LAS VEGAS — Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez was optimistic in one breath and realistic in another while addressing those assembled this week for Mountain West football media days.
Can the conference legitimately compete for one of the five automatic berths in the college football playoff that this season expands to 12 teams?
“We’re positioned to do that now,” Nevarez said. “The expansion of the playoff brings us more opportunity. … Our goal is to annually qualify for that AQ as well as be considered for at-large opportunities.”
This, while Nevarez acknowledged that conference schools provide a “pipeline” for talent to the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences. And it’s not limited to those on the playing field.
“We have so many first-in-the-chair presidents, ADs, head coaches, assistant coaches,” Nevarez said. “That’s our niche. That’s who we are. We bring in great talent and they get better here and, you know what, if they leave, we bring in great talent, they get better here and we just keep rebuilding.”
She noted that in the past two years, the Mountain West has kept “roughly 90 percent of our first-team (all-)conference” players. She said 41 MW players transferred out to Power Four schools while 83 transferred in.
That sounds positive, though San Diego State lost nine starters to “Power Four” schools following the 2023 season.
Another positive noted by the commissioner is a scheduling alliance with Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining members of the Pac-12, that has the two schools playing 15 games this season against Mountain West members.
The agreement is expected to be extended soon for the 2025 season.
The relationship could soon be tested when the “Pac-2” attempts to rebuild the conference, potentially poaching Mountain West members.
“The scheduling agreement has some protections built in,” said Nevarez, adding, “It’s not our job to mount a campaign against schools doing what’s best for an individual school. We are tasked with a fiduciary responsibility to the Mountain West and doing what is in the best interest of the league.”
The Pac-12 needs to rebuild to at least eight teams by 2026 to meet NCAA minimum requirements. Plans would need to progress by this time next year, so don’t be surprised if that’s a major topic of discussion for Nevarez’s 2025 address here.
Lewis on poll prediction
It wasn’t too surprising that San Diego State was picked to finish eighth in the Mountain West in a preseason poll of media members, given the Aztecs are coming off a 4-8 season, feature a new coaching and staff and had significant roster churn with the transfer portal.
SDSU coach Sean Lewis’ reaction to the ranking?
“At the end of the day, I’ve got no control over that,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s get better.
“Hopefully, we’re sitting here a few years from now and we’re going to be picked first. You’re going to ask me the same question and I’m going to go, ‘It doesn’t matter. We’ve got to get better.”
Lewis said the ranking is one more opportunity for motivation. He will tell the team, “This is what people think. Are we going to prove them right, or prove them wrong?”
Boise State was picked to win the conference, followed by UNLV, Fresno State and Air Force.
Where would Lewis put the Aztecs if he had a vote?
“Middle of the pack right now,” he said. “Just all the unknowns that we’ve been talking about all day. There’s been so much roster turnover for everyone. There’s been so much changeover in staff (in the league).
“I think the teams that are at the top, you can see that continuity is king. They’ve been able to either promote from within or they’ve been able to retain key pieces of their roster. There’s more knows of those teams picked at the top of the league, which I think is fair.
Holding on 20
The Circa Resort & Casino, where Mountain West media days was staged, is a 21-and-over venue.
That meant Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty, the Mountain West’s 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, couldn’t get in the door. Jeanty doesn’t celebrate his 21st birthday until Dec. 2, so Boise State officials set him up to meet with the media Wednesday afternoon eight miles away in a conference room at the Bellagio.
Aztecs fans will remember Jeanty for the career day he had last year at Snapdragon Stadium, when the Texas native rushed for 205 yards and 254 yards overall, brushing off a dozen would-be tacklers in the Broncos’ 34-31 win.
Jeanty finished the season with nearly 2,000 total yards (1,347 rushing/569 receiving). Among his goals this season is rushing 2,000 yards, which hasn’t been done in the Mountain West since SDSU’s Rashaad Penny (2,248) and DJ Pumphrey (2,133 yards) did it back-to-back during the 2017 and 2016 seasons.
Jeanty has a friendly wager with offensive lineman Mason Randolph: the running back will cut his dreadlocks if he realizes the rushing goal.
“That will make him block better for me,” Jeanty said.