The Mountain West Conference (MW) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the United States, participating in NCAA Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The MW officially began operations on January 4, 1999. Geographically, the MW covers a broad expanse of the Western United States, with member schools located in California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as an associate member in Hawaii. Gloria Nevarez took over as commissioner of the MW on January 1, 2023, following the retirement of founding commissioner Craig Thompson.
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) sponsored football and crowned a champion every year from 1962 to 2012. Once considered one of the best conferences in college football, steady attrition from 1999 to 2012 forced the WAC to drop football after fifty-one years.
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. It was part of the Western Athletic Conference until July 2012, when the team joined the Mountain West Conference. From 2000 until 2013, the team was known simply as the Warriors. The Rainbow Warriors were the third team from a non automatic qualifier conference to play in a BCS bowl game. They played the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2008 Sugar Bowl and lost 41–10.
The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos play their home games on campus at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, and their head coach is Spencer Danielson. The program is 13–8 in bowl games since 1999, has the longest current streak of winning seasons in college football with 26. It also held a 3–0 record in the Fiesta Bowl between 2007 & 2014. As of the end of the 2023 season, the Broncos' all-time winning percentage of .725 is the sixth highest among NCAA FBS football teams, while their 491 total wins ranks 105th.
The Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The green "V" on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, and playing field symbolizes California's Central Valley, specifically the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they draw their support.
The Boise State–Fresno State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Broncos of Boise State University and the Bulldogs of California State University, Fresno, both currently members of the Mountain West Conference (MW).
The 2013 Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game determined the 2013 football champion of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The game, played at Bulldog Stadium on the campus of California State University, Fresno, was the first football conference championship game for the Mountain West Conference. The game featured the West Division champions Fresno State Bulldogs hosting the Mountain Division champions Utah State Aggies.
The 2017 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolf Pack were led by first–year head coach Jay Norvell and played their home games at Mackay Stadium. They were members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 3–9 and 3–5 in Mountain West play to finish in fourth place in the West Division.
The 2018 Mountain West Conference Championship Game was played on Saturday, December 1, 2018, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, to determine the 2018 football champion of the Mountain West Conference (MW). For the second consecutive year, the game featured the West Division champion Fresno State Bulldogs visiting the Mountain Division champion Boise State Broncos. The game was broadcast nationally by ESPN for the fourth consecutive year.
The 2017 Mountain West Conference Championship Game was played on Saturday, December 2, 2017 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, to determine the 2017 football champion of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The game featured the MW West Division champion Fresno State Bulldogs visiting the Mountain Division champion Boise State Broncos. It was broadcast nationally by ESPN for the third consecutive year.
The 2018 San Diego State Aztecs football team represented San Diego State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Aztecs were led by eighth-year head coach Rocky Long and played their home games at SDCCU Stadium. San Diego State was a member of the Mountain West Conference in the West Division. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in Mountain West play to finish in fourth place in the West Division. They were invited to the Frisco Bowl where they lost to Ohio.
The 2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented California State University, Fresno in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs were led by second-year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Bulldog Stadium. They were a member of the Mountain West Conference in the West Division.
The 2019 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rainbow Warriors played their home games at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. They competed in the West Division of the Mountain West Conference and were led by fourth-year head coach Nick Rolovich, in what was his final season before his abrupt resignation in January 2020.
The 2019 Colorado State Rams football team represented Colorado State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rams were led by fifth-year head coach Mike Bobo and played their home games at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado as members of the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference. The Rams finished the season 4–8, 3–5 in Mountain West play to finish in fifth place in the Mountain Division.
The 2020 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rainbow Warriors played their final home games at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu as members of the Mountain West Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Todd Graham.
The 2020 Mountain West Conference football season, part of that year's NCAA Division I FBS football season, is the 22nd season of college football for the Mountain West Conference (MW). Since 2012, 12 teams have competed in the MW football conference.
The 2020 San Jose State Spartans football team represented San José State University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans were led by fourth-year head coach Brent Brennan and played their home games at CEFCU Stadium and Sam Boyd Stadium as members of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the regular season 6–0 in Mountain West play and defeated Boise State in the Mountain West championship game. This was the Spartans' first Mountain West championship win and 17th overall conference title. The championship victory also marked San Jose State's first win over Boise State in program history.
The 2022 Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game was a college football game which was played on December 3, 2022, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. It was the tenth edition of the Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for the 2022 season. The game began at 2:00 p.m. MST and aired on Fox. The game featured the Boise State Broncos, the Mountain Division champions, and the Fresno State Bulldogs, the West Division champions. Boise State won the right to host the game as a result of defeating the Fresno State Bulldogs earlier in the 2022 season.
The 2022 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University as a member of the Mountain West Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by head coach Andy Avalos, who was coaching his second season with the team. The Broncos played their home games at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho.
The 2022 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented California State University, Fresno as a member of the Mountain West Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by head coach Jeff Tedford, who was coaching his fourth overall season with the program. The Bulldogs played their home games at Valley Children’s Stadium in Fresno, California.
