Bold, feisty and highly competitive

Officially, the Mountain West Conference calls it the new brand direction and conference identity.

It looks to me like it is just a silly logo.

I do get it. The conference is changing. Out with BYU and Utah this year and out with TCU next year. In with Boise State in less than a month (July 1) and in with Fresno State and Nevada, along with Hawaii (football only) in a couple of years.

So yes, there are changes to the conference. I'm just not sure why the logo had to be changed. Bear with me. There apparentlty is perfect logic to this madness.

First, lets start with the new logo. The logo is nicknamed "The Rock" and a new tagline is "This is our time."

I'm wondering, though, how the new logo came about. According to a news release, the conference "solicited the opinions of more than 8,000 constituents including members of the Mountain West Board of Directors, athletic administrators, coaches, fans and members of the media."

And this is what they came up with from 8,000 constituents.

"This initiative is emblematic of the evolution of our league," MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said in a news conference televised by The Mtn. Monday from La Jolla, Calif. "The overwhelming majority of the people we spoke to said the Mountain West is bold, feisty and highly competitive, and we strongly believe these qualities are reflected in our new brand identity and our new logo."

I'm still looking at the new logo. Bold, feisty and highly competitive he says. Then again, I'm not sure how you turn a logo into highly competitive. There must be a way.

The conference, however, is not just about that bold, feisty and highly competitive new logo and tagline. Of course it's not. According to the news release, the changes in the Mountain West extend "far beyond the logo that will adorn uniforms and playing surfaces throughout the league."

 Beginning in July, an expanding fan base will also be able to experience new digital initiatives, including more original content on a re-designed Mountain West web site (www.TheMWC.com) and on social media platforms. The league has also tapped Loma Media, a nationwide creative services entity, to upgrade its advertising and outreach strategies. Loma Media will employ an NFL Films-style look and feel to the Conference's television, radio and print campaigns and will produce motion media content for all platforms on a monthly basis.

Ok, I can dig that. Keep going.

The unique logo itself is a strong symbol of a league on the rise, invoking comparisons to stately campus buildings and the Rock of Gibraltar. It is unlike any other conference mark. Reflecting the expanded membership from the mountains to the ocean and addressing the previous prevalence of mountain imagery and word marks, the letters representing 'Mountain' and 'West' are given equal weight and dimension.

"Our fans were right in noting that our evolving membership and geography reflect both 'Mountain' and 'West' equally," Thompson said. "The logo is bold, strong and balanced just like our league. We like the fact that it's instantly recognizable to fans on either side of the playing field."

I think that says it all. It's the recipe of new success in the Mountain West Conference.

Just the right amount of mountain and just the right amount of west.