The Mountain West Conference is in serious discussions with UTEP about joining the league as the parties near a potential deal in the latest round of conference realignment on the West Coast, sources familiar with the talks confirmed to CBS Sports.
The development Monday comes on the heels of the Mountain West reportedly pursuing Northern Illinois and Toledo as football-only members. The MWC is also in the exploratory phase with Texas State, which would be a full-time member in the conference should discussions become serious, sources told CBS Sports. ESPN first reported that talks were underway between UTEP and the MWC on Monday.
Should UTEP be extended an invitation and opts to leave Conference USA, the MWC would have eight members with seven holding full-time status (Hawai’i is a football-only member). The NCAA requires eight full members for a league to be recognized as an FBS conference.
UTEP would owe about $2 million to Conference USA in an exit fee. The El Paso, Texas, television market is viewed as a plus for the MWC and a decision is expected soon.
UTEP has long looked to the Mountain West as a potential home well before the latest round of realignment began earlier this month with the Pac-12 snagging five members away from the current MWC lineup. UTEP joined Conference USA in 2005 after spending the previous 38 years in the WAC. The Miners were left out of the MWC at the time and joined C-USA.
The UTEP program won a championship in the WAC in 2000 and last advanced to a bowl game in 2021, when it lost to Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. UTEP is 0-4 this season under first-year coach Scotty Walden, who was hired from FCS Austin Peay.
The Mountain West announced Thursday that its remaining members have signed a memorandum of understanding to stay with the league through 2032 as the conference still needs to bolster its ranks amid the departures of five schools for the Pac-12.
Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State announced last week they will leave the MWC for the newly reformed Pac-12 starting July 2026. The Pac-12 is suing the MWC over a “poaching penalty” that could push the total monetary penalty for their departures to the Pac-12 to about $140 million.
