Breakup of WAC official

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998 | 10:23 a.m.

The breakup of the Western Athletic Conference became official Tuesday when a resolution to allow the departing eight schools and the remaining eight institutions to act as separate entities passed unanimously.

It means the departing eight -- UNLV, Air Force, Colorado State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, San Diego State, Wyoming and Utah can move forward with plans to operate come July 1, 1999. The yet-to-be-named league can openly negotiate with the television networks, bowl games and potential corporate sponsors as well as begin the process for NCAA membership as a Division I conference.

"We felt like it was the right thing to do," UNLV athletic director Charles Cavagnaro said of the decision to accept the resolution. "The feeling of our attorneys was there had to be some written documentation to allow us to move forward. This is recognition that the split has happened and the two entities can move forward. It puts the Good Housekeeping seal on it."

By agreeing to the resolution, the departing eight schools gave up their voting privileges for the 1998-99 WAC season as the eight presidents resigned from the board of directors. It also meant that any administrators and coaches serving on NCAA committees involving the WAC had to resign their positions immediately. However, there was an appeal process for those who wished to remain. Among those affected would be UNLV tennis coach Larry Easley, who serves on the NCAA men's tennis championship committee and New Mexico athletic director Rudy Davalos, who is on the men's basketball tournament committee.

The agreement made no provision for the $2.6 million in NCAA basketball revenue that the WAC owns. It also didn't preclude the possibility of litigation from one of the remaining WAC schools against the departing eight.