Sanchez unfazed by any preseason predictions for team
league commissioner Craig Thompson said “a number of Mountain West institutions have expressed interest in looking at Big 12 membership,” but didn’t divulge names and added that there was no timetable.
“What’s going to happen? Nobody has any idea,” he said. “We’re all playing this game similar to a sweepstakes. (The Big 12 is) soliciting interest, then they’ll determine the timeline and process if they’re going to expand or not.”
Thompson also said the Mountain West could eventually expand.
“We could look beyond 12 (schools). This membership/expansion door swings both ways,” he said. “This week, I’ve had more than one and less than five institutions reach out to me and say, ‘Can we be in the Mountain West Conference?’
“It’s something we’re going to continue to monitor, and as things develop, we’ll adjust accordingly.”
Thompson also said a motion made in an attempt to add stability to the league by increasing its exit fee to $10 million was voted down 6-4 at a recent Board of Governors meeting.
Also, he said the Mountain West distributed $41 million in revenue to member schools. It was the second-highest amount in the league’s 17-year history. WHAT’S THE MOTTO WITH YOU?
UNLV unveiled its marketing slogan for the 2016 football season, “Light The Fuse,” on the cover of its media guide. The phrase appears to refer to both the buildup to the Rebels’ season-ending game against UNR, aka “The Battle for the Fremont Cannon,” and to the team’s expected rise.
Also, the Las Vegas Bowl released a special edition logo to celebrate its 25th year this season. The game, scheduled for Dec. 17 at Sam Boyd Stadium, features the top choice from the Mountain West against the sixth pick from the Pac-12. Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal. com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @ tdewey33