Lobo Athletics will be leaving the Mountain West Conference to join a newly formed conference that spans five time zones.
UNM will still compete in the MWC for the 2012-2013 year, but it will merge with at least 15 other teams from the MWC and Conference USA in the 2013-2014 season in the new conference that has yet to be named.
The MWC ceases to exist after the 2012-2013 season.
The conference may expand to include as many as 24 teams within the next year (See graphic for complete list). All of UNM’s athletic teams will be competing in the new conference.
UNM President David Schmidly took part in the meetings that formed the conference this weekend in Dallas, Texas. He said UNM had to adapt quickly to the changes in college athletics so the teams won’t be on the outside looking in during future seasons.
“The landscape of collegiate athletics has been changing rapidly and dramatically,” Schmidly said. “UNM is excited to be part of this new association. It fits well with our concept of athletics and conference affiliation.”
After losing BYU and Utah from the MWC last season, San Diego State and Boise State followed the lead and will be leaving the conference to join the Big East this upcoming season, while TCU will be joining the Big 12.
Vice President of Athletics Paul Krebs said that with the changing of conferences, it was very important for UNM to attempt to stay in a strong conference.
“In the very dynamic landscape of intercollegiate athletics and conference realignment, this proactive move creates stability for UNM while preserving our traditional rivalries and conference partners,” Krebs said.
Krebs said he was confident this merger would make Lobo Athletics stronger and bring UNM more competition.
“While there are many details to be worked out, I am very optimistic about the future.”
Hawaii will be joining the conference on a football basis only. The conference will bring back rivalries with UTEP, Rice and Tulsa, who used to compete against UNM in the Western Athletic Conference.
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The Lobos have been in the MWC since 1999 and this will be the fifth athletic conference the UNM has competed in since its athletic program started in 1932.
Head football coach Bob Davie said the change in conference is important for UNM because it can continue to play teams that it has had long-standing rivalries with in the past.
“Our alignment with Conference USA is an exciting opportunity for us and the Mountain West, moving forward,” Davie said. “With the potential geographical breakdowns, we can keep our old, traditional rivalries and build new ones.”
With 16 teams, the conference will be most likely broken into two separate divisions, with a conference championship game between the winners of each division to find the best team.
Davie said having a conference championship is something that will be an extra goal for the football program.
“The potential of having a championship game is exciting for all of us involved with the new league,” he said.
