The Mountain West Conference is one of the youngest NCAA conferences. It was founded in 1999 and since then has been shaped by its continued expansion and the chaos surrounding the PAC-12 and other shifting conferences.
This has made it a lot of fun to track the teams involved in the Mountain West Conference. Unlike some of the entrenched East Coast and Southern conferences, Mountain West teams have more variety and it’s possible for teams to dramatically switch places in the rankings. This can be thanks to coaching changes, smart tactics, exciting young players or simply the magic of everything coming to together just right for a season.
The thrill of accurately predicting which Mountain West teams are going to be powerhouses is heightened when you have money riding on the games. Betting on sports online is more accessible than ever, thanks to changes in legislation, with each state setting their own sports betting laws. Even when it’s not possible to bet online, in-person betting at casinos is widely available.
Not every state allows betting on college games, and some have special rules for betting on college games, like you can’t bet on teams from the state you’re in. Review those rules before placing any bets. It’s also smart to consult a guide for betting tips for everyone from professional sports bettors. These tips can’t guarantee a win, but they can help you maximize the bets you place.
The 2024/25 postseason ends on January 20. It has been an intense season, especially for Boise State, having recorded only one loss all season. Nevada brought us the most dramatic outcomes for one state, with UNLV posting an 11-3 record and University of Nevada, Reno posting a scraggly 3-10.
Let’s break down the current Mountain West roster to identify the major powerhouses and which teams to watch for wins and betting success.
Boise State
Boise State will be joining the Pac-12 Conference in 2026. That means that the 2025/26 season will be their final one in Mountain West and possibly their last chance to dominate so dramatically. This is the perfect opportunity for head coach Spencer Danielson to hone his skills before moving to a more competitive conference.
Danielson joined Boise State as a graduate assistant in 2017. He steadily moved up through the ranks and was named interim head coach after Andy Avalos was fired midway through a rocky season for the Broncos. Danielson’s youth and energy seem to have been just what the Boise team needed.
It’s likely that Boise will be a powerhouse next year as well. The team has the talent, Danielson has the coaching mindset and they need another successful year in Mountain West to really establish themselves as a presence.
UC Davis
UC Davis will join the Mountain West Conference in 2026. They won’t just be changing conferences, they’ll be making the jump from Division 1 FCS to Division 1 FBS. That kind of change could shake a team up but UC Davis seem likely to become a conference powerhouse.
They finished the 2024/25 season second in the Big Sky Conference and fifth overall, with 11 wins and three losses. Looking ahead to 2026 might be a bit ambitious. Clever bettors need to keep the future in mind when they’re considering teams, and look to the next big thing. UC Davis just might be that next big thing.
It will also be interesting to see how the UC Davis-Nevada rivalry has lasted. The two teams haven’t faced each other in over a decade. As all devoted fans know, time does nothing to cool rivalries, especially not when they have a century of history behind them. The 2026 Aggie-Pack battle could give UC Davis a chance to bring the record closer to level and establish themselves in the conference.
UN Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas were one of the founding members of the Mountain West Conference and show no sign of leaving anytime soon. They’re one of the most stable presences in the conference, consistently hovering around the middle of the table. Since 2010, the Rebels have been steadily fighting their way up the table – with a few small setbacks, like the disastrous 2020 season.
UNLV finished second this season after winning the conference championship last year. Their success these past two seasons can be partially attributed to head coach Barry Odom. His talents were recognized and Odom’s efforts in Las Vegas have been rewarded with the head coach position at Purdue. UNLV just named Dan Mullen as the new head coach.
At 52 years old, Dan Mullen is more experienced that many of his colleagues. His coaching career has taken him across the country to institutions of varying sizes. His record working with quarterbacks is impressive and may be where he brings the most change to UNLV.
We think UNLV will be able to remain a Mountain West powerhouse in 2025 and beyond. Odom helped to lay a strong foundation for the team and Mullen has the good sense to build on it instead of shaking things up.
