The Mountain West just absorbed the biggest realignment hit of the decade and didn’t flinch.
CBS is staying. FOX hasn’t walked. ESPN is circling. And the league’s media future isn’t collapsing, it’s adapting.
This week, The Athletic confirmed what Mountain West leadership has hinted at for months: CBS will remain a core rights partner in the league’s next media deal. CBS Sports Network will continue to carry football and basketball, and CBS proper is still in play for select matchups depending on availability.
And FOX? Still in the mix. Commissioner Gloria Nevarez says there’s “optimism” that a deal gets done. Not finalized, but far from dead.
Throw in ESPN+ and streamers like Max, Amazon, and Apple, and suddenly the narrative that this league is irrelevant doesn’t hold up.
When the Deal Starts
The current Mountain West TV deal is set to run through the 2025–26 season.The new package takes effect on July 1, 2026, and is tied directly to the new Grant of Rights agreement, which locks in remaining members through 2032.
This isn’t abstract. This is the future.
CBS Leads — But the Big Ten Comes First
CBS is back, but let’s be clear: the Big Ten is its top priority. The 3:30 PM ET Saturday slot is reserved for Michigan and Ohio State, as well as a billion-dollar contract.
But after that?
CBS needs inventory. And according to The Athletic, the Mountain West is part of its long-term content strategy. That means CBS Sports Network will carry the majority of MWC football and basketball, while top-tier matchups between the Mountain West and the Pac-12 will rotate onto CBS’s leading network depending on strength and timing.
If the Pac-12 delivers Boise–SDSU in a ranked showdown, they’ll get the slot. But if UNLV–Air Force is 9–1 heading into November in Allegiant Stadium? CBS could ride with Vegas.
The Mountain West didn’t lose the network; it stayed in the rotation.
FOX Hasn’t Left And UNLV Is the Pivot Point
FOX hasn’t re-signed. But Nevarez made it clear: they’re talking. And if FOX stays, it won’t be for Boise anymore.
It’ll be for UNLV.
Las Vegas has a top-40 media market, a $2 billion NFL stadium, and a $3.5 million head coach in Dan Mullen, who understands how this works. FOX once turned Boise into a Friday night staple. Now, with the Broncos gone to the Pac-12, UNLV is positioned to take that spotlight.
If FOX signs on, expect:
Friday night national games
The Mountain West Championship
UNLV, Air Force, and Hawai‘i featured heavily
It’s not nostalgia. It’s business.
ESPN Isn’t Gone: It’s Waiting
ESPN hasn’t exited the Mountain West picture; it’s repositioning.ESPN+ is likely to serve as a digital tier, especially for:
Overflow football content
Thursday night games
Non-revenue and Olympic sports
With the SEC, Big 12, and ACC filling up ESPN’s main schedule, this is where the Mountain West fits, and that’s fine. It’s not about prestige anymore. It’s about the platform.
The Full Media Tier Breakdown
Here’s how the next Mountain West media deal is shaping up:
CBS: Lead partner post–Big Ten; national games and CBSSN core
FOX: Still in active talks; potential Friday night headliner and title game
TNT Sports: Possible third-tier package (tested in 2023)
The CW: Late-night content or shoulder coverage
Max, Amazon, Apple: Streaming coverage of Olympic sports and overflow
ESPN+: Digital tier for midweek football, basketball, and Olympic content
This is not a fallback. It’s a flexible, multi-platform strategy.
No Payout Numbers, But the Priorities Are Clear
There are no official payout figures yet. But the league already showed its hand with the 2024 Grant of Rights:
UNLV received the largest share of future poaching compensation — a recognition of its market, reach, and media value
Air Force brings national appeal, military alignment, and consistent competitive relevance
These are the financial pillars of the new deal.
Expect a tiered structure, not equal revenue.Mid-tier programs like Hawai‘i, Nevada, and New Mexico will follow. Newcomers like UTEP, Grand Canyon, NIU (football-only), and UC Davis (non-football) round out the distribution.
The order is already in place — the numbers will just finalize it.
The Late-Night Edge: Still the Mountain West’s Domain
No matter what the Pac-12 rebuilds, it still has one problem:
It doesn’t own the West Coast’s late-night time slot.
The Mountain West does.
Games that kick at 7:30 or 8:00 PM PT are irreplaceable programming for CBS, FOX, ESPN, and streaming platforms. No other league can fill that gap, not the SEC, not the Big Ten, not the ACC.
And as long as those windows exist, the Mountain West has something to sell.
Final Thought: They Took the Brands — Not the Screens
The Pac-12 took Boise. It took San Diego State. It took Gonzaga.But it didn’t take CBS.It hasn’t secured FOX.And it doesn’t own the 10:30 PM window.
The Mountain West didn’t fold.It recalibrated.And now it’s building a media model around scarcity, leverage, and access, not reputation.
Let the others chase legacy.
The Mountain West is selling time slots, and people are still buying.
Michael Cooper covers UNLV, realignment strategy, and college football media rights for The Scarlet Standard. Subscribe for the latest as the Mountain West finalizes its most critical deal yet.