Mountain West coaches look forward to time with players

By W.G. RAMIREZ Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The return of fans and in-person meetings were a hot topic as Mountain West coaches kicked off the conference's media days looking ahead to a more typical season after a pandemic-plagued 2020 campaign. Nevada coach Jay Norvell remembers being overcome by heartbreak last season on senior night, when each honored player was introduced with nobody but teammates, opponents and game officials to hear their names. He says he's grateful many of those same players can play this year and have another opportunity for their senior year. Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson says seven of the 12 football programs have reached at least an 88% vaccination threshold, while the league-wide cumulative threshold is at 73%.