If it agrees to leave, Air Force would be the seventh member to exit the conference. According to Mountain West bylaws, support from nine of the 12 football members is necessary to dissolve the conference.

In short, two of the five remaining Mountain West members — Wyoming, Hawaii, San Jose State, Nevada and New Mexico — would have to vote in support of dissolution.

The question looms: Would the Pac-12 invite two of them to avoid what amounts to more than $120 million in exit and penalty fees?

“That’s the play, honestly,” says one athletic director with knowledge of the situation.