Welcome to another edition of Friday Five! May might be the calmest month on the college football calendar, but we're already looking ahead to the fireworks coming this fall. With the Mountain West Conference set to split this summer—as the "departing five" head off to form the revamped Pac-12—the MWC has responded in a big way, adding North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and UTEP to its ranks. At Mountain West Connection, we're committed to covering both leagues, and "Friday Five" is your weekly look at the best the conferences have to offer. We're kicking things off with the top five Mountain West conference games for the 2026 season.
There's no easing into the season for Hawaii. After a standout 2025 campaign and buzz as a potential College Football Playoff contender, the Rainbow Warriors open in Week 0 on the road at Stanford before returning home to face UNLV—fresh off the Rebels' own clash with Memphis. Usually, you see pivotal conference showdowns deep into November, but not this year. This is Timmy Chang versus Dan Mullen, Micah Alejado vs. Jackson Arnold, and it's happening early. This one will set the tone for the entire conference race.
With Boise State, Fresno State, and San Diego State—the usual suspects of MWC championships over the past 15 years—moving on, the new Mountain West is wide open. An early pecking order is already emerging, with Hawaii, UNLV, New Mexico, and the stunning addition of North Dakota State leading the charge. Someone in the MWC front office must really like the Warriors, because Hawaii gets all three of those contenders at home. A midseason battle with Jason Eck's Lobos could determine who's fighting for the conference title come November. Can Eck conjure up some magic away from Albuquerque?
No rest for the weary. Just a week after traveling to Hawaii, the Lobos return home to host North Dakota State. That's a tough back-to-back stretch that will test New Mexico's depth and resilience. If they can split those games, they'll be in great shape. If they sweep? Watch out.