On a wild day within the Mountain West that included one other member reportedly being lured away by the Pac-12 and yet one more wavering, San Jose State on Monday night seemed to be OK with staying in its severely fractured convention.
In keeping with stories from NBC Sports activities and ESPN on Monday afternoon, SJSU reaffirmed its dedication to the Mountain West together with UNLV and Air Power.
However then got here one other twist within the saga.
After ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Utah State has determined to depart for the Pac-12, UNLV pivoted from its dedication to the Mountain West and is now exploring its choices, in accordance with a later report from Thamel.
The place that leaves San Jose State is unclear.
If Utah State and UNLV have been to hitch the Pac-12, the Mountain West can be left with Air Power, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada and Wyoming, together with SJSU. In that situation, the convention would probably have so as to add two members by 2028 to satisfy NCAA necessities.
The Mountain West’s upheaval started two weeks in the past when the convention’s strongest athletic applications – Fresno State, San Diego State, Boise State and Colorado State – made commitments to hitch a Pac-12 that at present operates with Washington State and Oregon State as its solely members.
The 4 faculties will formally go away the Mountain West in 2026.
Presumably, Utah State and probably UNLV would do the identical.
“We have great leadership within the Mountain West and SJSU is a proud member of the conference,” he stated.
Each Washington State and Oregon State are at present in a scheduling settlement with the Mountain West for this season, however the deadline has handed for the Pac-12 faculties to re-up on their take care of the convention for subsequent season.
Since reaching an settlement so as to add the 4 Mountain West faculties, the Pac-12 has been aggressive in its growth efforts as a result of it wants not less than two extra members to succeed in the minimal of eight for FBS standing.
The convention took a swing at attempting so as to add American Athletic Convention applications Memphis, Tulane and South Florida however was spurned on Monday afternoon.
Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga has been rumored to be in talks about becoming a member of the Pac-12 as a basketball-only member, however its athletic director, Chris Standiford, denied such hypothesis. He advised the Seattle Occasions on Monday that the rumors usually are not correct.
SJSU has ties to Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez. The Santa Clara Excessive alum was San Jose State’s director of compliance within the late Nineteen Nineties.
The Spartans joined the convention in 2012.
SJSU gained its solely Mountain West championship in soccer in 2020 underneath former coach Brent Brennan when it went 7-0 throughout the common season and defeated Boise State within the convention title recreation.
In his assertion final week, Konya addressed wide-spread realignment in faculty athletics.
“The Mountain West is not immune to this,” Konya stated. “San José State will continue to provide a cutting-edge experience for our 500-plus student-athletes in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Our brand has never been stronger, and we look forward to positioning our athletics department in the best possible way in the future.”
Initially Printed: September 23, 2024 at 6:20 p.m.
