As Stanford and California await a decision from the ACC about possible membership, the Mountain West Conference remains on standby, ready to respond however those dominos fall.
After the collapse of the Pac-12 last week, the MWC has found itself in a position of strength and stands as a potential landing spot for the remaining four Pac-12 schools: Cal, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington.
How quickly the trickle-down effect reaches the MWC will be determined mostly by forces out of its control. «It is about what's happening with the ACC or whoever [Cal and Stanford] are talking to,» MWC commissioner Gloria Nevarez told ESPN on Thursday.
If Cal and Stanford are accepted into the ACC — a possibility that hit roadblocks Wednesday evening — there is a widespread expectation that Oregon State and Washington State would move to the MWC, sources told ESPN.