Mountain West releases football schedule that features an unbalanced number of conference games
The Mountain West football schedule has arrived. And it’s unique.
The 12 teams in the conference will each play eight games. But not every team will play eight conference games. Boise State will play seven conference games in addition to a game against BYU. San Diego State will also play seven conference games with a game against a to-be-determined non-conference opponent. Air Force, meanwhile, will play just six conference games thanks to matchups with Army and Navy.
The arrangement leaves the Mountain West as the only conference at the top level of college football that is beginning its pandemic-impacted season with an uneven number of conference games among its teams. Because of that, the teams in the conference won’t be divided into the traditional Mountain and West divisions and the teams with the two best winning percentages will play each other on Dec. 19 in the conference title game.
“The shift away from a two-division format was necessary to optimize the schedule and allow for maximum flexibility given the various constraints which had to be considered,” MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said in a statement. “Inasmuch as the season begins with an uneven number of conference games, and the possibility exists additional games may be lost to COVID-19 challenges, the procedures for determining the participants in and location for the MW Football Championship Game were adapted to accommodate a range of outcomes in as equitable a fashion as possible.”
The team with the best regular-season winning percentage will host the conference title game. Eleven teams in the conference will begin their seasons on Oct. 24 as Air Force’s game against Navy was previously scheduled for Saturday. Had the Mountain West not decided to go ahead with its season, Air Force was set to play Navy and Army anyway.
Full Mountain West Schedule
Oct. 3
Navy at Air Force
Oct. 24
Air Force at San Jose State
Hawaii at Fresno State
New Mexico at Colorado State
UNLV at San Diego State
Utah State at Boise State
Wyoming at Nevada
Oct. 31
Boise State at Air Force
Colorado State at Fresno State
Hawaii at Wyoming
Nevada at UNLV
San Jose State at New Mexico
San Diego State at Utah State
Nov. 7
Air Force at Army
BYU at Boise State
Fresno State at UNLV
New Mexico at Hawaii
San Jose State at San Diego State
Utah State at Nevada
Wyoming at Colorado State
Nov. 14
Air Force at Wyoming
Colorado State at Boise State
Fresno State at Utah State
Hawaii at San Diego State
Nevada at New Mexico
UNLV at San Jose State
Nov. 21
Boise State at Hawaii
New Mexico at Air Force
San Diego State at Nevada
San Jose State at Fresno State
UNLV at Colorado State
Utah State at Wyoming
Nov. 28
Colorado State at Air Force
Nevada at Hawaii
New Mexico at Utah State
San Diego State at Fresno State
San Jose State at Boise State
Wyoming at UNLV
Dec. 5
Air Force at Utah State
Boise State at UNLV
Colorado State at San Diego State
Fresno State at Nevada
Hawaii at at San Jose State
Wyoming at New Mexico
Dec. 12
Boise State at Wyoming
Fresno State at New Mexico
Nevada at San Jose State
UNLV at Hawaii
Utah State at Colorado State
San Diego vs. undetermined opponent
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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