The Mountain West Conference is a collegiate athletic conference competing in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Its visual identity has undergone two significant changes since the conference began operations in January 1999, most recently in June 2026.
Design and History
The Mountain West Conference’s original logo, used from 1999 to 2011, featured mountain peaks above the words “Mountain West” with “Conference” arched in a ribbon below, rendered in purple, gray, black, and white.[1] An alternate version of this early mark included the tagline “Above the Rest,” chosen because the average elevation of the conference’s member institutions was the highest in the country.[2]
In June 2011, the conference unveiled a new logo in response to membership changes, as the league prepared to lose Utah and BYU and add Boise State.[3] The new mark was a block “MW” in purple and gray with a three-dimensional look, and it did not include the word “conference.”[4] Conference officials nicknamed the logo “The Rock,” saying it invoked comparisons to the Rock of Gibraltar and represented unity and strength for the reshaped conference.[5] Commissioner Craig Thompson noted the new logo looked the same from both sides of a field or court, unlike the old logo which featured mountains and the words “Mountain West.”[6] The 2011 rebrand also introduced the slogan “This is our time.”[4]
The 2011 logo was created by San Diego-based design firm Savacool Secviar, who were brought into the project by Loma Media, also from San Diego.[7] Loma Media was tapped by the league to upgrade its advertising and outreach strategies and created the Mountain West’s new logo and look in 2011.[8]
In June 2026, the Mountain West announced a refreshed brand identity, including a modernized wordmark, an updated color palette, and a new tagline: “Built Bold.”[9] The updated visual identity features a refined Mountain West wordmark and refreshed brand elements designed to better represent the conference’s evolving footprint and national reach.[10]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2011 “Rock” logo was described by conference officials as a sign of unity and strength for the reshaped conference.[5] The nickname “The Rock” invoked comparisons to the Rock of Gibraltar.[4]
For the 2026 rebrand, Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said the new identity reflects the conference’s ambition and commitment, with “Built Bold” representing the league’s willingness to take decisive steps forward together.[9]
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