Mountain West commissioner talks mediation, realignment and ... merger?

Sitting just beyond the outer barrier of the first turn at Friday’s Mountain West Track & Field Indoor Championships being held in Albuquerque, Gloria Nevarez was in awe of the athletes flying by.

Be it UNM freshman sensation Pamela Kosgei’s comfortable 4:46 to win her prelim heat in the mile by nearly six seconds, the men’s and women’s long jump finals going on in the middle of the oval or the steady pounding of spikes around the inclined turquoise, cherry red and silver track at the Albuquerque Convention Center, the athleticism and drive of the athletes had the respect of the former college basketball player.

“This is what we’re supposed to be here for,” she said at one point while talking to a Journal reporter questioning her about far less exciting matters.

Nevarez, now two-plus years into the position overseeing what has traditionally been one of the best FBS Group of Five conferences has had little time since September to watch the sports the conference carries.

This week, while in Albuquerque for the annual indoor championships, news broke in the ongoing legal saga between the Mountain West and the five defecting schools — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — set to join the Pac-12 on July 1, 2026.

The two leagues agreed to pursue mediation over a Pac-12 lawsuit trying to avoid paying $55 million in “poaching” fees for bringing over the five MW defecting schools after all the schools involved, including existing Pac-12 members Washington State and Oregon State, signed a contract establishing the poaching fees.

Almost verbatim to the statement the Mountain West put out on Thursday, Nevarez emphasized she’s confident in the league’s legal standings, but also interested in freeing up resources to ensure the conference is focused on helping do what’s best for student athletes rather than being tied up for years in court.

“Mediation is an efficient solution,” Nevarez said. “We really want to get back to focusing on running a conference office, holding championships, serving our student athletes. And so I do hope that we can come to some resolution. If not, we feel really good about our legal standing and our cases, and we will pick that back up again.”

Asked specifically if the mediation process was in any way a sign of any doubt in the Mountain West’s legal standing, Nevarez stood firm.

“Absolutely not. This is an exploration in efficiency,” she said.

No mediator has been agreed upon. Not date has been set for when mediation may start. And there’s no guarantee it will lead to anything productive.

It is, however, a common next step in the process. So common, in fact, it’s not the first time Washington State and Oregon State have been involved in mediation. They tried mediation in 2023 when they were the two schools left behind after 10 Pac-12 programs defected to the Big Ten, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast conferences.

Ultimately, the two schools kept from the departing Pac-12 schools north of $65 million last fiscal year and all future Pac-12 revenue, such as NCAA Tournament distributions, which are paid out over a six-year window.

POACHING LAWSUIT: Desperate for help in filling out their football schedules this past season, Washington State and Oregon State signed a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West, with the OK of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State, that called for $10 million in penalties if the Pac-12 tried to lure Mountain West schools to join its league.

Those fees are on top of the $17 million in exit fees each school owes. The Pac-12 says the clause at issue within the football scheduling contract was never enforceable.

MERGER? There are plenty of people in the college athletics world outside of the fan bases of the two leagues who wonder if there’s any hope of a merger.

The Pac-12 needs one more football-playing program to get to eight teams, which is the minimum it would need to be eligible for an automatic bid for its conference champion to play in the College Football Playoff. Most recent rumblings on that front include adding Texas State.

On Friday, Nevarez gave no indication that a merger is on the front burner, but didn’t rule it out as a possible final outcome.

“You know, merger was always in the interest of our board of directors,” Nevarez said. “So I think it’s always on the table.”

MORE MOVEMENT? The Mountain West has added UTEP, Hawaii and Northern Illinois for football starting in 2026. That expansion push is over and the push for a new media rights deal for the league is a priority. The current deal expires June 30, 2026.

”We’re on a pause as far as expansion,” Nevarez said. “I think we’re good with our current memberships. Our incoming members are really, really excited, and lots has been happening just since the announcement on their campuses in regards to excitement and investment.

”And we’re actively working with great media partners in CBS and Fox. Our current contracts are up in ‘26 and so we’re actively in the market right now.”Geoff Grammer covers college basketball and other sports for the Journal. You can reach Geoff at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.