The Mountain West Conference announced no action on expansion but will petition to the Bowl Championship Series for automatic qualification, officials announced.

The MWC’s Board of Directors, including Hawaii president M.R.C. Greenwood, concluded two days of meetings today in Las Vegas.

The MWC was expected to discuss possible expansion in the wake of the announced departures of Boise State and San Diego State to the Big East in 2013.

Hawaii joins the MWC in 2012 along with Fresno State and Nevada and, with the loss of Boise State and San Diego State, the conference projects to have eight football-playing members for 2013.

The directors unanimously approved the immediate submission of a request for an exemption from the BCS for its champion to receive automatic qualification for the BCS bowls games following the 2012 and 2013 football seasons. The Mountain West said it "met the threshold to request an exemption by virtue of its performance during the recently completed four-year (2008-2011) evaluation period."