UNLV and Boise State had the two best composite average scores. With the two participants determined, the tiebreaker reverted to head-to-head to determine the host. The Broncos earned the right to host because of their 56-31 win over the Rebels on Oct. 18.
San Diego State finished third in the metrics followed by New Mexico.
UNLV will be appearing in its third Mountain West championship game and is seeking its first title. Boise State will be playing in the championship game for the fourth straight season and is seeking its third straight title. The Broncos are in the title game for the ninth time overall and are looking for their sixth championship.
Under first-year head coach Dan Mullen, UNLV beat rival Nevada 42-17 on Saturday to move to 10-2 overall this season, reaching the 10-win plateau for the fourth time in program history and in consecutive years for the first time. The Rebels have won four straight games.
Boise State won its final two regular-season games to move to 8-4 overall. The Broncos, who have played without starting quarterback Maddux Madsen since an injury in a loss to Fresno State on Nov. 1, rallied for a 25-24 win at Utah State on Friday to move into the tie atop the league standings.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
