Kruger trying to keep up as realignment hits Mountain West

When news broke that four Mountain West programs will be leaving the conference to join a reformed version of the Pac-12, UNLV basketball coach Kevin Kruger learned of it the same way most fans did: His phone began vibrating late Wednesday night and didn’t stop.

“I found out from the alerts,” Kruger said. “They’ve done a great job of keeping things close to the vest.”

The official announcement from the new league dropped on Thursday morning, confirming that San Diego State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State have agreed to exit the MWC and join the Pac-12 beginning in 2026. That leaves UNLV in a state of flux, waiting to find out what the long-term future holds now that the foundation of the Mountain West — the program’s home for the past quarter-century — has been shaken.

Things could still break in any direction for UNLV. One option — and the one UNLV officials seem to prefer, according to a source — would have the program invited to join the Pac-12 in its next round of expansion. The restructured Pac-12 currently counts six teams (the four MWC squads, plus holdovers Oregon State and Washington State), and eight are needed to comply with NCAA rules.

According to Brett McMurphy’s report, UNLV and Air Force would be the next two Mountain West teams in line to join the Pac-12.

If UNLV is ultimately passed over by the Pac-12, the university would have to either try to join another conference, or stick it out with a diminished Mountain West and hope that the league will be able to add more teams to make up for the loss of four cornerstone programs.

It’s a potentially treacherous path, but Kruger is confident the university’s leadership will protect UNLV from being left out.

“Las Vegas is the best city in the world, and UNLV is going to land on our feet regardless of expansion or conference changes,” Kruger said. “We’ve got a lot of excitement right now around the athletic department and the university. If we stay in the Mountain West, where we’ve been for 25 years, that’s great. If we decide to expand or realign and find somewhere else, that’s great as well.”

UNLV athletic director Erick Harper and university president Keith Whitfield released a joint statement on Thursday.

“We know that four members of the Mountain West have announced their intentions to leave the conference in 2026,” they said. “Our focus remains on doing what is best for our institution, current and future student-athletes, alumni, donors and the greater Las Vegas community. We continue to evaluate all options.”

Kruger said Harper and Whitfield maintain a dialogue with coaches regarding conference news, but that doesn’t mean he’s privy to the behind-the-scene details in real time.

“As coaches, we know this talk is an everyday thing for them,” Kruger said. “It’s 365 days a year, so we try not to bring it up and ask too many questions, because they get asked about it a ton. But they’ve done a really good job with us. If there’s a rumor about to hit or speculation going around, they bring it to our attention. Harp has always sent a text or president Whitfield has always sent a text, ‘This rumor is going to hit, there’s no truth to it, so don’t let it bother you.’ They’ve done a good job about keeping us informed.”

Kruger spoke while boarding a flight at Reid Airport as he headed out of town on a recruiting trip, a reminder that the minutiae of college sports — what coaches and players affectionately refer to as “the grind” — continues even amid all the backroom maneuvering.

Kruger said his players follow the realignment news, but remain focused on their own responsibilities.

“They talk about it,” Kruger said. “It doesn’t change anything. They knew what they were getting into when they came here. They’re excited about our city, our program and the direction of the program. They know they’re going to put their shoes on tomorrow and get to work no matter what happens. It’s a testament to our guys; we’ve got a great group, and they know that’s the landscape of college sports.”

There is a tangible impact to losing San Diego State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State, with a short-term effect on scheduling. The remaining Mountain West members will have to figure out how to balance their slates without four familiar foes dotting the calendar.

“My kneejerk reaction is scheduling,” Kruger said. “You’ve got rivalries, you’ve got 25 years of history, with Reno going way back farther than that. You’re seeing with the ACC, those schools are already going to travel [in conference play], so how much do they want to travel in the non-conference? It’s definitely going to throw a curve into scheduling going forward.”

And then there’s the intangible impact. San Diego State and UNLV developed a bitter rivalry on the basketball court, with memorable moments on both sides. The Boise State and UNLV football teams met in the MWC championship game last year.

Kruger, who played in the Mountain West and is now entering his fourth year as a head coach, said severing those ties won’t be easy.

“We’d love to play San Diego State, Reno, Fresno,” Kruger said. “We’ve developed great rivals and had many great games over the years, so hopefully when the dust settles we’ll all be able to continue playing games and keep that going.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.