Sitting just beyond the outer barrier of the first turn at Friday’s Mountain West Track & Field Indoor Championships being held in Albuquerque, Gloria Nevarez was in awe of the athletes flying by.
Be it UNM freshman sensation Pamela Kosgei’s comfortable 4:46 to win her prelim heat in the mile by nearly six seconds, the men’s and women’s long jump finals going on in the middle of the oval or the steady pounding of spikes around the inclined turquoise, cherry red and silver track at the Albuquerque Convention Center, the athleticism and drive of the athletes had the respect of the former college basketball player.
“This is what we’re supposed to be here for,” she said at one point while talking to a Journal reporter questioning her about far less exciting matters.
Nevarez, now two-plus years into the position overseeing what has traditionally been one of the best FBS Group of Five conferences has had little time since September to watch the sports the conference carries.
This week, while in Albuquerque for the annual indoor championships, news broke in the ongoing legal saga between the Mountain West and the five defecting schools — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — set to join the Pac-12 on July 1, 2026.
The two leagues agreed to pursue mediation over a Pac-12 lawsuit trying to avoid paying $55 million in “poaching” fees for bringing over the five MW defecting schools after all the schools involved, including existing Pac-12 members Washington State and Oregon State, signed a contract establishing the poaching fees.
Almost verbatim to the statement the Mountain West put out on Thursday, Nevarez emphasized she’s confident in the league’s legal standings, but also interested in freeing up resources to ensure the conference is focused on helping do what’s best for student athletes rather than being tied up for years in court.
“Mediation is an efficient solution,” Nevarez said. “We really want to get back to focusing on running a conference office, holding championships, serving our student athletes. And so I do hope that we can come to some resolution. If not, we feel really good about our legal standing and our cases, and we will pick that back up again.”
Asked specifically if the mediation process was in any way a sign of any doubt in the Mountain West’s legal standing, Nevarez stood firm.
“Absolutely not. This is an exploration in efficiency,” she said.
No mediator has been agreed upon. Not date has been set for when mediation may start. And there’s no guarantee it will lead to anything productive.
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