Report: UNLV to Remain in Mountain West Through 2032

Ian Ritchie | Feb 14, 2025

The UNLV Rebels celebrate after defeating the California Golden Bears in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In this story:

UNLV Rebels

UNLV is officially sticking with the Mountain West Conference, locking itself in for the long haul through 2032 with a new deal. The school has signed a “grant of rights” agreement, which ties its ability to broadcast games to the conference, making it impossible to bolt for another league without facing serious consequences.

KSNV News 3 got its hands on the official contract, signed by every school staying put in the Mountain West. The key part of the agreement is that it gives the conference control over the broadcasting rights for all of its teams, which allows the Mountain West to negotiate one big TV deal instead of having schools do it alone.

The new deal officially kicks off on July 1, 2026, but UNLV’s involvement started as soon as President Keith Whitfield put pen to paper on December 9, 2024. A clause in the contract ensures that even if part of the deal is found to be unenforceable, the rest of it stays intact.

So, about that potential move to the Pac-12? UNLV can only leave the Mountain West without penalty if it gets an invite from one of the so-called “Power Four” conferences — the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, or Big 12. Until that happens, the Rebels are in the Mountain West for the long run.

After last year’s shakeup, when five Mountain West schools announced they were heading to the Pac-12 starting in 2026, UNLV made the decision to stay put. And in exchange for their loyalty, the Mountain West promised the Rebels millions in payouts over six years. On top of that, the conference is relocating its headquarters to Las Vegas, and it’s keeping the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Mountain West has been in rebuilding mode since those defections. To keep things stable, it added Northern Illinois for football, UC Davis for everything but football, and full members like Hawaii, UTEP, and Grand Canyon. With all these moves, it’s clear that the Mountain West is determined to stay competitive, and UNLV is ready to be part of that equation for the next decade.

At the end of the day, UNLV passed up a shot at the Pac-12 to double down on its future in the Mountain West, and they’ve got some serious cash and stability coming their way for it. Whether that decision pays off remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure — Las Vegas will be a key player in the conference for years to come.

Recommended Articles