The Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of the Mountain West Conference (MW).
History
From 1999 to 2012, the champion of the Mountain West was determined by regular season record. Beginning in 2013, following the expansion to twelve members and the division of the conference into Mountain and West Divisions, the conference championship game was held between the two division winners. The Mountain West is one of four conferences to have its championship game at a campus site, along with the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, and the Sun Belt Conference.
The most recent 2022 championship game was the last to feature division winners. On May 20, 2022, the MW announced that it would eliminate its football divisions effective with the 2023 season, instead sending the top two teams in the conference standings to the title game. Two days earlier, the NCAA Division I Council had approved a rule change that gave all FBS conferences full freedom to determine the participants in their football championship games.
The inaugural MW Championship Game was played on December 7, 2013, at Fresno State's Bulldog Stadium and televised by CBS.
Members Membership is current for the upcoming 2026 season, reflecting membership changes that become official that July. Air Force Hawaii Nevada New Mexico North Dakota State Northern Illinois San Jose State UNLV UTEP Wyoming
Results
Mountain West Conference champions (1999–2012) SeasonChampion(s) Conference record Overall record Bowl result1999 Utah 5–2 9–3 Won BYU 5–2 8–4 Lost Colorado State 5–2 8–4 Lost 2000 Colorado State 6–1 10–2 Won 2001 BYU 7–0 12–2 Lost 2002 Colorado State 6–1 10–4 Lost 2003 Utah 6–1 10–2 Won Liberty Bowl 2004 Utah 7–0 12–0 Won Fiesta Bowl 2005 TCU 8–0 11–1 Won Houston Bowl 2006 BYU 8–0 11–2 Won Las Vegas Bowl 2007 BYU 8–0 11–2 Won Las Vegas Bowl 2008 Utah 8–0 13–0 Won Sugar Bowl 2009 TCU 8–0 12–1 Lost Fiesta Bowl 2010 TCU 8–0 13–0 Won Rose Bowl 2011 TCU 7–0 11–2 Won Poinsettia Bowl2012 Boise State 7–1 11–2 Won Maaco Bowl Las Vegas Fresno State 7–1 9–4 Lost Hawaii Bowl San Diego State 7–1 9–4 Lost Poinsettia Bowl Total 18 bowl games 11 wins, 7 losses
Mountain West Conference Championship Game (2013–present) Below are the results from all Mountain West Conference Football Championship Games played. The winning team appears in bold font, on a background of their primary team color. Rankings are from the AP Poll released prior to the game.
WestMountainSite AttendanceMVP 2013 Fresno State 24 Utah State 17 Bulldog Stadium • Fresno, CA 31,362 QB Derek Carr, Fresno State 2014 Fresno State 14 Boise State 28 Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID 26,101 Offensive: QB Grant Hedrick, Boise StateDefensive: MLB Tanner Vallejo, Boise State 2015 San Diego State 27 Air Force 24 Qualcomm Stadium • San Diego, CA 20,959Offensive: QB Christian Chapman, San Diego StateDefensive: S Na'im McGee, San Diego State2016 San Diego State 27 Wyoming 24 War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, WY 24,001 Offensive: RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego StateDefensive: S Damontae Kazee, San Diego State 2017 Fresno State 14 Boise State 17 Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID24,515Offensive: QB Brett Rypien, Boise StateDefensive: LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State 2018 Fresno State 19 Boise State 16OT23,662Offensive: RB Alexander Mattison, Boise StateDefensive: DE Mykal Walker, Fresno State 2019 Hawaii 10 Boise State 31 23,561Offensive: QB Jaylon Henderson, Boise StateDefensive: DT Sonatane Lui, Boise State YearNo. 1 seedNo. 2 seed Site Attendance MVP 2020 San Jose State 34 Boise State 20 Sam Boyd Stadium • Whitney, NV 0 Offensive: QB Nick Starkel, San Jose StateDefensive: DE Cade Hall, San Jose StateYearWestMountainSiteAttendanceMVP 2021 San Diego State 13 Utah State 46 Dignity Health Sports Park • Carson, CA 13,445 Offensive: QB Logan Bonner, Utah State Defensive: DE Byron Vaughns, Utah State 2022 Fresno State 28 Boise State 16 Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID 24,037 Offensive: QB Jake Haener, Fresno StateDefensive: DB Cam Lockridge, Fresno StateNo. 1 seedNo. 2 seedSite AttendanceMVP 2023 UNLV 20 Boise State 44 Allegiant Stadium • Paradise, NV 31,473 Offensive: Taylen Green, Boise StateDefensive: Alexander Teubner, Boise State 2024 Boise State 21 UNLV 7Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID 36,663 Offensive: Ashton Jeanty, Boise StateDefensive: Seyi Oladipo, Boise State 2025 Boise State 38 UNLV21 27,152Offensive: Maddux Madsen, Boise StateDefensive: Ty Benefield, Boise State Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 game was played behind closed doors without fans.
Results by team Current members GamesSchoolWLPctTitlesRunners-up3UNLV03.000 2023, 2024, 20251San Jose State10 2020 1Air Force01.000 20151Wyoming01.000 20161Hawaii01.000 20190Nevada00 0New Mexico00 0North Dakota State00 0Northern Illinois00 0UTEP00
Former members School Wins Loss. Pct. Year(s) Won Year(s) Lost9Boise State632014, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024, 20252018, 2020, 20225Fresno State322013, 2018, 20222014, 20173San Diego State21 2015, 2016 20212Utah State11.50020212013
Rematches The Mountain West Conference Football Championship game has featured a rematch of a regular-season game a total of eight times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025). The team which won the regular-season game is 4-4 in the rematches, winning in 2014, 2019, 2024, and 2025 but losing in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022.
No results by team School Colorado State
Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and UTEP have yet to appear in a Mountain West Championship Game. Colorado State did not make an appearance in a Mountain West Conference Championship Game while a member of the conference.
Selection criteria The Tiebreaking procedures for both selection for the Championship game and determination of the host for the 2023 Season are as follows.
Two-team tiebreaker procedure Head-to-head record between the tied teams Highest College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee Ranking (or composite of selected computer rankings). If one or both teams are ranked in the Nov 21, 2023 CFP Rankings and win in the final weekend of regular season play, the CFP Rankings will serve at the tiebreaker. If no team is both ranked in the Nov 21 CFP rankings and wins in the final weekend then, "a composite average of selected computer rankings" will serve as the tiebreaker. Overall winning percentage against all opponents. (max one FCS win will be counted) Record against the next highest-placed team in the Conference Standings Winning percentage against common conference opponents. Coin toss
Three or more-team tiebreaker procedure This procedure is used until two teams remain tied, then the two-team tiebreaker procedures will be used. Head-to-head winning percentage among the tied teams. If within the mini round-robin of tied teams, any of the tied teams did not play each other, the group of teams shall remain tied, unless one team defeated all other tied teams. Highest College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee Ranking (or composite of selected computer rankings). If one or both teams are ranked in the Nov 21, 2023 CFP Rankings and win in the final weekend of regular season play, the CFP Rankings will serve at the tiebreaker. If no team is both ranked in the Nov 21 CFP rankings and wins in the final weekend then, "a composite average of selected computer rankings" will serve as the tiebreaker. Overall winning percentage against all opponents. (max one FCS win will be counted) Record against the next highest-placed team in the Conference Standings Winning percentage against common conference opponents. Drawing to be conducted virtually by the commissioner to determine the two teams.
Once the tie is reduced to two teams, then the two-team tiebreaker is used.
Host determination Current procedure The team with the best conference record hosts the championship game. The tiebreaker procedure for determining which teams are selected for the championship game also serves as the tiebreaking procedure for determining who is the host.
2018–2022 procedure The team with the best conference record hosts the championship game. Before 2023, the division champion with the better conference record hosted the game. If the teams have the same record, the following tie-breaking procedure is used: Head-to-head record Higher College Football Playoff ranking going into the final week of regular season, excluding teams who are not ranked and/or that lost their final regular season game Composite of selected computer rankings Record versus common conference opponents Highest overall winning percentage (conference and non-conference excluding exempt games) Coin toss
2013–2017 procedure From 2013 to 2017, the division champion with the higher College Football Playoff ranking going into the final week of regular season was designated as the host school unless it lost its final regular season game. If the latter occurred, or neither team was ranked in the latest available College Football Playoff rankings, then the following procedure was used:Host and divisional tiebreakers Team with better composite ranking among selected computer rankings Head-to-head record Record versus common conference opponents Winning percentage against the next-highest placed common conference opponent and proceeding through the conference, with placing based on: Placement within the division Overall conference record Composite of selected computer rankings Coin toss
This procedure was discontinued after the 2017 Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game after Boise State was selected to host the game despite having the same conference record as their opponent Fresno State and losing to Fresno State during the regular season.
Game records