COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The Mountain West released its revised schedule and said the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage will meet in the championship game.
The league is skipping the traditional two-division format to allow “maximum flexibility given the various constraints which had to be considered,” Commissioner Craig Thompson explained in a release Thursday.
The teams are scheduled to play eight games, beginning Oct. 24. The championship contest is slated for Dec. 19 and the host team will be the one with the highest winning percentage in conference games only.
“Inasmuch as the season begins with an uneven number of conference games, and the possibility exists additional games may be lost to COVID-19 challenges, the procedures for determining the participants in and location for the MW Football Championship Game were adapted to accommodate a range of outcomes in as equitable a fashion as possible,” Thompson said.
Air Force will play six conference games, in addition to matchups against service academy rivals Navy and Army in the annual Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy competition. The Falcons host the Midshipmen on Saturday, with only Air Force cadets allowed to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Boise State and San Diego State received the most votes in the preseason media poll. Boise State is slated to play seven conference games along with a contest against BYU on Nov. 7.