Mountain West Conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez became the latest conference commissioner to lobby for their league ahead of Sunday’s College Football Playoff bracket reveal, insisting No. 10 Boise State has earned a first-round bye.
“Participation in the College Football Playoff isn’t about entitlement,” Nevarez said. “It should not be contingent upon a conference patch or the logo on the helmet. It’s based on performance and Mountain West Champion Boise State’s body of work this season, including an 11-game win streak, has earned it one of the top four seeds ahead of the Big 12 champion.”
The statement — which notably does not mention the ACC — appears to be a direct response to multiple comments made this week by Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, who has made the case his conference’s champion deserves to be ahead of any Group of 5 champion.
“In no way should a Group of 5 champion be ranked above our champion,” he said Wednesday.
He reaffirmed that sentiment Saturday , after No. 15 Arizona State beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 .