Media Days Return to Las Vegas for a Second Consecutive Year
The Mountain West Conference unveiled the lineup of representatives who will take part in the 2026 Old Trapper Mountain West Football Media Days, a two‑day gathering set to unfold at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Each of the conference’s twelve programs will be allotted a four‑person contingent, consisting of a head coach and four student‑athletes, across the July 15 and 16 sessions.
Commissioner Gloria Nevarez and Mike Defee, coordinator of football officials, are slated to be available for interview sessions throughout the event, offering media members direct access to key conference officials. The schedule calls for daily operations to run from 8 a.m. Pacific Time until approximately 4 p.m., providing a full day of briefings, press conferences and one‑on‑one conversations.
A Showcase of Coaches and Emerging Talent
The representation list reads like a who’s who of current collegiate programs. Air Force will be led by head coach Troy Calhoun alongside student‑athletes Liam Szarka, Luke Vonderhaar, Blake Fletcher and Isaac Hubert. Hawaii will bring head coach Timmy Chang together with Micah Alejado, Cam Barfield, Jamih Otis and Elijah Palmer. Nevada’s contingent includes head coach Jeff Choate and the group of Jack Foster, Dylan Labarbera, EJ Smith and Herschel Turner.
Other schools similarly announced their lineups: New Mexico will be represented by head coach Jason Eck and players Malik Aliane, Jack Layne, Brian Booker and Jaxton Eck; NIU by Rob Harley and Landon Hron, Dearee Rogers, Liam Lindo and Jay’Shon Thomas; North Dakota State by Tim Polasek and Griffin Empey, Nathan Hayes, Darius Givance and Keenan Wilson. San José State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming each disclosed their own four‑player squads alongside their respective head coaches.
The event underscores the Mountain West’s commitment to transparency and engagement with the media, offering a rare opportunity for journalists to interact directly with coaching staff and rising players from across the conference. With all twelve programs participating, the Media Days are positioned to set the narrative for the upcoming season and highlight storylines that will shape the league’s competitive landscape.