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Semi-interesting articles from The Fresno Bee and Honolulu Advertiser regarding UTEP's departure and the future of the WAC. The articles cite the upcoming WAC AD meetings in Arizona and include comments by Benson regarding upcoming decisions and timelines.
http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/bull...-9357360c.html
Ran into a problem with this link --- so the text of both articles follow in subsequent posts.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../sp/sp02a.html
UTEP the latest to bolt WAC
Texas-El Paso to join Conference USA; replacement likely to be chosen by early June.
By David White
The Fresno Bee
(Updated Saturday, May 1, 2004, 8:10 AM)
The exodus from the Western Athletic Conference continued Friday as longtime member Texas-El Paso announced it will leave for Conference USA.
The Miners join Rice, Southern Methodist and Tulsa as WAC teams headed for C-USA on July 1, 2005. Sun Belt Conference members New Mexico State and Utah State will replace them, with at least one more team expected to be chosen by early June.
"We certainly don't need to panic," WAC commissioner Karl Benson said. "I think we have some time to evaluate exactly what direction we want to go. We have outstanding schools to build around."
The WAC could call on Idaho, North Texas or Louisiana-Lafayette from the Sun Belt Conference, said Benson, who expects a final decision to be made at the annual WAC presidents meeting June 2-5 in Half Moon Bay.
Whatever happens, don't expect the WAC to act quickly like it did in October, when New Mexico State and Utah State were added within a week of the latest departures. "I don't think anybody likes the instability the conference has gone through the past year," Fresno State athletic director Scott Johnson said. "There's not a lot of opportunities to add a big-name school. This is the time to solidify the base of schools we have now and hope for minimal damage."
The most immediate concern is how the WAC is left with an expensive travel liability in Louisiana Tech, 930 miles east of its nearest WAC opponent, New Mexico State.
The WAC could invite North Texas and/or Louisiana-Lafayette, giving Louisiana Tech a closer rival and allowing visiting teams to get more bang for their travel buck.
"We obviously have a geography issue with Louisiana Tech that needs to be addressed," Benson said.
North Texas is considered the most attractive of the three schools, but it is not certain to accept an invitation. Some campus officials are said to be content with the Sun Belt Conference for geographical and competitive reasons.
Officials at North Texas could not be reached for comment.
Idaho would readily accept an invitation, Vandals athletic director Rob Spear said.
"The WAC is exactly where we want to be," said Spear, who discussed several scenarios with Benson last week. "I think the WAC has long-term potential. We're prepared immediately to make the move."
Idaho would swing the WAC balance back to the west with three Pacific time zone teams, three Mountain time zone teams and Hawaii.
But it does not solve the problem of Louisiana Tech, which wants to remain in the WAC and doesn't consider C-USA an option. One idea that has circled would be to drop the Ruston, La., school and compete as an eight-team conference.
No WAC or school officials have endorsed eliminating Louisiana Tech.
Another possibility is to expand to 12 teams, focusing on Central time zone teams, and create eastern and western divisions. Sun Belt Conference teams would be the likely targets.
The WAC experimented with a similar format as a 16-team conference from 1996-1998. Several West-based school officials oppose trying this plan again.
"I think a nine-team league is better than an eight-team league," Benson said. "A 10-team league also has its advantages. It's pretty clear there are a limited number of schools within our boundaries."
WAC athletic directors are expected to discuss their options at a meeting Monday and Tuesday in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Texas Christian left C-USA for the Mountain West Conference in January, creating an opening for a 12th team.
UTEP, which has been a WAC member since 1967, winning 20 national championships and 53 conference team titles, didn't hesitate at the chance to join C-USA.
UTEP athletic director Bob Stull said his school first considered leaving the WAC when Texas rivals Rice and SMU announced their departures.
"That took a pretty good chunk of our ties from the conference," Stull said. "Personally, we love the WAC. It's been good to us, but it's to our advantage to remain with Texas teams."
UTEP also was swayed by the ongoing instability in the WAC, which has been in turmoil since eight members left to form the Mountain West Conference in 1999. Fresno State, Boise State, Nevada and Hawaii have recently lobbied for membership in the Mountain West, adding to the WAC's state of flux.
"There is an issue with commitment within the league," Stull said. "We've had presidents from several [WAC] schools say they're doing what they can to get in the Mountain West. That certainly indicates some instability there."
The reporter can be reached at dwhite@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6617.
Posted on: Saturday, May 1, 2004
UTEP to leave WAC in '05
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
Addressing yesterday's announced departure of the University of Texas-El Paso suddenly became the hot agenda item for the Western Athletic Conference athletic directors, who open three days of annual meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz., tomorrow night.
UTEP will join Conference USA July 1, 2005, ending 37 years of WAC membership. The announcement came after the C-USA presidents voted to issue the invitation yesterday.
The departure of UTEP, which would reduce the WAC to eight members for 2005-06, now leaves conference athletic directors to recommend whether the league should stay at that number or expand to nine or 10 teams.
"I still think nine (is best)," said Herman Frazier, UH athletic director. "I can't speak for everybody else, (but), I would suspect Fresno, Boise State and Hawai'i would think nine."
Nine provides an even slate of four conference home and four away games in football while 10 would allow each school to have a travel partner in basketball.
C-USA had considered several schools for its 12th spot, including Louisiana Tech and North Texas. Both the WAC and Louisiana Tech had hoped Tech would be the choice because it would allow the school to play teams within its region and reduce the conference's 4,035 mile span by 800 miles.
Now, Louisiana Tech athletic director Jim Oakes said, "Our plans are to stay in the WAC and work hard to be part of the league's future."
However, Oakes said, "We would welcome the addition of a school from our region."
Officials said Idaho, North Texas and Louisiana-Lafayette have been reviewed as a pool to draw from for possible replacements. All are in the Sun Belt Conference in football.
Frazier declined to rate the schools, but North Texas appears to be the favorite if the WAC goes to nine.
Any recommendation by the athletic directors would have to go to the WAC presidents for approval. The presidents are scheduled to hold their annual meeting the first week of June in California although a phone conference could be held before then.
The move is expected to cost UTEP upward of $2 million including an initial C-USA buy-in fee, league assessments and what it will forfeit in 2004-05 WAC disbursements.
UTEP athletic director Bob Stull said, "finding a spot where we were connected geographically and politically, I think that became more and more of a deciding factor" in the Miners' decision to leave the WAC .
Frazier said UTEP's departure, "is an overall loss for the WAC, and I think it is going to be somewhat of a challenge (to replace the Miners)."
But not everybody at UH considered UTEP's move a setback. "It is not as big a loss as some people think," said Dave Shoji, Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach. "I mean, they certainly weren't all that competitive in football, and (only) just recently in basketball were they very good."
Men's basketball coach Riley Wallace said, "I just don't see them (the Miners) as making a move that betters them. I don't see it as a step up for their programs."
WAC commissioner Karl Benson said, "we're certainly disappointed in UTEP's decision to leave, but the good news is that we still have four programs that are very good and are a great foundation to build on."
Benson said, "the WAC is clearly a better football and basketball league."
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
What 4 programs are very good and which are not?Originally Posted by Buddy1972
TXdawg81, yes, TU 48-LTU 18 was embarrassing. I was there. See the photos on my Web site. However, Tech's humiliation of Tulsa in Ruston the previous year had to have motivated them. If you can't stand the risk of losing, you never win, because you simply can't play!
Nobody will ever explain the loss to Rice. However, those scores suggest that maybe those teams had improved by the end of the season! And that we had not.
What 4 programs are very good and which are not?[/quote:f1ae81cffe]
That's one of the reasons I posted that article --- that and the quotes from the Hawaii coaches. I've always liked Riley Wallace.
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