The UNLV Rebels celebrate after defeating the California Golden Bears in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

6 Mountain West Teams Projected To Reach Bowl Eligibility In 2025

Originally posted on UNLV Rebels on SI
By Mark Morales-Smith | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 10:49 AM ET

Last season, the UNLV Rebels represented the Mountain West Conference well, not only by being bowl-eligible but also by knocking off the California Golden Bears in the Art of Sport LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Rebels were showcased on ESPN and knocked off a Power 4 team convincingly by a score of 24 - 13. However, it was a bit of a disappointing season overall for the conference once you get past the top two teams of the Boise State Broncos and UNLV. They only had five bowl-eligible teams. This season, they will hope to improve and have at least six bowl-eligible teams in the conference's final season as currently constructed. These are the six teams we are projecting to make that hope a reality in 2025.

Boise State Broncos

While the Broncos may not be quite as strong as they were last season, they are still a virtual lock to be bowl-eligible and are considered the class of the Mountain West. We'll all be watching them in either late December or January again this season.

UNLV Rebels

The Rebels aren't only locked into a bowl game, but they have a legitimate shot at winning the Mountain West Conference Championship Game. Even with a lot of changes to both their roster and coaching staff, the worst outcome should still find them in a bowl game.

San Jose State Spartans

The Spartans are coming off of a strong season, and their roster has improved this offseason. With this coaching staff getting another season under their belt, this team should take another step forward in 2025.

Colorado State Rams

This is a team that, if you ask Mountain West analysts, who the dark horse or sleeper in the conference is, this is the answer you will get. They are well-coached and have done a great job bringing in talent both through recruiting and the transfer portal.

Wyoming Cowboys

While the popular choice is probably the Fresno State Bulldogs over Wyoming, we are picking the Cowboys to have a strong season and find themselves eligible for a bowl game.

Air Force Falcons

Air Force has been the face of consistency for almost two decades. They finished last season hot on a winning streak. We are betting on them to build off that streak and carry that momentum into this season.