Rumors have circulated around college football regarding the realignment. These rumors have not impacted Mountain West for the most part, so far. There is a lot of speculation that the Air Force and the State of Colorado will be leaving to join the American Athletic Conference. This news was a bit surprising, considering Mountain West’s best appearance on paper after UCF and Cincinnati left the AAC. Do the State of Colorado and the Air Force know something we don’t know? Do Boise State Rumors Go Big 12 More Than Rumors? Only time will tell. but suppose the Mountain West remains at ten teams. How does the potential departure of the Air Force and the State of Colorado impact the rest of the conference? Let’s look at each individual team and see if it’s positive, negative, or indifferent to them.

Boise State: This is great news for Boise State for a number of reasons. Are the State of Colorado and the Air Force leaving if they don’t think more defections are on the horizon? Is this the sign of a Big 12 invitation? Those questions remain unanswered, but even if Boise State stays put, playing at Nevada, Fresno State, and San Diego State is good for all programs involved. The impact on Bronco’s athleticism is POSITIVE.

Fresno State: I think this could be great news for the Bulldogs. They’ve built a pretty consistent football schedule and an annual rivalry with the Broncos is good for both teams. The impact on Bulldog athletics is POSITIVE.

Hawaii: This is pretty trivial news for the Rainbow Warriors. It might cut down on travel costs a bit, but that’s about it. I think Hawaii athletics has bigger questions to answer. Will a new stadium see the light of day? Is becoming self-employed a better option? The impact on Rainbow Warrior’s athleticism is INDIFFERENT.

Nevada: Nevada is in an interesting position here. They don’t really have a rivalry with Colorado schools, but they don’t really have the option of going anywhere else. If the rest of the western mountain remains intact, that will be perfect for the wolf pack. They can reconnect with one of the conference’s best rivalries with Boise State. The impact on the athleticism of Wolf Pack is POSITIVE.

New Mexico: I think if any school in Mountain West has to worry about its future, it’s New Mexico. Lobo’s track and field program is in bad shape and what was once a great basketball school is now below par. If Mountain West collapses, where do the Lobos go? The impact on Lobo’s athleticism is NEGATIVE.

State of San Diego: I’m sure the Aztecs are a little hurt to see some of Mountain West’s other founding programs go. But let’s not pretend that they were in fact rivals. Like Boise State, San Diego State has more lofty goals in mind and they believe the sophisticated new stadium that opens next year will help them achieve them. The impact on Aztec athletics is INDIFFERENT.

State of San José: The Spartans don’t really have a history with Colorado teams and they have only recently seen success in football. The state of San Jose has attempted to create rivalries with Hawaii and the state of Fresno, so these are probably the schools with which they associate most closely. I think playing Boise State every year could be a good thing for the Spartans. The impact on Spartan athletics is POSITIVE.

UNLV: Like the Aztecs, the UNLV has been attached to the Air Force and CSU for some time. But there was never a real rivalry there. The real rival of the UNLV is Nevada. Unless the football and basketball teams are getting better, it doesn’t matter who is in their conference. If UNLV can improve their athletic profile, they will be a desirable program for the Power Five conferences. The impact on rebel athletics is INDIFFERENT.

State of Utah: Colorado schools offer reasonable trips for Aggies. But as a former member of the WAC, there really isn’t much history here. This will allow Utah State to play against some of their former WAC enemies more often, but the impact on Aggie’s athleticism is INDIFFERENT.

Wyoming: No team will feel the impact of this departure more than the Cowboys: their biggest rival is Colorado State. The battle for the bronze shoe will be over and one of the most exciting games of the conference is gone. The impact for Wyoming sports is NEGATIVE.

What do you think of the potential move to AAC for the Air Force and Colorado? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.