Mountaintop View 6-14-21. G5 wins, power rankings, Steeplechase, new AD, future games.

It’s Monday and we’re back after the weekend. The links keep pressing on, so check out the latest Mountain West and college sports-related news from around the web, plus the original content we have coming your way this week.

Group of 5 is the biggest winner in playoff expansion.

Expect to see lots of expansion links going forward, as that will be the hot topic for the offseason. Chris Vannini declares the Group of 5 the biggest winner of the announced expansion model. as they will be guaranteed one spot in the playoffs every single year, and maybe multiple teams depending on how the championship weekend picture plays out. For the first time in perhaps forever, every team has an equal opportunity (key word) to win a championship. The other key phrase is that the 6 highest ranked conference champs get auto-berths, and whoever spearheaded that idea and made it happen deserves a world of praise. The trade-off is the 6 at-large sports that P5 teams (namely the SEC) will likely take each year, but that seems like a worthy give-and-take. This quote sums things up nicely:

“The SEC will get the most out of this 12-team format financially, and the P5 will gain even more revenue, but the G5 will gain the most in status. It finally has a chance for a seat at the table.”

Preseason MWC Power Rankings.

Chris Murray may be the king of off-season content. Here is his preseason power rankings for MWC men’s basketball. Just a bit early. He breaks up the 11 teams into 4 tiers, ranging from Colorado State to Air Force.

Falcon’s Norris dominates in the Steeplechase.

Spartans name a new AD.

Future Games

On the horizon:

• Later today: A new MWC Recruiting Roundup, featuring the latest news and offers in the MWC.
• Coming Tuesday: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Mountain Division Preview
• Coming Wednesday: Peak Perspective: Athletes in Recruitment Interview (AIR)