The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Mountain West Media Days

Mountain West Media Days took place last Wednesday and Thursday. With news of San Diego State potentially leaving, preseason honors, and predicted order of finish, there was plenty to talk about. There were definitely some newsworthy moments during the course of the two day event, but there were also a few head scratching ones. Let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly moments from Mountain West Media Days.

The Good

San Diego State Remains a Full Member

I’m sure each Mountain West member would have loved getting their chunk of the exit fee that the Aztecs would have paid if they were leaving the conference, but let’s be honest, the Aztecs are one of the most valuable members the conference has and having them as a member helps the conference. San Diego State is still likely to leave at some point, but this pretty much guarantees that the Aztecs will remain a member for at least the next two years. The school presidents and athletic directors made the right decision allowing San Diego State to return to the conference as a full member.

The Media Gets It Right...For Now

Outside of Gibbs, I don’t 100% agree with the media’s picks for conference players of the year. Gibbs was an easy selection considering the impact he had last season, and Cordeiro is a fair pick considering he was the offensive player of the year last season. I do think Green or Haener would have won the award if they had a full season, but Cordeiro is without a doubt one of the best players in the conference. Browning was also a solid pick as both a punter or kicker, but I think Dalmas, Hoyland, and even Horton would have all been really good picks.

The Bad

Age Requirement For Players Attending Media Days

Circa Resort and Casino has a policy in place that requires all athletes attending media days to be at least 21 years old. Well...that alienates more than half of the roster for each school and leaves out some of the best players in the conference like Tory Horton and Taylen Green. Partnerships are important, but maybe the conference needs to reevaluate their partnership with Circa if that policy continues to remain in place.

Injuries Already Impacting Teams

On Thursday morning, Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl announced that NIU transfer running back Harrison Waylee will miss the first couple of games with a knee injury. Luckily, the Cowboys have some nice depth at running back, but Waylee is one of the most anticipated transfers in the conference. If he isn’t ready by the time league play begins, it will be a significant step back for Wyoming.

The Ugly

UNLV Gets a First Place Vote

For the second consecutive year, there has been a first place vote that leaves us puzzled. Last year, it was Colorado State (that didn’t turn out too well) and this year it is UNLV. Maybe Utah State winning the conference out of nowhere in 2021 has left some media members looking to make what could turn out to be a brilliant prediction. Even with a first place vote, the Rebels were still voted ninth in the conference.

What were some moments from media days that stood out to you? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.