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The Mountain West Conference is expanding once more. The league is adding UTEP, per ESPN. The league was in talks to add the school from Conference USA, per ESPN. There appears to be an agreement completed to bring in UTEP at the MWC.
The school is expected to notify Conference USA immediately of its plans. The Mountain West is trying to stay relevant after losing five schools to the Pac-12 Conference. Those schools are: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State. The Mountain West was able to hold on to UNLV, and is looking to soon expand.
Some other schools in talks with the Mountain West Conference include Texas State, Northern Illinois and Toledo. Some schools could be added as football-only members, while others would come on as full-fledged partners with the league.
The Mountain West needs to stay a FBS member
The NCAA requires a conference to have at least eight members to remain a FBS member. The Mountain West doesn't have that; there are seven schools currently pledged to the league. The conference cleared one hurdle by being able to hold on to UNLV. Air Force has said they are also in.
The conference seems aggressive in trying to court other schools. UTEP is currently in Conference USA, and technically not in the west regionally as it is located in Texas. In the world of conference realignment, it doesn't seem that a school's location matters much anymore.
UTEP has had success in the past in athletics, as the football team has won two conference titles. The UTEP basketball team won a national championship in 1966, and was immortalized in the 2006 film Glory Road. That year, the school was the first NCAA championship team to start five African-American players. The school last appeared in the NCAA tournament for men's basketball in 2010.
The Mountain West and Pac-12 are dueling for schools at the moment to keep the FBS mantle. The Pac is now up to seven schools, with the five MWC defections. Those programs join Oregon State and Washington State, to make up seven members. The Pac-12 is also interested in adding Gonzaga as a basketball only member, and that also appears to be almost finalized.
Time will tell where the chips fall for the Mountain West.
