COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (10/31/25) – The Mountain West Conference has announced the return of men's swimming and diving beginning in the 2026-27 season, with the United States Air Force Academy, Grand Canyon University, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and University of Wyoming set to join.

Wyoming head coach Dave Denniston said, "We're very excited that our men's swim team is going to be able to join the Mountain West Conference next year with the women. I've seen over the years that when our men and women get to compete together, that both teams perform at a better and higher level, and I think that camaraderie and that culture is going to be something that carries over into the championships. We're just really happy to be able to do that moving forward in the Mountain West."

Following the 2024-25 season, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) announced they were no longer sponsoring swimming and diving. The men's swim and dive team then joined the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) for the 2025-26 season. The men's swim and dive program will be rejoining the MW for the first time since 2011.

Denniston also said, "Our guys are resilient. I think just like a lot of swimmers, they look forward to the opportunity to race people. The nice thing [is that] a lot of these schools that we've been racing for the last three years are also making the move to the Mountain West. It's just kind of putting a different name to it, but I know our guys are excited to be able to do that together with the rest of our team."

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Olympic Sports, Peter Prigge said, "Wyoming Athletics is excited that the Mountain West has decided to sponsor Men's Swim and Dive beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. Wyoming is a proud member of the Mountain West in all of its other sports (except for Wrestling), and our department is excited to watch the brown and gold compete for Mountain West team and individual conference titles for years to come. The additions of Grand Canyon and Hawaii elevate the profile of Mountain West Men's Swimming and Diving – and we are looking forward to future competitions in this league. Thank you to Commissioner Nevarez and her leadership team for bringing Men's Swimming and Diving back to the Mountain West."

MW Commissioner, Gloria Nevarez said, "The addition of men's swimming and diving to the Mountain West represents a bold step forward in our commitment to broad-based excellence. These sports not only elevate our competitive profile but also reflect the growing interest and investment from our member institutions. We're proud to support student-athletes in these disciplines and excited to see the impact they'll have on our Conference's future."