Questions remain about Mountain West Conference’s future

The questions about the Mountain West's viability have disappeared, the conference having re-established its strength and stability with Boise State and San Diego State deciding to stay.

But that doesn't mean the Mountain West doesn't have any questions regarding its future.

The conference could be affected by outside forces, such as Brigham Young opting to rejoin a conference. Other leagues might expand again, causing another set of dominoes to fall.

Even if the realignment waters remain calm, the conference must figure out what it looks like going forward, from its TV contracts to the format of the men's and women's basketball tournaments.

But considering where the league is now compared to where it was when Boise State and San Diego State appeared to be headed elsewhere, such choices no longer are being made under dire circumstances.

"I really do feel good about the schools we have in the conference," UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood said. "We look like each other as institutions. We certainly look like each other geographically. We look like each other in terms of size. A lot of things that just makes sense to have this conference have a chance to really be good."

EXPANSION

Some eyes are on BYU, which left the Mountain West in 2011 for football independence, sending its other sports to the West Coast Conference.

With football's upper division moving to a playoff system in 2014, that could put pressure on the Cougars to find a conference home, be it in the Mountain West or elsewhere.

"I still believe at some point in time BYU has to do something, and they'll really have to do something prior to 2014," Livengood said. "It doesn't have to be this year, but ... right now there's not an access point for them."

Livengood said BYU isn't tipping off its intentions, but he left no doubt he would love to see the Cougars back in the Mountain West.

"I hope so," Livengood said. "It's great competition in our conference. They make us better."

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said the conference wasn't sitting around waiting for the Cougars to make a decision.

"We have not gotten any indication that BYU is interested in anything other than independence and West Coast Conference in their Olympic sports," Thompson said.

Other than BYU, Livengood said he didn't expect the Mountain West to add teams unless circumstances change with other leagues.

The Mountain West has 12 football-playing members and 11 full-sports schools. Hawaii plays football only.

"I think the next shoe to drop is not going to be a conference in this part of the country," Livengood said. "But once that move is made, then I think you're going to see other things fall into place. A couple of moves by one conference would make a lot of other things happen."

TV CONTRACTS

TV is a reason - perhaps the reason - Boise State and San Diego State backed out of agreements to send their football teams to the Big East Conference and others sports to the Big West.

CBS agreed in late December to restructure its contract and allow the conference to sell game packages to two other networks. The Mountain West is in talks with ESPN, Fox and NBC.

"I think all three have shown an interest in Mountain West programming," Thompson said. "Whether we'll be able to reach an agreement or not, we'll see, but I think the conversations ... have been very sincere and, in some parts, detailed."

He said he hoped to know "within the next 30 days at the latest" whether agreements will be in place with any of those networks.

Putting together a football schedule for next season is driving some of the urgency. Thompson had said he didn't think a schedule would be produced until April but on Wednesday said one might be out sooner.

The first computer-generated schedule was produced Tuesday, and the conference needs to go through it to see if it fits its parameters.

"Depending on how quickly we develop a schedule, then obviously we know who we're selling it to in the TV perspective," Thompson said.

The Mountain West also is working to arrange regional and local TV deals, as well as finalize a digital platform.

POSTSEASON FORMATS

The conference hasn't decided exactly how to proceed regarding its men's and women's basketball tournaments beginning in 2014.

But the league definitely wants all 11 schools involved - 22 teams - and all at the Thomas & Mack Center, which makes putting together a schedule tricky.

The high number of teams means probably beginning tournament week on Monday rather than the usual Tuesday.

It also most likely means altering the end of the regular season, which typically finishes with a Wednesday-Saturday format. Now it probably will go to a Tuesday-Friday final-week setup to give teams extra time to travel.

The football conference championship game also probably will be tweaked after playing its inaugural game this December. That first game will be played at the highest-ranked team in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

With the BCS going away after the 2013 season, the conference will need to come up with another way to determine how the site is awarded.

As for the other sports, the league wants each to play a conference tournament, even though some coaches prefer just to play a regular season and NCAA postseason. Volleyball and softball do not have conference tournaments this academic year.

THE FUTURE

The Mountain West has questions, but it approaches the future with strength and stability.

Or, at least, more strength and stability than it had a few months ago.

"It's hard to say what stability is in today's age," Boise State athletic director Mark Coyle said. "You and I can talk all year about some conference adding or losing somebody. But I do think there's a renewed commitment by all the institutions for the Mountain West Conference and that people are excited for that future."

It's a conference no longer on the defensive.

That's what the return of Boise State and San Diego State have meant to the Mountain West.

"It's something that for once maybe in upcoming meetings we don't have to talk about membership," Thompson said. "That's all we've done for four years."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.