UTEP to Mountain West becomes potential conference realignment move amid Pac-12's pursuit of 8 member schools

UTEP to Mountain West? The next potential conference realignment move is what is on the cards according to college football Insider Pete Thamel. On Monday, Thamel said the Mountain West conference, which has seen an exodus from five of its programs to the Pac-12 already, is reportedly in discussions with the UTEP Miners, a member of Conference USA.

Thamel added that there is a mutual interest between both parties, and he feels confirmation of a potential deal is expected soon from UTEP. Should this happen, the Mountain West would become an eight-member field, a status necessary to get recognized by the College Football Playoff and NCAA as an FBS conference.

However, if UTEP leaves Conference USA, they'll have to pay $2 million in exit fees.

Mountain West gets memorandum signed by remaining members to stay in conference

After the Pac-12 snagged five Mountain West programs – including San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State – they needed to get assurance from the remaining programs, especially UNLV and the Air Force, who were thought to be also heading for another conference.

The memorandum signed will assure commitment from seven programs to stay in the conference through 2032.

"Our immediate priority was solidifying the membership of the Mountain West. Now our focus turns to our collective future on behalf of our student-athletes," Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement released on Thursday via CBSSports.com.

"The agreements announced today mark a historic moment for the Mountain West and provide much-needed stability and clarity as the world of intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve rapidly. We are excited about our future and are executing our next steps in expanding the Mountain West," she added.

According to CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello, UNLV and Air Force will each be paid at least $25 million in bonus money to stay with the conference. Furthermore, the money will come out of the pockets of Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State, Fresno State and San Diego State, who each owe $17 million for exiting the conference and joining the Pac-12 from July 2026.

As far as Pac-12 is concerned, they will have seven members beginning in 2026. They also need to add one more member to complete their conference and earn automatic berths in the 12-team College Football Playoff Field.