In a week with a flurry of conference realignment activity expected, the Mountain West is attempting to execute a plan to keep its eight remaining schools together. The conference is pushing to solidify its future by offering guaranteed money to the schools,

Additionally, the Mountain West is moving to make ensure the teams remaining after the Pac-12's recent poaching stay put as members of the league.  All four AAC schools were reportedly courted by the re-imagined conference,

However, the clock is ticking. The Mountain West is in a proverbial sprint to secure its membership with financial incentives, much of which are derived from the exit and expected penalty fees owed to the league from those schools that left for the Pac-12. The exit and penalty fees are expected to eclipse $120 million.