football Media Day Central page and click on the helmet of your favorite team.

Step 2: Tune in to "Inside the MWC," the official blog of the Mountain West Conference, beginning on Monday, July 26. Mick McGrane, TheMWC.com Correspondent, will provide reports as they come in from the 2010 MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Student-Athlete Bowling Challenge, held at Red Rock Lanes.

Fans can also following the bowling competition on Facebook and Twitter, as the MWC will provide photos and updates during the event.

Step 3: On Tuesday, July 27, visit the 2010 MWC Football Media Day Central page to watch live video streams of each team's press conference, courtesy The Mtn.-MountainWest Sports Network. The Web casts will be held from Noon-1:15 p.m. and 2:45-3:45 p.m. PT. The head coach and select student-athletes from each team will make their way to the podium in the order as follows:

2010 MWC Football Media Day Podium Session Schedule
Time	Team	Head Coach	Student-Athletes
Noon - 12:15 p.m.	Air Force	Troy Calhoun	DB Reggie Rembert FB Jason Tew
12:15 - 12:30 p.m.	BYU	Bronco Mendenhall	OL Matt Reynolds S Andrew Rich
12:30 - 12:45 p.m.	New Mexico	Michael Locksley	LB Carmen Messina OT Byron Bell
12:45 - 1 p.m.	TCU	Gary Patterson	QB Andy Dalton S Tejay Johnson
1 - 1:15 p.m.	Wyoming	Dave Christensen	DB Chris Prosinski WR David Leonard
2:45 - 3 p.m.	Utah	Kyle Whittingham	DB Brandon Burton OL Zane Taylor
3 - 3:15 p.m.	Colorado State	Steve Fairchild	FB Zac Pauga DT Guy Miller
3:15 - 3:30 p.m.	San Diego State	Brady Hoke	DB Andrew Preston WR Vincent Brown
3:30 - 3:45 p.m.	UNLV	Bobby Hauck	LB Ronnie Paulo OL John Gianninoto

Step 4: On Wednesday, July 28, visit the 2010 MWC Football Media Day Central page to watch the live video stream of Commissioner Craig Thompson's State of the Conference Address, beginning at 8:30 a.m. PT.

Step 5: Share your favorite MWC football memory and you can win! It's simple: become a fan of the league's official Facebook page by clicking "Like" at the top of the page, then post your story to the 2010 MWC Football Media Day wall! Your fellow fans will vote for their favorite story by clicking the "like" button for that wall post. Votes will be accepted until 5 p.m. MT on Wednesday, July 28, and the story with the most votes will win an autographed MWC football helmet, signed by all nine head football coaches!

This contest is open to all fans of the official MWC Football page, excluding those who are employees of a member institution or are involved with the administration and/or execution of the contest. The MWC encourages camaraderie and team spirit, but prohibits the use of objectionable content, such as alcohol, smoking, firearms, violence or nudity, and well as content that is defamatory to any group or individual and/or violates the law.

In addition to live streaming video of each press conference, TheMWC.com will be blogging throughout the event to provide fans with an inside look at the 2010 season. The blog will deliver breaking news, including the media's preseason all-conference selections and the teams' predicted order of finish, along with answering some of the fan questions submitted online prior the event. Live updates of the event can also be obtained via the Conference's Facebook and Twitter pages.

Fans can also listen to coverage from the 2010 MWC Football Media Day events. Check out the following stations that will go live starting Tuesday, July 27 at 5 a.m. PT!

MWC Radio Network:

• KDSP 102.3 FM Front Range Sports Network - Denver
• Lobo Sports Properties - Albuquerque
• TCU/ISP Sports Network - Fort Worth
• ESPN Radio 1100 - Las Vegas
• 1320 KFAN - Salt Lake City
• KALL 700 Sports - Salt Lake City

The Mtn.'s Coverage of 2010 MWC Football Media Day
The Mtn.-MountainWest Sports Network will provide media day updates on the network's Web site, TheMtn.tv. The Mtn. will also be producing a student-athlete show, and a "Football 101" show with the head coaches. Each program will air in August, so visit TheMtn.tv for programming information.

BYU was the highest-ranked Conference institution, ranking 36th out of 278 schools that participated. TCU (40th) and New Mexico (47th) also cracked the top 50, while San Diego State finished 66th.

Utah (75th), UNLV (86th) and Air Force (96th) rounded out the MWC's presence in the top 100, while Colorado State and Wyoming finished 123rd and 163rd, respectively.

The seven Mountain West teams in the Directors' Cup top 100 ranks seventh among all 11 Division 1-A conferences. The ACC had the most teams finish within the top 100 with 12, followed by the Big 12 (11), Big Ten (11), Pac-10 (10), SEC (10) and Big East (9).

The Directors' Cup is presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Learfield Sports and USA Today to the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country in NCAA Divisions I, II and III and the NAIA.

The Horned Frogs' dramatic run through the College World Series - going 3-2 to become the first team to win three games in its first CWS appearance since Georgia Tech in 1994 - capped off a season in which TCU won MWC regular-season and tournament titles while shattering numerous program and MWC records.

Here's a quick look at a just a few of the Horned Frogs' accomplishments in 2010:

• Became the first team in Mountain West history to win an NCAA super regional and advance to the College World Series.

• Extended TCU's league record for MWC regular-season crowns with its fifth consecutive title.

• Freshman lefthander Matt Purke led the nation with a perfect 16-0 record, establishing a new TCU mark and tying the MWC record for single-season victories.

• In addition to establishing new program records in virtually every statistical category, TCU set new MWC team single-season benchmarks for wins (54), hits (811), doubles (178), home runs (101), total bases (1,338), at-bats (2,427), earned run average (3.55), opposing batting average (.252) and innings pitched (607.2).