Mountain West commissioner stands by computers as football tiebreaker

Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez would prefer everyone be happy.

That wasn’t possible. Two football teams were going to feel slighted.

It was a unique situation. No doubt about it.

The conference season came down to a four-way tie for first place, out of which UNLV and Boise State were chosen by computer metrics to compete in the league’s championship game Friday in Boise, Idaho.

It meant New Mexico and San Diego State were on the outside looking in. And not very fired up about the results.

“When we made the decision to go to computer rankings, it was very deliberate,” Nevarez said. “Head-to-head (results) are first and foremost, but when you don’t play everyone and have a four-way tie, you have to break it somehow.”

The decision was, in part, thought to be a way to set up the league’s best teams for a chance to make the College Football Playoff.

That would mean having the metrics consider an entire season of work and not just what a particular team accomplished in conference play.

“Two of (the metrics) are predictive and two are results based,” Nevarez said. “All are well thought of in the industry and used by the CFP.

“I absolutely (feel bad for New Mexico and San Diego State). We feel the same way every time we have to pick a — fill in the blank — Player of the Year or Coach of the Year. When you have the depth of a four-way tie — which is pretty unusual — it speaks to the amazing football being played in the Mountain West.”

A long shot

As for a chance that the winner of Friday’s game is selected to the CFP, well, a lot has to happen elsewhere across the country.

It would help the Mountain West’s cause if the following occurred:

— James Madison as a near 24-point favorite loses to Troy in the Sun Belt championship.

— North Texas, ranked 24th in this week’s CFP ratings, beats No. 20 Tulane in the American championship.

— Duke and its 7-5 record upsets No. 17 Virginia in the ACC title game.

Should the Blue Devils actually top the Cavaliers, there is a chance two Group of Five teams could make the CFP.

“We just had a meeting with our monitoring reps from the CFP committee,” Nevarez said. “Should those dominoes fall in the conference championships, we definitely feel like we have an opportunity to be considered and selected.”

UNLV coach Dan Mullen, whose team would go to 11-2 with a victory against Boise State, agrees.

“If we win this game and are 11-2 and playing in this conference with a win over a Big Ten team (in UCLA) and a nonconference game across the country against (Miami of Ohio), a potential conference champion (from the MAC) … I haven’t studied everybody else, but I think our resume would be pretty good,” Mullen said.

“I’m not worried about it. I’m worried about beating Boise. But if we avenge one of our losses (against the Broncos) on the road and beat a really, really good Boise team, I think we’d have to be in the discussion.

“I would hope there’s somebody in that room that is like, ‘Hey, real quick, there’s an 11-win team with a win over a Power Four team and potentially another conference champion.’”

Mountain West lawsuit talk

This is the final time the Mountain West will stage a football championship as currently constructed. Five teams — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — are departing the conference for the Pac-12 in 2026.

It’s the last time Boise State — which has set the league’s standard as its best program for years — will compete in such a moment for the Mountain West.

“It is just another game, but I’ve always been impressed with (Boise State coach Spencer Danielson) and what he’s done at the helm of that program,” Nevarez said. “Even though teams stubbed their toes along the way — UNLV included — they still both continued to play solid football and gave themselves a chance to be in this game and ultimately perhaps a chance to be in the CFP.”

It was in September when a federal judge allowed the Pac-12’s lawsuit against the Mountain West over $55 million in poaching fees to move forward.

A trial isn’t expected to commence until July 2027.

“It’s about what I expected,” Nevarez said. “The wheels of justice move slowly. We are prepared and looking forward to discovery.”

Schools that remained in the Mountain West instead of bolting to the Pac-12, including UNLV, were promised substantial payouts from the money collected in poaching fees and exit fees.

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.