One-on-one: Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez talks about leading league of 'original disruptors'

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – It used to be that a state of the conference address was more of a formality than anything else.

Those days are long gone. Gloria Nevarez is well aware of this.

In an exclusive interview with Journal, the Mountain West Conference commissioner discussed her opening remarks at the league’s football media days, her first six months on the job, Names, Image and Likeness (NIL) and conference realignment among other topics.

Responses have been edited for clarity.

In a prior interview with on3.com, you mentioned you previously thought your role as (West Coast Conference) commissioner would likely be the one you held until retirement. Can you discuss what changed and how things have gone overall in your six months with the Mountain West?

“I was very, very happy at the WCC. It’s a great position. It’s a great league. I’m a western region person. And in my mind, (former Mountain West commissioner) Craig Thompson wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t ever going to retire – that guy’s hair looks great! Like never in my mind did I picture this job opening.

“When I interviewed for the job, I just learned more (and) fell in love with what was going on. Certainly, the challenges of my first six-and-a-half months weren’t unexpected: they were on the table during the interview, but I really loved the direction the board was giving me about how they wanted to weather the storm.”

Speaking of Thompson, he was known for making a point of being available to schools, administrators, coaches, etc. How have you embraced that point?

“Ninety percent of what we do is about the work we do with folks on campus, so I really am encouraging our staff to get out. Starting with my campus tour(s), I’m trying to get on campus as much as possible, be at those things. We certainly have a big league to cover, but all of our destinations are pretty special. It’s kind of a fun travel footprint.”

Many conference commissioners, and even coaches, have talked about the need for more clarity and uniformity in NIL regulation. What would the ideal system look like when it comes to that?

“I’m very much on board with new (NCAA) president Charlie Baker’s platform. It sounds like, one, we need a system in level-setting all the state laws. So we can as the NCAA – not have Congress come in and do it (for the NCAA) – but level-set the state laws so the NCAA can then enact national legislation around name, image and likeness.

“Also, protection from antitrust and antitrust exemption. Because if you do have a national regulation around NIL, then you’re just subject to antitrust lawsuits every week. That defeats the purpose as well. So those are the two fundamental asks of Congress.”

Collectives have largely been the dominant form of NIL distribution so far, with some filing for or gaining 501(3) status. But in June, the IRS essentially shot down that filing opportunity going forward. With plenty of collectives adjacent to Mountain West schools, is that something you’ve monitored?

“I haven’t really had a chance to get into what all of our individual schools (do). I know they all have some type of collective. I’m not quite sure of the actual details yet with the different operations and structures. But we have to figure out how the institution can have a role without violating NCAA rules, in protecting student-athletes and helping educate them around collectives. Because right now, there’s a fine line.”

The transfer portal has become a normal part of college athletics, even if it attracts considerable scrutiny. Like with NIL, what would an ideal form of the portal look like from your perspective?

“I’m not sure because we’re so new (with it). And even the student-athletes talk openly about this --we have a bubble of ‘super seniors’ and COVID class (athletes) and it’s new and everyone’s in it. But actually, one of our student-athletes said, ‘I really think it’s going to settle down, because there’s a large class of students that went into the portal and didn’t end up anywhere.’

“Again, we just need it to settle out. We need to get a better baseline data set. But my perspective is our role is to continue to keep an eye on that data and make sure we can still field competitive teams. That we’re not getting shut out or we’re not losing the transfer portal.”

You’ve mentioned the importance of contingency plans when it comes to conference realignment. Especially given recent events with San Diego State’s planned, then abandoned, departure, how often are you thinking about those plans? And what’s considered within those plans?

“Every day. Every day. (We’re) constantly looking at the environment, constantly looking at the strength of the league and analyzing the top. Can we be proactive and really get aggressive in invitations? Or, looking at the growth trajectory. Are there schools out there that could really take the next step if they had the halo effect of our league ...?

“And that has so many layers: its media value, its investment value, it’s culture and fit and academics. It’s endless. It’s ongoing. But we constantly look at that. Because that’s who we are – we were the original disruptors in 1999.”

Finances, academics and branding are more quantifiable ways to evaluate a school’s overall worth, particularly in the context of conference realignment. But culture gets thrown out a lot by athletic administrators. How does one evaluate a trait like that when it comes to finding a fit with the Mountain West? What is the Mountain West’s culture in your eyes?

“When you look at the culture of the Mountain West, something that’s starting to take shape for me and our brand analysis is the shared common culture. We are gritty. We are first-opportunity, first-generation. We don’t have a lot of silver spoons.

“When you listen to our student-athletes talk, these are ‘roll up the sleeves and get it done’ (people). We don’t care what other folks are doing. But we’re going to take what we got and we’re going to make it better. It is really making a lot out of less.

“You look at every school (in the Mountain West), they all have some affinity and alignment with that kind of mentality.”

Speaking about the league’s five-year strategic plan and its scheduled release next month, you mentioned the Mountain West now retains KC-based marketing firm Global Prairie. What made them a fit?

“Global Prairie had purpose-driven marketing and branding and I thought that really matched with who we are. All the grittiness I described, (they’re) articulating the purpose.”

Any planned appearances at UNM coming up soon?

“I absolutely plan to get as much on campus, at least once a year – if not twice a year. Although we do have a lot of schools. But that’s cool (laughs).”