UNLV, Air Force to stay in Mountain West with financial incentives amid Pac-12 realignment

The Mountain West Conference retained two key members on Wednesday night, and may have saved itself in the process.

Both UNLV and Air Force opted to remain in the Mountain West for years to come on Wednesday, sources told Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.

The decision was done after significant financial incentives were promised to both schools, though it’s unclear how much they will receive. The seven remaining Mountain West schools plan to sign a binding agreement with the conference on Thursday, too, which should solidify the league for the forseeable future.

The decision comes amid the Pac-12’s rebuilding effort, which has seen a number of former Mountain West schools opting to leave for the new Pac-12. The wave of schools bolting for the former Power 5 league has even led to fears that the Mountain West would collapse entirely.

The Pac-12 — which was left with just Oregon State and Washington State after its former members bolted for the Big Ten, Big 12 and the ACC in the last wave of realignment — has added Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Utah State in recent days. The league now has seven members, but is still one shy of the NCAA and CFP’s minimum requirements.

The Mountain West was on the brink of complete dissolution, and UNLV’s exit likely would have triggered that — which could have also included the elimination of exit fees and other penalties for the departing members of the conference. Had UNLV left, Air Force likely would have turned into serious discussions with the American Athletic Conference.

The Mountain West now has six full members, and seven football members including Hawaii. The league will have to add two more schools to meet the NCAA’s minimum requirements.

While that’s still on the agenda, with UNLV and Air Force committing long-term, the Mountain West appears to be in a safe place. The Pac-12 will have to keep looking for its eighth member elsewhere.