UNLV Analyst Questions Value Of Pac-12 Move, Supports Staying In Mountain West

UNLV sideline analyst Steve Cofield believes staying in the Mountain West was the right call, casting doubt on the Pac-12's future as a true Power 5 conference.

The Mountain West and San Jose State Spartans logos are seen on the pylon before their game against the Stanford Cardinal at CEFCU Stadium. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Prior to the UNLV Rebels signing their new deal with the Mountain West Conference, their was a ton of talk and rumors about them potentially making the jump to the Pac 12. It makes a ton of sense for them to want to make the jump to a potential Power 5 conference. However, they ultimately decided to stay in the Mountain West for financial reasons, which we learned about after reports of the athletic department's debt surfaced. UNLV sideline analyst Steve Cofield believes there is a strong chance that the Rebels staying in the Mountain West was the right decision regardless of debt because the Pac 12 may not be the step up many are making it out to be. 

"Do you think, um, that the Pac-12 is where most fans would want to be? Or given that the Pac-12 is a new thing, do they not see much of a difference between that and where they are now?” Cofield said. “I’d say support to go to the Pac-12 if I were  it’s really just an educated guess, because, you know, you get in these kinds of internet social media bubbles, and you hear from a lot of people who are hardcore UNLV fans."

He also added that the move may not have been quite as popular with fans as many think and he doesn't believe the Pac 12 will become a Power 5 conference:

"So I would say, maybe 60/40 support to go to the Pac-12, but I think the 40 that aren’t that keen on going to the Pac-12 understand the situation. And you kind of nailed it on the back end of your question: is the Pac-12 a gigantic step up? Does it lead, in terms of a path, to get into, whatever the Power Four looks like automatically down the road? Is the Pac-12 going to be included back in a Power Five? I don’t think so.” 

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These are all valid points that many may not have thought about when considering this decision. In the end, UNLV may even end up being able to have their cake and eat it too if they get an invite to a more prestigious Power 4 conference at some point in the not too distant future.