On Friday, Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson drops by ESPN.com's moderated chat room presented by TheMWC.com to take questions on the Mountain West and more

As the Mountain West Conference begins its fourth basketball championship, Craig Thompson continues to gain notoriety and respect for the newest NCAA Division I conference. Through the first three years, excluding institutional local packages, 247 football, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball games have been televised. Nearly 75 percent of the football games played have aired on television, with 58 games broadcast nationally. Thompson has guaranteed additional television exposures for the MWC with its upcoming partnership with National Collegiate Sports Network.

Thompson's impact following his 1998 hiring was immediate. Early in his tenure he helped forge a seven-year, multi-million dollar television contract with ESPN. Through its agreement with ESPN, the MWC is guaranteed coverage of its football and men's basketball games on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, in addition to a "Mountain West Game of the Week" in both sports on ESPN Regional Television.

The 2003 EAS Mountain West Conference Basketball Championships in Las Vegas has seen a tremendous increase in tickets sold, including selling out the entire lower bowl prior to the start of the tournament, and attendance in its fourth year.

During his career, Thompson has served as a member of the Executive Committee and the Director's Cup Committee of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), as well as the governing NCAA Council and various Council subcommittees. He has also played a prominent role in hosting numerous men's and women's NCAA postseason basketball tournaments in St. Louis, Atlanta and New Orleans.

Thompson won't be stopping by until 12:30 p.m. PST on Friday but feel free to leave your questions now and we will save them for his arrival.

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