Why is Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson stepping down?
Craig Thompson, commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, speaks to reporters after the College Football Playoff presidents group meeting Tuesday, June 22, 2021, in Grapevine, Texas. The conference announced Thompson will step down as commissioner effective Dec. 31, 2022.LM Otero, Associated Press Craig Thompson, who has been the Mountain West Conferences commissioner since the leagues formation in 1999, is stepping down after nearly 24 years at the helm.The MWC announced the move will take effect Dec. 31, 2022.Thompson indicated the timing for his retirement is tied in part to the recent decision to expand the College Football Playoff from four to 12 teams.My one remaining priority was expansion of the College Football Playoff and viable access for the Mountain West, Thompson said in a statement. I take considerable pride in my committed engagement to this effort over the past 212 decades and look forward to the finalization of those details in the coming months.With CFP expansion accomplished and having invested almost a third of my life in the Mountain West, the time is now right for me to conclude my tenure and allow the Conference to continue its momentum under new leadership.Three Utah Division I schools BYU, Utah and Utah State have been a member of the Mountain West during Thompsons tenure.BYU and Utah were charter members of the league, which began play in 1999, while Utah State joined the conference beginning in 2013.
Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 6:21 pm