The Mountain West has established itself as college basketball’s preeminent mid-major conference in the last few years. San Diego State made the national title game in 2023. The league put six teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. While conference realignment wreaked havoc around it, the Mountain West’s stability put it on a tier by itself, surpassing the American and the Atlantic 10 as the best mid-major league in college basketball. It was also the best late-night hoops to consume, even topping the Pac-12 in watchability.

And now, it’s just like all the others, thrown into chaos by football and greed.

The only good news from a basketball perspective is that at least the new Six Pac makes sense (for now) when it comes to geography, with San Diego State, Colorado State, Boise State and Fresno State joining Oregon State and Washington State as the two Pac-12 holdovers make moves to resurrect their brand.

To steal a term from hoops, this league is mid-major-ish in football, but its four new arrivals from the Mountain West could justify this move on the basketball court and offer the new Pac-12 an opportunity to brand itself as more than a College Football Playoff striver.

San Diego State, Colorado State and Boise State were all top-tier Mountain West basketball programs, and their ability to consistently make the NCAA Tournament could improve if the Pac-12 chooses to make additional moves with hoops in mind. Luring Gonzaga from the West Coast Conference in particular would cement the league as a top-six basketball conference. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has flirted with Gonzaga over the past two years and hasn’t yet been able to convince enough of his members that it’s beneficial to add a basketball-only member. But the Pac-12 needs numbers and brand recognition.

The Pac-12 must get to at least eight football-playing schools by 2026 to be recognized as an NCAA and Football Bowl Subdivision conference and to be eligible for its champion to earn one of the five automatic bids into the 12-team College Football Playoff. To build an eight-game conference schedule that matches its FBS counterparts, it would need to get to at least nine members. In basketball, 10 teams is the ideal number for round-robin scheduling, especially if you can avoid a bad bottom tier — that’s why the Big 12 performed so well in computer-based metrics for so many years. Ridding themselves of the teams from the Mountain West’s basement could help the future resumes of the Aztecs, Rams and Broncos. Two games against Gonzaga every year also certainly wouldn’t hurt.

The Pac-12 should be as picky as possible in which G5 schools it goes after. (Our Chris Vannini broke down the potential options.) Let’s say the league’s best-case scenario is adding two G5 schools with recent football success — for example, prying Memphis and Tulane from the American. From there, it would make sense to chase one other basketball-only member and further lean into its basketball branding. It could be easier to attract those schools than it will be to find a host of football schools who will jump. Among those possible options:

• Saint Mary’s: The Gaels, Gonzaga’s primary WCC rival, have made 10 of the last 19 NCAA Tournaments.
• Grand Canyon: The Antelopes are set to join the WCC in 2025, have strong financial backing in hoops, play in one of the best environments in the country and have made three of the last four NCAA Tournaments under Bryce Drew. And if Gonzaga leaves, the WCC is not as enticing of a landing spot for Grand Canyon. Adding the Antelopes would also return a foothold in the Phoenix market to the Pac-12 after the loss of Arizona and Arizona State.
• Wichita State: The departure of Memphis would be another hit to an AAC basketball brand already on the decline after losing Houston and Cincinnati. Wichita State would likely jump at the chance to be in the same league as Gonzaga; the Shockers fancied themselves as the Gonzaga of the Midwest not long ago.

A Pac-12 with Gonzaga plus some combination of those other adds would earn multiple NCAA Tournament bids every year. The current Mountain West has been the seventh-best league in college basketball the last two years, putting four teams in the field in 2023 before last year’s surge to six.

GO DEEPER

Which schools could the new Pac-12 target? UNLV, Wyoming, Tulane, Memphis among many

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As for what remains of the Mountain West, the conference needs to retain eight members to keep its FBS status intact, and it’s possible some of the remaining schools will still bolt. (UNLV seems like an ideal target for the Pac-12, although separating itself from university system partner Nevada could be tricky.) Adding New Mexico State would make sense for the Mountain West because the Aggies are already rivals of New Mexico and in the region. Of course, logic and convenience have rarely mattered in the realignment circus, and even the most practical solutions to rebuild college basketball’s product around historical rivalries and geography feel like fantasy for hoops fans.

The sport does still have at least a little pull when it comes to television negotiations. The Big 12 and Big East have done well for themselves by building stronger basketball leagues — Yormark has publicly touted the potential of selling his league’s football and basketball rights as separate television deals when the Big 12’s current rights agreement runs out at the end of the decade. The Big East signed a new deal this summer with Fox, NBC and TNT that will run from 2025-26 through 2030-31.

And while the ACC and Big 12 reside on a financial tier below the Big Ten and SEC in football, they still enjoy somewhat equal standing in hoops. The Big East is right there, too. This new Pac-12 won’t be able to run with the four big leagues in football, but add a top-10 basketball program in Gonzaga and you might earn that coveted high-major tag or at least get closer than the old Mountain West did.

Gonzaga has done just fine for itself dominating the WCC, but it likes money, too. The temptation to add a few extra million every year in NCAA Tournament units has made Gonzaga’s eventual exit from the WCC feel inevitable. After raiding one of the country’s most interesting basketball conferences and setting off another round of realignment dominoes, the Pac-12 has a chance to boost its own reputation on the hardwood along the way. Meanwhile in the Mountain West, it is now a question of survival.

(Photo: James Snook / USA Today)

Quarterback Ryan Hopkins, looking like a sprinter in track and field, kept choosing his moments to leave the pocket on Friday night to unleash his speed and moves that left San Diego Lincoln players unable to catch him.

The junior from JSerra broke loose for touchdown runs of 61 and 34 yards in the first half at Southwestern College. He also had a 29-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Brown and fired a 20-yard touchdown pass to Brett DeBergh in the third quarter of a 28-19 victory over the No. 1 team in the San Diego Section.

That’s four times this season Hopkins has scored touchdowns on runs of 20 yards or longer.

“It really helped me,” he said of his spring track workouts.

Don’t ever say running track is a waste of time for football players. Hopkins ran a 10.97-second 100 meters and was a member of the school-record setting 400-meter relay team. All that speed is now being displayed on Friday nights for the unbeaten Lions (4-0).

“He’s been training so hard for this season and this moment,” coach Victor Santa Cruz said.

JSerra struggled to a 21-13 halftime lead. The Lions’ offensive line was called for four holding penalties, twice taking away potential first-down opportunities and stalling drives. Lincoln running back Aden Jackson gained 88 of his game-high 140 yards rushing in the first half and had a two-yard touchdown run.

There were lots of things that JSerra will need to clean up before Trinity League play begins next month, but the Lions do have standout linebacker Madden Faraimo, who contributed at least 10 solo tackles, starting with the second play from scrimmage when he wrapped up Lincoln running back Donald Reed and pushed him back 10 yards before sending him to the turf.

“I would not like it if Madden was on the other team,” Hopkins said.

Faraimo, 6 feet 3 and 230 pounds, is being recruited by USC, Notre Dame, Texas and Washington.

JSerra’s offensive line was called for five holding penalties overall and gave up four sacks.

“We’ve got to grow,” Santa Cruz told his team.

The Lions, off to their best start since the 2018 season, will face Damien (3-1) next week.

“You want to have good learning lessons now because everything in the Trinity League has to go right,” Santa Cruz said.

Hopkins finished with 117 yards passing and 113 yards rushing.

Quarterback Akili Smith Jr. of Lincoln passed for 141 yards and ran for 43 yards.

“I think we can learn a lot,” Hopkins said. “Some penalties we can eliminate.”

Let’s be honest: It isn’t the most tantalizing, blockbuster slate of games this weekend, with only two ranked matchups. But there are some rivalries and pairings that should help to define (or expose?) a number of teams that have been tough to pin down through the first couple of games. And as we see just about every week in college football, there’s always something unexpected on the menu.

Here are the top 10 games of Week 3, starting with a few honorable mentions and counting down.

Honorable Mention: UNLV at Kansas (Fri.), No. 18 Notre Dame at Purdue, No. 1 Georgia at Kentucky, Colorado at Colorado State, UCF at TCU

(All point spreads come from BetMGM; click here for live odds. All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)

10. Washington State (2-0) at Washington (2-0), 3:30 p.m., Peacock

So …. the Pac-12 is back? Sort of? Still, this game is a too-soon reminder of those realignment scars. The Apple Cup is supposed to be played after Thanksgiving, with some Pac-12 implications on the line. Saturday won’t be that, though at least we’re still getting the rivalry. Quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jonah Coleman have looked solid under new Washington coach Jedd Fisch, but beware of a meaningful upset for Wazzu. Quarterback John Mateer has been a dual-threat dynamo (467 passing yards, 252 rushing yards, 8 total TDs) and should give the Cougars a chance on the road.

Line: Washington -4.5

9. Tulane (1-1) at No. 15 Oklahoma (2-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPN

The Green Wave almost took down Kansas State last weekend in New Orleans, derailed by a controversial offensive pass interference that wiped out a late touchdown. The Sooners labored to a 16-12 win over a Houston squad that lost 27-7 at home to UNLV in Week 1. Oklahoma was outgained on offense and needed a late safety to stave off the Coogs, with quarterback Jackson Arnold completing 19 of 32 passes for just 174 yards. The Sooners enter the weekend a top 15 team, but start a stacked SEC schedule next weekend when they host Tennessee and can’t afford a nonconference letdown. Tulane isn’t out of the race for that Group of 5 Playoff spot just yet, but probably needs to run the table.

Line: Oklahoma -13.5

8. No. 16 LSU (1-1) at South Carolina (2-0), noon, ABC

Everyone focused on the misleading Alabama–South Florida final score, but it also took LSU until midway through the fourth quarter to put away Nicholls. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier put up strong numbers (302 yards, 6 TDs), but the offense struggled to establish the run with John Emery Jr. hurt, and the defense gave up back-to-back 13-play touchdown drives and a 67-yard touchdown run. The Tigers need to find a rhythm against a similarly confounding South Carolina. The Gamecocks scraped past Old Dominion in Week 1 then dominated Kentucky on the road last Saturday, allowing under 200 yards. So … good luck predicting this one.

Line: LSU -7

7. Texas A&M (1-1) at Florida (1-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC

Billy Napier’s hot seat got some time off in a 45-7 win over Samford, a game that presented Napier’s best shot at salvaging things in Gainesville. True freshman quarterback DJ Lagway set a school record with 456 passing yards and three touchdowns, starting in place of the injured Graham Mertz. The five-star prospect and top-three recruit in the 2024 class has injected a ray of hope into a season and program that felt derailed by the opening loss to Miami. Napier said this week that both quarterbacks will play (a Florida tradition!), so watch how the snaps get distributed against A&M. Because any chance of Napier having a future in The Swamp likely depends on Lagway being the real deal, right away.

Line: Texas A&M -4.5

6. West Virginia (1-1) at Pitt (2-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

Neither team is ranked. Neither is among the top contenders in their respective conference. But we love a spicy rivalry, and the Backyard Brawl certainly qualifies. The teams split this matchup the past two years, and WVU needs a road win to avoid a disappointing 1-2 start. West Virginia ran all over FCS Albany last week in a 49-14 victory, but the Mountaineers did allow 306 passing yards after struggling to contain Drew Allar and Penn State. Pitt threw for 302 yards in a wild 21-point second-half comeback victory at Cincinnati.

Line: West Virginia -2

5. No. 24 Boston College (2-0) at No. 6 Missouri (2-0), 12:45 p.m., SEC Network

An unexpected ranked showdown, at the SEC Network’s quirky kickoff time. Credit to new BC head coach Bill O’Brien, who followed the upset of Florida State with a 56-0 shutout of Duquesne and has breathed new life into the Eagles. It’s a coach-program pairing that makes all sorts of sense. But the headliner is a Mizzou squad that has climbed to No. 6 after outscoring its opponents 89-0 across two games. The Tigers’ schedule is manageable by SEC standards — no Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee or LSU — but they now have a surprise chance at a Top-25 win before entering league play. It’s also a chance to get wide receiver Luther Burden III going after seven catches for 64 yards through two blowout wins.

Line: Missouri -17

4. No. 9 Oregon (2-0) at Oregon State (2-0), 3:30 p.m., Fox

A more interesting rivalry matchup than we anticipated a couple of weeks ago. The Beavers and new head coach Trent Bray are coming off a 21-0 win over San Diego State, and Idaho transfer QB Gevani McCoy has shown promise. The Ducks, after slogging through a 10-point win over Idaho, McCoy’s former team, needed a fourth-quarter comeback and last-second field goal to beat Boise State and Ashton Jeanty at home. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been very efficient — he’s completed 84.3 percent of his passes through two games — but allowing 221 rushing yards to Jeanty and the Broncos may have exposed some defensive issues that could hinder the Ducks once Big Ten play ratchets up.

Line: Oregon -16.5

3. Memphis (2-0) at Florida State (0-2), noon, ESPN

This was supposed to be a tilt between one of the top Group of 5 teams and an ACC contender. Memphis has held up its end of the bargain, but FSU desperately needs a win to hold the sky in place. Unfortunately for the Tigers, a win or close loss no longer burnishes that G5 Playoff resume in any significant way. The Seminoles are coming off an idle week and still have plenty of time to turn the vibes around, but very little about the performances against Georgia Tech and BC suggest they will have their way with Memphis and QB Seth Henigan. The Tigers can either make a statement with a resounding win or bruise those Playoff hopes with a loss.

Line: Florida State -6.5

2. No. 4 Alabama (2-0) at Wisconsin (2-0), noon, Fox

Bama, a 30.5-point favorite over USF last week, did end up winning by 26. But the 42-16 final score was a deceptive margin of victory for what was a 14-13 game entering the fourth quarter. The Tide have some things to clean up, but so does Wisconsin, which hasn’t exactly inspired in wins over Western Michigan and South Dakota. The Badgers are still finding their way in year two under Luke Fickell, and how they fare on Saturday, win or lose, could reveal a lot about the vibes in Madison. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (60.3 percent completion, 6.4 yards per attempt, 1 passing TD) and the Wisconsin offense need to be far more explosive for what our Wisconsin writer Jesse Temple writes could be “the most significant nonconference home clash in program history.” Jesse has you covered on the 1928 matchup, too.

Line: Alabama -16.5

1. No. 20 Arizona (2-0) at No. 14 Kansas State (2-0), Friday, 8 p.m., Fox

We’ve got Wildcats against Wildcats under the Friday night lights. And even though this is the first leg of a nonconference series that was scheduled prior to realignment, it should help set the tone for Big 12 play. After hanging 61 points on New Mexico while Tetairoa McMillan hauled in 304 receiving yards, Zona then had some trouble in a 22-10 win over Northern Arizona, including just two catches for 11 yards for TMac. Regardless, the special connection between him and quarterback Noah Fifita should keep Arizona in the Big 12 title race. Kansas State is in that mix too, though the close call against Tulane highlighted a group that hasn’t totally found its groove. Dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson looked more comfortable throwing the ball last Saturday, but the main concern is a defense that gave up 342 passing yards to the Green Wave and now has to defend one of the best receivers in college football.

Line: Kansas St. -7.5

 (Photo of Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson: Peter Aiken / Getty Images)