NCAA Regulation Relief

Mountain West opponents Boise State and New Mexico square off in 2019. Boise State is among four prominent Mountain West members leaving for the Pac-12.

Just days away from securing a lucrative $1.9 million payday for simply showing up for Saturday’s college football game at Auburn, the University of New Mexico discovered Wednesday night just how truly unstable the world of college sports can be.

Mostly immune to the seismic changes that have altered conference alignments in recent years, UNM and the Mountain West were hit hard when news broke that four prominent members had accepted invitations to join the shattered remains of the Pac-12.

Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State will formally join Pac-12 holdovers Oregon State and Washington State at the start of the 2026-27 season in a dramatic first step to maintain that league's 109-year history. The conference’s aim is to get to at least eight members before the summer of 2026, an NCAA-imposed deadline for the league to retain its status in major-college athletics.



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