Mountain West adds UTEP, but talks stall to add another Texas school

The Mountain West took another step in its rebuilding plan Tuesday by adding UTEP, but the conference might not find another immediate partner in the state of Texas.

The league was believed to be targeting Texas State as an eighth full member, but talks have stalled as of Tuesday night, according to multiple sources.

Meanwhile, the Pac-12 continued its pursuit of becoming the elite basketball conference in the Pacific time zone by adding the prestigious Gonzaga program. The Bulldogs don’t have a football program, but will join the Pac-12 in all other sports beginning in 2026-27.

That’s the same time line for UTEP to join the Mountain West in all sports.

“We are excited to welcome the University of Texas at El Paso to the Mountain West as the next step in our strategic membership initiatives,” Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement. “The addition of UTEP restores historic rivalries with several of our member institutions within the geographic footprint and provides valuable exposure in (Texas).”

Why now?

Both conferences were left trying to fill their ranks after UNLV rejected an offer from the Pac-12 and accepted a lucrative incentives package to stay in the Mountain West. Conferences need eight full-fledged members to be recognized by the NCAA.

With the defection of five schools to the Pac-12 last month, as of now the Mountain West will have seven full members and eight for football with Hawaii beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The Pac-12 will have eight members but only seven for football.

UTEP expands the Mountain West’s footprint into Texas and adds another top-100 media market and one of the 25 most populated cities in the country to a league positioning itself to pitch a new media rights deal in two years. UTEP, the longest-tenured team in Conference USA, reportedly will pay a $2 million exit fee.

“There’s no doubt this will be better for our student-athletes, our fans and for El Paso,” UTEP president Heather Wilson said in a statement. “We look forward to rekindling former rivalries and welcoming teams and their fans to El Paso.”

UTEP has played in 15 bowl games and 17 NCAA Tournaments, winning a national title in basketball in 1966.

It won’t be the first time UNLV is in the same conference as UTEP, which was part of the Western Athletic Conference when UNLV and seven other schools broke away to form the Mountain West in 1999.

What’s next?

The potential inclusion of Texas State to go with UNLV, UNR, San Jose State, Wyoming, New Mexico and Air Force was planned to add another region from a different part of the state. The school is located in San Marcos, midway between Austin and San Antonio.

Texas State is currently in the Sun Belt Conference. The school has made significant investments in athletics, partly in an effort to position itself as an attractive choice for larger conferences. Pac-12 officials have also expressed interest, but no offer has been formalized.

The Bobcats moved up to FBS in 2012 and won their first bowl game last season, a year in which they won eight games.

Once the Mountain West finalizes another full-time member, the league could turn its attention to further expansion. It also could look to add football-only members. Northern Illinois and Toledo from the Mid-American Conference have been discussed.

The reason for such a move would be to be able to approach potential media rights partners with the possibility of a conference that spans five time zones from Eastern to Hawaiian. That would offer a great deal of flexibility for TV scheduling.

This latest round of realignment began when Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State announced Sept. 12 they were leaving the Mountain West to join the Pac-12 beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Utah State joined the defectors Sept. 23.

The Pac-12’s other members are Oregon State and Washington State. Sources indicate the league will eventually look to add standout basketball programs such as Grand Canyon and Saint Mary’s, but a football-playing member remains a high priority.

“We are delighted to welcome Gonzaga into the Pac-12 as they embark with us on this incredible path ahead,” Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.