Mountain West adding 10th member to conference
UC Davis is joining the Mountain West as its 10th member, the school announced Tuesday.
The development marks a continued rebuilding effort by the conference after several members defected to the Pac-12. The Mountain West added UTEP in October, Hawaii as a full member two weeks later and Grand Canyon as a non-football member in November.
UC Davis won’t play football in the Mountain West, either. It will remain in the lower-level FCS as a member of the Big Sky conference. The Aggies are playing in the FCS quarterfinals Saturday.
Starting in 2026, the Mountain West will feature Air Force, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, New Mexico, San José State, UC Davis, UNLV, UNR, UTEP and Wyoming.
UC Davis. which is based in Davis in Northern California near Sacramento, offers every other sport represented in the Mountain West, with all of its eight varsity fall sports teams having qualified for the postseason this year.
“We are thrilled to join the Mountain West Conference, and we look forward to an incredible experience for our student-athletes and for our fans,” UC Davis chancellor Gary S. May said in a release. “Our transition to the highly regarded conference will introduce our Aggie community to a broader audience, in major metropolitan areas and through increased media coverage. It also provides us with an opportunity to align with universities that share similar academic strengths while also expanding our competitive presence in the Western United States.”
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez welcomed the Aggies in a statement, which lauded the growth of the conference.
“Adding UC Davis further strengthens the trajectory of the Mountain West as it continues to build its brand that has proven to elevate institutions and student-athletes,” Nevarez said. “… I believe UC Davis brings a wealth of positives in the continuing growth of the Mountain West.”
The Mountain West’s realignment began in September when five of its members — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — were poached by the Pac-12. UNLV, one of the founding members of the Mountain West, considered a subsequent offer to join the Pac-12 but ultimately decided to stay put after significant financial concessions.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.