New FSM Feature: UNLV Stays In Mountain West Conference

FSM Feature: UNLV Stays In Mountain West Conference

Franchise Sports Media

UNLV’s leadership had a decision to make, and it shouldn’t have been taken lightly. The direction of the university’s future could hinge on it. UNLV decided to stay in the Mountain West Conference for a huge payday and a bigger piece of the pie instead of jumping ship to the Pac-12.

No matter what road UNLV decided to take, joining the Pac-12 or staying in the Mountain West Conference, it would be a new beginning and, most definitely, change.

Director of Athletics Erick Harper and UNLV President Dr. Keith Whitfield had a decision to make. That decision would determine the direction of the university for the foreseeable future and be career-defining for both of them.

This decision wasn’t solely about UNLV athletics; it was also about the future of the university and the direction that the leadership wanted to steer it in. This is the time that many have waited for.

UNLV was in a position of power and controlled the direction of its own future and both of the conferences that needed it.

Would they stay in the Mountain West, with a one-time payment between $25-$30 million and a higher stake in the MWC’s media rights deal? But who else would join the new-look MWC? Texas St.? New Mexico State? North Dakota State? UTEP? Sacramento State, all four, or a combination of them? Would that look appealing to TV executives?  

Or would UNLV join the Pac-12 with former MWC schools Fresno St., SDSU, Utah St., Boise St., and Colorado St., and Pac-12 holdovers Washington St. and Oregon St.? Would a new Pac-12 become a better option since it has larger media markets and bigger named schools?

While a new Pac-12 may have looked like a more competitive conference, the question is how much UNLV would fetch in a media rights deal with it.

Four teams in the American Athletic Conference (AAC)—Memphis, Tulane, South Florida, and UTSA—declined the Pac-12’s invitation to join and make it a national conference, potentially hurting the value of their upcoming media deal.

Much like the Pac-12, the MWC has only seven teams. To be considered a conference, each conference must reach the NCAA-required number of eight schools and capitalize on a media rights deal more significant than the $6 million the MWC schools were already receiving as part of their current media deals with Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and TNT.

That’s where UNLV came into play. They essentially controlled the fate of both conferences. Whoever they chose would become a conference, which, in the MWC’s case, could lead to its dissolution.

On Wednesday night, shortly after UNLV head coach Barry Odom finished his radio show, news broke that UNLV and Air Force decided to recommit to the Mountain West Conference.

Along with the other five schools, UNLV and Air Force are reportedly set to receive a “signing bonus” of around $24.8 million. UNLV is also reportedly going to receive a more significant portion of the media deal than the other schools in the new MWC.

In total, UNLV and Air Force will receive 24.5% of the Mountain West Conference media deal. UNLV will also have the flexibility to explore future membership in an autonomous “Power Four” conference without penalty should the opportunity arise.

The $55M in poaching fees from the Pac-12 are not included in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that UNLV just signed. The total amount of money being distributed/dispersed to the seven teams is approximately $90M.

The MWC media deal revenue split is as follows: UNLV and Air Force receive 24.5%, UNR, New Mexico, SJSU, and Wyoming receive 11.5%, and Hawaiʻi receives 5%. However, Hawai’i remains in the MWC for football only.

There are many questions about the decision to stay. What other schools will be joining the new Mountain West Conference now? But the big question is, how is staying in the Mountain West Conference the best thing for UNLV, both athletically and financially?

The answer to the first question has started to be answered. On Thursday night, the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported that the Mountain West notified the MAC of its interest in Nothern Illinois & Toledo as football-only members in 2026.

Less than an hour later, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the MWC is targeting Texas State as a full member of the conference.

There is also speculation that Gonzaga and St. Mary’s will be targeted as possible members as well, for basketball (and baseball in St. Mary’s case).

Erick Harper deserves kudos for negotiating a deal that not only helped UNLV Athletics potentially erase a $20 million deficit but also be valued and considered a key figure in the new Mountain West Conference. Just as important, Harper ensured UNLV could leave for a Power Four conference when the opportunity presented itself with little to no cost to the school.

Make sure you keep coming back to FSM for all your UNLV coverage. Thanks for visiting FranchiseSportsMedia.com for your Las Vegas Sports news today.

Franchise Sports Media. Las Vegas sports news about Las Vegas Sports teams.

– Joe Arrigo – Franchise Sports Media

Follow Joe on all social media: @joearrigofsm

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