The University of Wyoming is a part of an NCAA Division 1-A intercollegiate athletic conference, formally known as the Mountain West. Since the beginning of its institution, the mission statement of the MW has been to promote academics and good sportsmanship. It also has strived to give student athletes the opportunity to play at the highest levels of competition.
The conference dates back to May 1998, when presidents from eight institutions — Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah and Wyoming — decided they needed to downsize from a former 16-team conference to re-establish and continue with the more traditional, long-standing rivalries. The changes the MW has made since it was founded have been proactive. There have been membership changes since its initial establishment, including teams TCU, Boise State, Fresno State and University of Nevada. The University of Hawaii also joined as a football-only member. Upcoming additions to the MW conference are set to include San Jose State University and Utah State University effective July 1, 2013.
In the MW conference, they find it extremely important that teams do their best on and off the field. The have created a long list of sports ethics that are both practical and logical in their characteristics. They also have created a significant system of penalties to deal with violations pertaining to players’ conduct. The MW also has, over the years, constructed academic exchange programs throughout the regions that allow library crossovers and shared research.
The MW is home to more than 7,000 student-athletes. Each year they are given the chance to compete in first-class athletic and academic experiences. Since the start of the conference the MW has given out 38 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships and well as some awarded league-sponsored postgraduate scholarships. There also have been three students, including Wyoming’s own Jessica Mellinger, who are Rhodes scholar.
The conference has been known for its many achievements throughout the past 13 years. According to reports from the MW, the conference has produced 762 All-American selections among its 18 sponsored sports. There also have been 125 student- athletes who have additionally earned Academic All-America honors. The MW has sent approximately 28 teams to post-season events in the NCAA, where they have won three team national championships.
Playing a huge role in the conference’s make-up, Commissioner Craig Thompson, the MW’s first employee, has been with the program since the beginning. He became the commissioner in 1998 and has navigated the conference through all of its changes throughout the years. Because of Thompson’s leadership, the MW has been able to enhance its television revenue and exposure. In 2006, the Mountain West Sports Network was launched and has since been dedicating its airtime to major collegiate athletic games and conferences.
There are many unique features about the MW conference from its geographic diversity to the way it is structured in the NCAA. One very well-known feature is the MW’s continuing tradition of the “The Border War,” the competition between Colorado State and Wyoming. The first war was played in 1899, before a conference had been established. The Bronze Boot has since been won by both teams at least 40 times.
As the years progress, student-athletes will be given a voice pertaining to issues within the MW and the NCAA governance and structure through representation on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. This promises to keep the association fair and controlled for the athletes to come. The MW will continue in its current conference and for conferences to come providing a good athletic atmosphere to its teams and their fans.
