Neal Smatresk

From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the MW continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level, while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship. Now in its 13th year, the MW has been assertive in its involvement with the NCAA governance structure and has taken a leadership role in the overall administration of intercollegiate athletics. The Mountain West has marked several achievements over its first 12 years of existence, most notably becoming the first to establish a sports television network dedicated solely to an intercollegiate athletic conference (The Mtn.). The Mountain West also was the first to experiment with the coaches' challenge in the college football instant replay system, and was the first non-automatic-qualifying BCS conference to participate in four BCS bowl games, winning three. Additionally, the Mountain West was the first conference to have a member institution with No. 1 overall picks in both the NFL and NBA drafts in the same year. With San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg claiming the No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, the Mountain West is one of two conferences to have the No. 1 selection in each of the NFL, NBA and MLB drafts since the MW was founded in 1999. In 2011-12, the Mountain West will be among the first conferences to implement a league-wide state-of-the art basketball instant replay system. The Mountain West is noted for its geographic diversity. Some of the most beautiful terrain and landscapes in the nation can be found within Mountain West boundaries, including the majestic Rocky Mountain range, which borders three MW institutions. The high plains of Wyoming contrast with the desert city of Las Vegas and the Pacific Ocean locale of San Diego State. The southwestern flavor of New Mexico complements the western heritage and culture of Fort Worth, Texas, home of TCU.

The North Texas Commission is a public-private partnership that manages the region's unified advocacy voice at the state and federal levels. The private company is based in Irving, TX. The commission is dedicated to advancing the vibrancy of the region and achieves impactful outcomes benefiting the 13-county area it serves. As the lead convener of subject matter experts, the NTC improves the workforce pipeline and cultivates future leaders. The CEO of the company is Chris Wallace.

The University of North Texas System operates as a university. The private company is based in Dallas, TX.