ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Mountain West as we know it is changing in a couple of years. The Pac-12 is rebuilding its conference and invited four Mountain West teams to join, but UNM is not one of those teams. 

KOB 4 went to UNM Thursday to get a feel of what Lobo athletes think. It seems like a lot of people want to stay in the Mountain West.

Everyone we spoke with wants to stay in the Mountain West, with the exception of one person who says they wouldn’t mind joining Conference USA alongside New Mexico State University.

Conference realignment is nothing new to college athletics, just look at the SEC. But the most recent go around decimated the Pac-12, turning them into a two team conference in 2024 – Oregon State and Washington State.

Understandably, they are trying to rebuild their conference and are looking to the Mountain West to get up to six teams.

The Pac-12 has extended offers to Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State for the 2026 season.

“I still think there is some good competition in the Mountain West, and it will still make revenue and be entertaining. I like the mix-up though. I think there is also opportunity for other teams to enter the Mountain West now that these teams have left. I am curious to see what they do with that,” said Okiki Olorunfunmi, a UNM football player. 

“I think it would help us given that we aren’t one of the best schools with football, so I think it would potentially give us better opportunities to win and get a better record for us,” said CJ Pizzeck, a UNM track and field athlete.

The departure of the schools leaves the Mountain West at the membership minimum, meaning they will have to dissolve the league if one more team jumps ship. 

For some, UNM’s position reminds them of the University of Kansas’ journey through Big-12 realignments —the school had a far better basketball program than a football program and many worried the Jayhawks would drop football to realign with a basketball only conference like the Big East.

Lobo guard Donavan Dent says he hopes the basketball team’s recent and historic success can keep the Lobos’ prospects alive if the conference were to dissolve.

“100% I think our basketball success last year, going to the tournament everything, is a big help for that. So it will be interesting what they are going to do with that,” said Dent. 

For now, the Mountain West faces tough decisions on extending offers to new members, and making sure the current teams stay in place.