The Mountain West will look dramatically different in 2026.
Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State have departed for the Pac-12, while North Dakota State, Northern Illinois and UTEP enter the football picture. North Dakota State might be the most interesting addition of all, with one of the most successful programs in FCS history making the jump to FBS football.
That leaves a 10-team Mountain West where there is no overwhelming favorite. UNLV, New Mexico, North Dakota State, Hawai‘i and Air Force all have legitimate reasons to believe they can reach the championship game.
Here is how Sportsvival ranks the Mountain West entering the 2026 season.
1. UNLV Rebels
Dan Mullen has the Rebels positioned to finally break through after three consecutive appearances in the Mountain West Championship Game. Transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold brings major upside, while running back Jai'Den Thomas, wide receiver Taeshaun Lyons and safety Jake Pope give UNLV one of the conference's most talented rosters.
2. New Mexico Lobos
New Mexico went 9-4 in Jason Eck's first season and should again be one of the toughest teams in the conference. Linebacker Jaxton Eck, the Mountain West's preseason Defensive Player of the Year, leads an experienced defense, while Jack Layne, Scottre Humphrey, Troy Omeire and tight end Cade Keith give the offense plenty of weapons.
3. North Dakota State Bison
Welcome to FBS football. North Dakota State brings a championship culture with it, and the Bison defense has enough talent to compete immediately, especially with Keenan Wilson and Darius Givance leading the way. Quarterback Nathan Hayes will be one of the biggest keys to determining whether NDSU is simply competitive or actually playing for the Mountain West championship in Year One.
4. Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors
Quarterback Micah Alejado gives Hawai‘i a chance to beat anybody in this conference. The Mountain West preseason Offensive Player of the Year threw for 3,106 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, and having Pofele Ashlock back at receiver makes this one of the conference's most dangerous passing combinations.
5. Air Force Falcons
Don't sleep on Air Force. Quarterback Liam Szarka returns after accounting for more than 2,200 yards of offense last season, while Owen Allen gives the Falcons another proven runner in their triple-option attack. If a more experienced defense improves, Air Force could easily finish higher than fifth.
6. Wyoming Cowboys
Wyoming's defense should once again keep the Cowboys in games, but the offense has to take a significant step forward. If new offensive coordinator Christian Taylor can generate more production, Wyoming has enough defensive talent to become a bowl team and a dangerous opponent in Laramie.
7. Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada enters an important third season under Jeff Choate looking to finally turn competitive stretches into victories. The Wolf Pack should be stronger along the offensive line and defensively, but either Carter Jones or UCLA transfer Luke Duncan needs to provide consistent quarterback play.
8. San José State Spartans
There has been major roster turnover for Ken Niumatalolo, especially at quarterback and wide receiver. Hawai‘i transfer Luke Weaver should get an opportunity to run the offense, while running back Jabari Bates could become one of the Spartans' more important weapons.
9. Northern Illinois Huskies
Northern Illinois enters the Mountain West in rebuilding mode after a 3-9 season and the departure of head coach Thomas Hammock. New quarterback Taron Dickens brings some intrigue, but interim coach Rob Harley inherits a roster with plenty of questions, especially defensively.
10. UTEP Miners
A new conference gives UTEP an opportunity for a fresh start, but there is still a significant rebuilding job ahead. Quarterback EJ Colson Jr. and versatile playmaker Kam Thomas give the Miners some offensive pieces, but UTEP will need major improvement defensively and in the trenches to climb these rankings.
Mountain West Championship Game Prediction
The Mountain West Championship Game will feature the two teams with the best conference winning percentages and will be played Friday, December 4.
UNLV 31, New Mexico 27
North Dakota State, Hawai‘i and Air Force are all capable of crashing this matchup, but Sportsvival is going with the two programs that appear to have the best combination of roster talent and conference experience.
New Mexico's defense will keep this close, especially with Jaxton Eck roaming the middle of the field, but Jackson Arnold's ability to create with his arm and legs becomes the difference.
Sportsvival's 2026 Mountain West Champion: UNLV Rebels
Sportsvival’s Preseason First-Team All-Mountain West
Offense
QB - Micah Alejado, Hawai‘i
RB - Jai'Den Thomas, UNLV
RB - Owen Allen, Air Force
WR - Pofele Ashlock, Hawai‘i
WR - Troy Omeire, New Mexico
WR - Taeshaun Lyons, UNLV
TE - Cade Keith, New Mexico
OL - Jack Foster, Nevada
OL - Malik Aliane, New Mexico
OL - Griffin Empey, North Dakota State
OL - Austin Boyd, UNLV
OL - Rex Johnsen, Wyoming
Alejado was named the conference's official preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while all of the players above were also selected to the Mountain West preseason all-conference team.
Defense
DL - Dylan LaBarbera, Nevada
DL - Brian Booker, New Mexico
DL - Keenan Wilson, North Dakota State
DL - Lucas Conti, UNLV
LB - Blake Fletcher, Air Force
LB - Jamih Otis, Hawai‘i
LB - Jaxton Eck, New Mexico
LB - Ethan Stuhlsatz, Wyoming
DB - Elijah Palmer, Hawai‘i
DB - Aiden Walker, Nevada
DB - Darius Givance, North Dakota State
DB - Jake Pope, UNLV
New Mexico linebacker Jaxton Eck enters the season as the Mountain West preseason Defensive Player of the Year after recording 129 tackles in 2025.
Specialists
K - Joe McFadden, Nevada
P - Bart Edmiston, Wyoming
KR/PR - Jackson Williams, North Dakota State
Williams arrives in the Mountain West after earning FCS All-America recognition as a return specialist and enters 2026 as the conference's preseason Special Teams Player of the Year.
Final Thoughts
The 2026 Mountain West might not have the national name recognition it had when Boise State was carrying the banner, but that doesn't mean the conference will be boring.
In fact, the opposite may be true.
UNLV and New Mexico enter as Sportsvival's top two teams, North Dakota State is the ultimate wild card, Hawai‘i has the conference's best quarterback and Air Force is capable of ruining everybody's plans.
The team to watch is North Dakota State. Nobody should expect the Bison to dominate immediately just because of their incredible FCS history, but nobody should dismiss them either. They have spent decades building a program based on physical football, player development and winning.
For now, Sportsvival is going with UNLV.
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