Conference realignment may never stop, or at least the rumors won’t.
Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez opened up the door for more rumors when she said, even though 10 football-playing members is great, the league is open to the possibility of 12. The conference isn’t actively seeking new members, but Nevarez noted the conference is willing to think about it.
If the Mountain West did pick up any more members, here are teams which would be sensible expansion targets:
Top 5 Mountain West Expansion Targets
| Rank | Name | Conferences |
| 1 | UC Davis | Big Sky |
| 2 | Montana State | Big Sky |
| 3 | Montana | Big Sky |
| 4 | South Dakota State | MVFC |
| 5 | New Mexico State | CUSA |
Top Teams The Mountain West Could Add
Honorable Mentions: Sacramento State & Toledo
I feel like I couldn’t do this list without at least bringing up Toledo and Sacramento State. But they don’t make the top five for different reasons.
The Mountain West had already explored the possibility of adding Toledo, but the Rockets’ interest wasn’t there in the end. Northern Illinois did leave the MAC for the MWC. So at least there would be one team that would be nearby compared to, for example, Hawaii. But I don’t think enough has changed for Toledo to all of a sudden charge course.
Sac State is interesting because, while it did just join the MAC, it’s a five-year deal. The Hornets could be looking for a new FBS home after that deal is up, and maybe the Mountain West would want to pair the addition of the Hornets with another team on this list.
5. New Mexico State
New Mexico State might not be the most strong candidate in terms of wins and losses. But the Aggies do stand out among teams currently in the FBS in the western region of the country.
The Mountain West has already taken a school from Conference USA, as UTEP will begin its MWC era this season. Plus, it would be fun to see NMSU and New Mexico play in the same conference.
It feels like if NMSU was a school the Mountain West wanted, something would’ve happened by now. But I do think it’s a program that should be on the conference’s radar.
4. South Dakota State
I didn’t have South Dakota State on my Pac-12 expansion target article I wrote earlier this year, and maybe that wasn’t the right thing to do. But I think SDSU would be a solid addition for the Mountain West.
The Jackrabbits wouldn’t be bad in terms of location. They’re west of Northern Illinois, just south of North Dakota State, and just east of Wyoming.
They’ve also been one of the best programs in the FCS for many years now. They won back-to-back national championships in 2022-23, and they’ve shown a willingness to invest in their football program.
It would be fun to see SDSU join a league with NDSU and see those two schools go back and forth just like they have in the FCS.
2 and 3. Montana & Montana State
Montana State and Montana, with North Dakota State gone, are in a tier of their own in the FCS with South Dakota State and maybe a couple others. So when looking at teams in that subdivision, they clearly stand out from a competitive standpoint.
Montana State just won the FCS national championship, and Montana is consistently a contender as well.
They also make sense from a location standpoint. It wouldn’t take cross-country trips for Montana to host San Jose State or Air Force. Also, the Mountain West could strengthen its foothold in the western part of the country.
One potential problem: the Montanas would likely have to be a package deal for a jump to the FBS. But Nevarez mentioned the Mountain West is open to jumping from 10 to 12 schools, so maybe this would be a fit for all sides.
1. UC Davis
UC Davis is the first team a lot of people brought up when Nevarez made those comments. And I agree. The MWC should be thinking about inviting the Aggies to join the conference.
The Aggies have been one of the better teams in the FCS and the Big Sky, and having another team in California wouldn’t be bad, either. UC Davis is in the Sacramento area, so obviously it would give the conference a team in a solid market. Plus, UC Davis wouldn’t have to go very far to play San Jose State, and it would be one of the quickest trips for Hawaii.
UC Davis checks a lot of boxes for the Mountain West.
