Gloria Nevarez Compares Mountain West To A New Porsche
Jul 20, 2023, 1:31 PM | Updated: 1:40 pm
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 16: The Mountain West Conference logo is seen before the championship game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament between the Utah State Aggies and the San Diego State Aztecs at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 16, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS – Mountain West Conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez joined the KSL Sports Zone at the MW Football Media Days to talk about Utah State athletics, her new position, and SDSU remaining in the conference.
The Mountain West Media Day took place at Circa Resort & Casino Las Vegas on July 19-20.
Nevarez has been the commissioner of the MWC for just over six months. Nevarez explained that she still feels like she is in the “honeymoon phase”.
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“This is a really well-built league,” Nevarez said. “I feel like I inherited a Porsche. It’s just figuring out how fast I can drive it and on which open roads.”
Although Nevarez took control of a league that has already been positively established, she still got to work right away on analyzing the current state of the MW and how the future may look.
“Two of the major initiatives we started with is creating a five-year strategic plan and doing a brand study,” Nevarez said. “We surveyed, focus groups, and talked to all the stakeholders. About 10,000 different touchpoints of feedback.”
Mountain West Commish Talks Utah State Aggies
Nevarez had many positive things to say about the Utah State Aggies. She mentioned their commitment to the conference and the Utah State brand multiple times.
“Tremendous history of success, commitment, and athletics,” Nevarez said. “I had a chance to meet President (Elizabeth) Cantwell. She came to our meetings before she even started, which is such a good signal that she cares about athletics.”
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San Diego State had been in rumors for months about a move out of the Mountain West and into the Pac-12. Nevarez said that she loves the current landscape of the league and SDSU is a part of that.
“I love our current configuration,” Nevarez said. “My philosophy is I’m never going to mount a campaign to keep you from doing what’s best for you. Do best by your school. My job is to do what’s best for the league. Nine times out of ten that’s aligned with the campus’ best interest.”
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As a commissioner of a league like the Mountain West, there are many challenges and advantages that come with the position. Nevarez said that the world of NIL presents a lot of questions and concerns.
“I feel like the biggest challenge is the name, image, likeness space getting out of control,” Nevarez said. “It’s a global challenge.”
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Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
