The Mountain West Football Conference will witness the opening kickoff of three of its flagship members this weekend with New Mexico, Nevada and Hawaii all scheduled to take on out-of-conference opponents.

The conference will feature plenty of star power both on and off the field as it was announced recently that a notable group of ex-professional football players will call MWC games this season including Champ Bailey, Takeo Spikes, and Victor Cruz. Shaquille O'Neal podcast co-host Adam Lefkoe will also call games, along with Ari Wolfe, Darius Walker and Jared Greenberg.

Rounding out the lineup are JB Long and Mike Golic Jr., according to a post from TNT Sports' public relations team on X.

The broadcast updates came amid a fast and furious time for college football news. Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor shared thoughts on backing out of his transfer to Iowa to return to the Crimson Tide. Meanwhile Ryan Day, the embattled yet successful Ohio State football coach, shared his thoughts on Ohio State's returning NFL caliber talents and what it means for his team's goals and expectations this season.

The Mountain West Conference isn't quite in the same national picture at this time, but its fans remain rabid.

Fans took note of the big Champ Bailey and Takeo Spikes broadcasting news, and shared their thoughts on X.

Fans react to Champ Bailey MWC news

The Champ Bailey and Takeo Spikes news was a bit surprising considering that Bailey played his college football in Georgia and Spikes played for Auburn. Both guys are quite fond of the Mountain West Conference, a development that prompted comments on X.

“Hell yes TakeoSpikes51,” one fan wrote on X, tagging Spikes in the comment.

“Let's go Ari Wolfe! What a lineup!!!” another fan added.

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“Spikes! I am turning in for sure! About time!” another fan wrote.

Mountain West Conference 2024 outlook 

Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Erik Brooks (3) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Fresno State Bulldogs won 39-35.
© Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Mountain West Conference has more than its fair share of exciting games this season and one of them will take place on August 31 as the Fresno State football team heads east to take on the defending national champion Michigan football team.

Fresno State football finished 9-4 overall, 4-4 in the Mountain West last season and has designs on pulling an upset over new head coach Sherrone Moore's Wolverines. Fresno State football has been picked to finish third in the conference this offseason.

The Bulldogs received four first-place votes in the preseason MWC poll. They finished behind UNLV football, which also counted four first place votes, and Boise State football, which counted 38 first place votes, among conference teams.

A full schedule of Mountain West games including Champ Bailey, Takeo Spikes and others kicks off Thursday, August 29 as Sacramento State visits San Jose State, marking what should be an exciting start to the college football season for one America's most underrated conferences.