(Tribune file photo) Scott Barnes, who successfully took over Utah State’s struggling athletic department in 2008, faces enormous new budget challenges now that the university has joined the Mountain West Conference. (Tribune file photo) Scott Barnes, who successfully took over Utah State’s struggling athletic department in 2008, faces enormous new budget challenges now that the university has joined the Mountain West Conference. Utah State faces an uphill climb to meet the financial commitment required to compete in the Mountain West Conference.