A few extra days of conference realignment maneuvering helped UNLV and Air Force each receive at least $6.8 million in increased commitments to stay in the Mountain West, according to documents obtained by The Athletic.
The figures come from a pair of memos of understanding best understood after a refresher on the recent round of realignment.
Five Mountain West schools are headed to the Pac-12: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State. The Mountain West expects those defections to end in a $150 million windfall through schools’ exit fees and a Pac-12 poaching penalty (now the subject of a federal lawsuit). The memos broke down how remaining schools would split the payouts.
A Sept. 23 memo, obtained through a public records request, allotted $13.33 million for the Rebels and another $13.33 million for the Falcons if they stayed. Those payments were to be spread over six years and start “as soon as practicable.” The document earmarked $5.555 million each for Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State and Wyoming. Hawaii was due $1.12 million.
The memo was written after Utah State decided to leave for the Pac-12, when the Mountain West’s future was uncertain. UNLV and Air Force were potential realignment targets for both the Pac-12 and American Athletic Conference, making their commitments to stay on Sept. 26 especially valuable.
When the Mountain West and its members actually executed an agreement after a few more days of uncertainty and speculation about those schools’ futures, the terms changed. UNLV and Air Force will each receive 24.5 percent of the first exit-fee bucket ($61 million). That’s $14.945 million apiece — already an increase from the earlier proposal. A separate $21 million bucket is split with the same percentages. That brings each school’s payout to $20.09 million, an increase of $6.8 million from the original $13.33 million as stated on Sept. 23.
More revenue is possible, too, depending on how much the conference spends on legal fees and recruiting new members. UTEP is joining, and Hawaii has grown from a football-only school to a full member. The Athletic has reported that the total incentives for UNLV and Air Force could reach $25 million.
Other schools’ payouts also rose in the second agreement once Utah State’s exit fees were spelled out. The two buckets are set to pay Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State and Wyoming $9.43 million each.
The earlier memo also had a few previously reported differences compared to the final one. The last version allows for schools to leave without penalty if they’re invited to a Power 4 conference. It also said the Mountain West’s offices would move from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas and that Las Vegas would continue to host the conference’s basketball tournaments.
Required reading
- Mountain West agreement details $18 million ‘Recruiting Reserve’, free exit for P4 invites
- Hawaii to become full Mountain West member in 2026, leaving Big West
- Pac-12 files lawsuit against Mountain West over more than $50 million in poaching fees
(Photo: Ian Maule / Getty Images)
