If you stepped away from your TV for even a week this past fall, you probably felt completely lost looking at the mountain west football standings. Honestly, it was a mess. A beautiful, chaotic, four-way-tie kind of mess. We went into the final stretch of the 2025 season with a logjam at the top that felt less like a conference race and more like a high-speed pileup on I-84.
Basically, the "old guard" and the "new reality" collided. Boise State entered the season as the heavy favorite, but by November, they were trading blows with a rejuvenated UNLV squad led by Dan Mullen and a New Mexico team that absolutely nobody saw coming. When the dust finally settled on the regular season, we didn't just have one leader; we had four teams sitting at 6-2 in conference play. It was the kind of tie-breaker headache that makes athletic directors lose sleep and fans refresh Twitter every thirty seconds.
The 6-2 Traffic Jam at the Top
Let’s look at the numbers because they’re kind of wild. Boise State, UNLV, San Diego State, and New Mexico all finished with identical 6-2 conference records. If you're looking for a clear-cut hierarchy, you won't find it in the win-loss column alone.
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UNLV actually finished with the best overall record at 10-4. They were explosive. Anthony Colandrea, their quarterback who moved over in the offseason, ended up taking home Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors. He was the engine behind a Rebels offense that dropped 51 points on Air Force and kept the scoreboard operators in Las Vegas busy all year. But even with 10 wins, they couldn't claim the outright regular-season crown because of the way the tie-breakers shook out.
New Mexico was the real shocker. Predicted to finish 11th in the preseason poll, the Lobos under Jason Eck defied every single projection. They finished 9-4 overall. Eck was named Coach of the Year, and his son, Jaxton Eck, was part of a defense that suddenly decided to start hitting people. They weren't just "good for New Mexico"—they were legitimately one of the best teams in the league, evidenced by their 6-2 conference mark.
San Diego State also surged back into relevance under Sean Lewis, finishing 9-4. Their defense was the stingiest in the bunch, led by Chris Johnson, the MWC Defensive Player of the Year. They stayed in the race by winning ugly and winning late, but in the end, the computer models and tie-breaker formulas favored the two teams that eventually met on the blue turf.
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The Final Regular Season Standings
- Boise State Broncos: 6-2 (9-5 Overall) - Conference Champions
- UNLV Rebels: 6-2 (10-4 Overall) - Runner-up
- San Diego State Aztecs: 6-2 (9-4 Overall)
- New Mexico Lobos: 6-2 (9-4 Overall)
- Fresno State Bulldogs: 5-3 (9-4 Overall)
- Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: 5-3 (9-4 Overall)
- Utah State Aggies: 4-4 (6-7 Overall)
- Air Force Falcons: 3-5 (4-8 Overall)
- Wyoming Cowboys: 2-6 (4-8 Overall)
- Nevada Wolf Pack: 2-6 (3-9 Overall)
- San Jose State Spartans: 2-6 (3-9 Overall)
- Colorado State Rams: 1-7 (2-10 Overall)
Why the Blue Turf Still Dictates the Mountain West
Despite the four-way tie, the road to the trophy still ran through Boise. On December 5, 2025, Boise State hosted UNLV in the championship game. The Broncos won 38-21, securing their third consecutive Mountain West title.
It was a statement. Maddux Madsen, the Broncos' quarterback, was coming off an injury and looked like he hadn't missed a beat. He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, looking completely in control against a UNLV defense that had been tough all year. This win was significant because it made Boise State the first team in the history of the conference to pull off a three-peat.
People love to talk about Boise State "falling off," but the mountain west football standings tell a different story. Spencer Danielson has built a culture that just knows how to win in December. They took some lumps early—losses to South Florida and Notre Dame weren't pretty—but when it came to conference play, they found another gear. Even after losing star running back Ashton Jeanty to the NFL (he went 6th overall to the Raiders, by the way), the Broncos found a way to stay at the top.
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Surprises and Total Disappointments
You can't talk about these standings without mentioning Colorado State. Man, what a disaster. They were picked to finish 4th in the preseason. They finished dead last. Jay Norvell was fired on October 19 after a 2-5 start, and the team just cratered from there, finishing 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the league. It was a miserable way to end their tenure in the Mountain West before they head off to the Pac-12 in 2026.
Then there’s Hawaii. Timmy Chang actually had them playing some decent ball. They finished 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the conference. They even won the Hawaii Bowl against California, 35-31. For a program that’s been struggling for consistency, that’s a massive win. They were quietly one of the most dangerous teams in the league by the end of the year.
Air Force, on the other hand, had a rare "down" year by their standards. Finishing 4-8 is not what Troy Calhoun expects, but they were plagued by injuries and a lack of explosive plays. They did manage to beat Colorado State in the finale, which I guess provides a little bit of a silver lining for the fans in Colorado Springs.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
The 2025 season is in the books, but the landscape is shifting. If you're following the mountain west football standings moving forward, here is what you actually need to keep an eye on:
- The Pac-12 Raid: This was the final year for the conference as we know it. Colorado State, Boise State, San Diego State, and Fresno State are all preparing for the big move. Expect 2026 to be a "lame duck" year filled with even more spite-fueled rivalry games.
- The "New" Top Dogs: With the big names leaving soon, programs like UNLV and New Mexico have a massive opportunity to seize the throne. Dan Mullen has UNLV recruiting at a level we haven't seen in the desert in decades.
- Transfer Portal Volatility: Keep a close eye on New Mexico. After Jason Eck's success, his roster will likely be targeted by Power 4 schools. Whether they can retain talent will dictate if they stay at 9 wins or slide back to 3.
- Quarterback Battles: Maddux Madsen will be the veteran to beat in 2026. If he stays healthy, Boise State is the default favorite until someone physically removes the trophy from their facility.
The era of Boise State dominance isn't over yet, but the 2025 standings proved that the gap is closing. Every week in this conference felt like a coin flip, and with the upcoming realignment, that chaos is only going to ramp up. Keep your eyes on the transfer portal this spring; that's where the 2026 standings are being written right now.
Next Steps for Fans:
Review the final 2025 bowl results to see which returning rosters performed best under pressure. You should also track the incoming recruiting classes for UNLV and New Mexico to see if they can sustain their 2025 momentum into the 2026 transition year.