WEEKLY RELEASE

LAS VEGAS - In its 28th year, the Mountain West began a new era, marking a meaningful step in the league's continued growth and long-term strategic vision while maintaining its commitment to competitive excellence. MW football welcomes three new members in NIU, North Dakota State and UTEP as the season kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 29 (Week 0). 
 

Saturday, Aug. 29	TV	Time
San José State at 14/14 USC	NBC	Noon PT
Hawai‘i at Stanford	ACC Network	4 p.m. PT
Jacksonville State at North Dakota State	CBS Sports Network	4:30 p.m. CT
RV/RV Memphis at RV/RV UNLV	FOX	7 p.m. PT

 

AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WEST

• A new look Mountain West opens the 28th football season for the Conference, welcoming NIU, North Dakota State and UTEP. 
• Week 0 remains Mountain West territory. Saturday, Aug. 29 will feature eight FBS contests, half of which (4) will feature Mountain West programs. Among those four games is North Dakota State's FBS debut with a home contest vs. Jacksonville State (4:30 p.m. CT; CBS Sports Network) before the slate wraps up in Las Vegas as UNLV hosts Memphis (7 p.m. PT; FOX). 
• New Mexico and UNLV are receiving votes in both the Associated Press Top 25 and U.S. LBM Coaches preseason polls, while Hawai‘i is receiving votes in the U.S. LBM Coaches Poll. 
• The Mountain West leads all non-autonomous 4 conferences with three teams receiving votes in the U.S. LBM Coaches preseason poll. 
• The Mountain West has had at least one team nationally ranked in each season since the league was formed in 1999, including multiple teams in eight of the last 10 years. 
• The MW is well represented on all national award preseason watch lists, including six standouts on the Maxwell Award Watch List. The six honorees are the most selections among non-autonomous 4 conferences.
• MW teams will play 10 games against Autonomous 4 opponents, including UNLV hosting Cal in Week 5. 
• New Mexico is riding a seven-game home win streak, tied for 8th-longest active streak nationally. The Lobos haven't suffered a loss at University Stadium since Nov. 2, 2024 (45-49 vs. Wyoming). 
• UNLV has recorded back-to-back seasons of at least 10 victories. The Rebels are looking to become the first MW program with at least three straight years with double-digit wins since Boise State from 2016-19.
• The MW has had at least one 10-win team in 24 of 26 seasons, not including the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
• Looking ahead to December, shall UNLV qualify for the MW Football Championship Game, the Rebels would become just the second program ever to participate in at least three consecutive MW title games (Boise State, four straight appearances between 2017-20).