Lead
On February 24, 2026, in Colorado Springs, the Mountain West Conference released revised matchups for the 2026 college football season after adding North Dakota State. The updated slate features 10 programs competing in 40 conference games across four time zones. Each team is scheduled for eight conference games — four at home and four on the road — over a 13-week regular season. The campaign will culminate in the Mountain West Football Championship Game between the two teams with the highest conference win percentages, with a possible College Football Playoff berth at stake.
Key Takeaways
- The Mountain West published updated 2026 matchups on February 24, 2026, following the addition of North Dakota State to the league.
- The conference will field 10 programs in 2026 and stage 40 conference games across four U.S. time zones.
- Each team plays a balanced conference slate of four home and four away games during a 13-week regular season.
- The 2026 season concludes with the Mountain West Football Championship Game, featuring the two teams with the best conference winning percentages.
- New conference members for 2026 are North Dakota State, Northern Illinois (NIU) and UTEP, joining seven existing members: Air Force, Hawaiʻi, Nevada, New Mexico, San José State, UNLV and Wyoming.
- The full, game-by-game 2026 schedule will be released in the coming weeks with kickoff times and television assignments to follow.
Background
Conference realignment has reshaped college football schedules and membership nationwide; the Mountain West’s 2026 update follows that broader trend. North Dakota State, Northern Illinois and UTEP were announced as new members for 2026, prompting the league office to revise matchups originally published earlier. Adding programs changes travel patterns and media markets, extending the MW footprint across four time zones and creating new competitive matchups.
Historically, the Mountain West has adjusted its scheduling formats to preserve rivalries while accommodating new entrants and media contracts. The conference’s decision to keep an eight-game conference slate (four home, four away) maintains parity in path to the championship game and aims to balance competitive fairness with logistical feasibility. Athletic departments must now prepare for altered travel schedules and opponents, with implications for budgeting, recruiting, and roster management.
Main Event
The Mountain West’s release lists opponent pairings for each member in 2026. Notably, Air Force, Hawaiʻi, Nevada, New Mexico, San José State, UNLV and Wyoming retain established conference ties while integrating games against North Dakota State, NIU and UTEP. Each team’s schedule comprises four home and four away conference contests; the conference provided opponent-level assignments but will issue the complete week-by-week calendar later.
Examples from the release: Air Force is set to host North Dakota State, San José State, UNLV and UTEP while traveling to Nevada, New Mexico, NIU and Wyoming. Hawaiʻi will host New Mexico, North Dakota State, San José State and UNLV and will travel to Nevada, NIU, UTEP and Wyoming. North Dakota State’s initial Mountain West slate includes home games against Nevada, NIU, UTEP and Wyoming and road games at Air Force, Hawaiʻi, New Mexico and UNLV.
The conference emphasized that the 13-week framework preserves a championship-game window and leaves room for non-conference scheduling. While opponents are assigned, exact dates, kickoff times and television partners remain pending the full schedule release. The Mountain West reiterated that championship-game participants are determined by conference win percentage, not divisional alignment.
Analysis & Implications
Adding North Dakota State, NIU and UTEP expands competitive depth and geographic reach for the Mountain West. North Dakota State brings a winning pedigree at lower levels of college football and introduces a new competitive variable; the long-term effect on parity will depend on transitions in roster depth and resource allocation. For existing members, the new matchups could alter bowl positioning and recruiting footprints, especially in Midwestern and Texas border regions.
Travel and logistics become more complex with games spanning four time zones, affecting preparation windows, recovery and staff planning. Programs such as Hawaiʻi already manage significant travel; additional long-distance trips for other members may increase operational costs. Conference and school budgets will need to account for the revised travel schedule, potentially influencing non-conference scheduling decisions and midweek travel policies.
Media and playoff implications are significant: a larger footprint can improve television market access, but the conference must translate matchups into compelling national narratives to secure favorable TV slots. The championship game’s potential access to the College Football Playoff underscores competitive stakes, but earning a CFP berth still relies on performance and broader selection dynamics beyond conference control.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | 2026 Value |
|---|---|
| Conference members | 10 |
| Total conference games | 40 |
| Conference games per team | 8 (4 home, 4 away) |
| Regular-season length | 13 weeks |
| Time zones covered | 4 |
The table above summarizes the structural changes for 2026. Maintaining an eight-game conference slate preserves balance among members; the 13-week window provides room for non-conference opponents and for television scheduling. The four time-zone footprint reflects the league’s geographic expansion and will be a central operational consideration for athletic departments.
Reactions & Quotes
“We are pleased to announce the updated 2026 matchups and welcome North Dakota State to the conference family,”
Mountain West (official release)
This statement, released by the conference office, framed the updated slate as both an expansion of competition and an administrative step to integrate new members. The league noted scheduling partners and television assignments will be finalized with the full schedule.
“The addition of new programs reshapes recruiting and regional dynamics; how quickly teams adjust will determine competitive balance,”
Mountain West (official release)
Conference materials and athletic department notes highlighted operational challenges and opportunities inherent in the revised slate. Athletic directors and coaching staffs will monitor travel, rest windows and roster depth as the season approaches.
Unconfirmed
- The full week-by-week 2026 game calendar, including dates and kickoff times, has not yet been released and remains pending.
- Television rights and broadcast windows for specific games — including which networks will carry marquee matchups — have not been confirmed.
- Exact impacts on team travel budgets and institutional scheduling arrangements have not been disclosed by conference or member schools.
Bottom Line
The Mountain West’s updated 2026 matchups formalize the conference’s expansion to 10 teams and set a clear competitive framework: eight conference games per team across a 13-week season, ending in a championship game. The addition of North Dakota State, NIU and UTEP broadens the league’s reach, introduces new competitive dynamics and creates both logistical challenges and new media opportunities.
Fans and programs should watch for the forthcoming full schedule to understand exact dates, national broadcast assignments and the sequencing of rivalry and travel weeks. In the near term, athletic departments will focus on operational planning — travel, budgeting and recruiting — while coaches and players prepare for a season that could reshape the Mountain West pecking order.