Mountain West Announces Conference Matchups For 2026 Football Season

With the 2025 college football season officially over for all the teams in the Mountain West aside from their bowl games, they are now looking towards 2026 and ushering in a new era for the conference. An era that will see plenty of changes, including new teams joining the conference and others exiting for the Pac-12.

The Mountain West Conference released a statement today acknowledging a new chapter in the Mountain West on their official website. They also released the 2026 matchups for all remaining and new members of the conference. The Mountain West Conference stated:

"The Mountain West today announced its 2026 football matchups, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the league. With a refreshed lineup and expanded footprint, the 2026 season will showcase nine programs competing across 36 Conference games that will deliver a season packed with intensity, tradition and fresh rivalries.

NIU and UTEP join the Mountain West in 2026, bringing rich football traditions and passionate fan bases that will elevate the Conference’s competitive landscape. NIU and UTEP join Air Force, Hawai‘i, Nevada, New Mexico, San José State, UNLV and Wyoming.

Each team will play four home and four away Conference games over a 14-week schedule, culminating in the Mountain West Football Championship Game, featuring the two teams with the highest Conference winning percentages.

Fans can look forward to fierce rivalries, memorable road trips and a championship chase filled with drama from start to finish. The Mountain West is setting a new standard for competition as it drives toward the ultimate goal: the #MWPathtothePlayoff."

The UNLV Rebels' Mountain West opponents for the 2026 season are set. They play a lot of familiar faces, but also new ones. In their home games in Las Vegas, they will be hosting the Nevada Wolf Pack for the Fremont Cannon, the Wyoming Cowboys, and newcomers to the conference, the NIU Huskies and the UTEP Miners.

They'll hit the road to face off with the Air Force Falcons, Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors, New Mexico Lobos, and San Jose State Spartans. The Lobos are looking like the toughest opponents they'll face on the road.

UNLV Rebels 2026 Mountain West Schedule

Home – Nevada Wolf Pack
Home – NIU Huskies
Home – UTEP Miners
Home – Wyoming Cowboys

Away – Air Force Falcons
Away – Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors
Away – New Mexico Lobos
Away – San Jose State Spartans

More UNLV Rebels On SI News