WAC members vote to keep league intact

Steve Carp

Tuesday, June 2, 1998 | 11:02 a.m.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Mark Twain would have been proud.

The demise of the Western Athletic Conference apparently was greatly exaggerated, as the presidents of the remaining eight institutions voted Monday to remain a league.

There had been talk the four Texas schools (Rice, Texas Christian, Texas-El Paso, Southern Methodist) and Tulsa would break away on their own, leaving the WAC with three or fewer schools. But in a special meeting of the eight holdovers prior to Monday morning's general session of the 16 conference members, the vote was to stay together under the WAC's umbrella.

"The WAC will continue," SMU president Dr. Gerald Turner said. "The vote was unanimous to reaffirm our commitment to the WAC for the 1999-2000 season and beyond.

"We have a conference to be in. The WAC name is important. It has a bright future. We have a talented commissioner."

WAC commissioner Karl Benson obviously was pleased.

"I said last week I didn't want the WAC to crumble under my watch," he said. "Obviously, a lot of things can change as to how many teams we have, but the important thing is the WAC will continue to exist."

Still to be determined is whether or not Hawaii and/or Fresno State remain in the WAC. If one defects, the WAC will go with seven schools, although it could possibly add one or more. That could happen even if Hawaii and FSU are not invited to join the eight that have chosen to leave at the end of June, 1999.

But for the schools staying under the WAC banner, there was a feeling of home.

"I think it helps set our future," Turner said. "Life in the WAC won't be as dramatic as it has been."

While there had been much speculation that the departure of UNLV, Air Force, Colorado State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming would trigger an additional exodus from the WAC, the reality was the Texas schools and Tulsa didn't have a lot of options. The other part of the equation was that they liked the fit and saw no reason to split up.

"I think there's a great deal of turmoil in college athletics right now," Turner said. "And what we've found are some schools, especially in our quadrant, that are very compatible and enjoy each other's company.

"Instead of seeing it as a detriment, we look at it as a positive."

The move to remain intact didn't surprise some of the presidents of the departing schools.

"I'm pleased for them that they're remaining together," UNLV president Dr. Carol Harter said. "It's a good thing."

Harter added that if a vacancy develops or the remaining WAC looks to expand to a ninth or 10th team, it should consider Nevada-Reno.

"I think it would be a good fit," she said of having UNR join the WAC. "I think they would bring a lot to the table and I'm sure it's something Joe (UNR president Joe Crowley) would consider."

WAC notes

* WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?: With the intention to remain intact now assured, the WAC will keep the $2.6 million it has "banked" from its 33 total units earned in the NCAA basketball tournament for the next six years. Had the league folded, the money would have reverted back to the schools which had earned it through their participation in this year's tourney -- UNLV, Utah, New Mexico and TCU. The WAC bylaws state that any member who voluntarily leaves the conference forfeits whatever assets it was entitled to. That means UNLV will lose roughly $150,000 for each year over the next six. However, it also means the Rebels won't have to continue to making WAC dues payments. UNLV has been paying $35,000 a year, and those payments will end after the 1998-99 season.

* SHOW'S STILL ON: The WAC will play its conference championship football game at Sam Boyd Stadium in December as well as host the men's and women's basketball tournaments at the Thomas & Mack Center come March. The WAC also will be aligned with the Las Vegas Bowl for this year. But TV contracts still must be negotiated and deals with other bowl games must be made. "We may find ourselves in direct competition with the new league on some of these issues," commissioner Karl Benson said.

* AUTOMATIC BID LOST? One question that remains to be answered is will the WAC keep its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament? The rules state a conference must have at least six members who have been together a minimum of five years to be given an automatic bid. If the remainder of the WAC stays intact, only three schools -- UTEP, Hawaii and Fresno State -- meet that criteria. "It's subject to interpretation and nothing is clear at this point, but I'm optimistic we can keep it," Benson said. The WAC and the yet-to-be-named renegade conference may have to petition the NCAA for a waiver, to be granted the important automatic berth to the Big Dance.

* BUSINESS AFFAIR: There's still some business to attend to for the 1998-99 WAC season, the last in which all 16 members will participate. SMU president Dr. Gerald Turner replaced Colorado State's Al Yates as the chairman of the WAC's presidents council. ... The WAC also voted to provide financial relief to any of its bowl-bound football teams, picking up the tab for up to 25 percent of an institution's financial commitment to a bowl game. So if a team is required to purchase 10,000 tickets and can only sell 7,500, the WAC will absorb the cost for the remaining 2,500. ... While the 1998 football schedule is set, the basketball schedule could be revised. As it stands, the quadrants will go through their third rotation as planned. However, there is some talk about not rotating. Benson said that if the athletic administrators feel that strongly, the presidents will vote on it. All 16 must agree on a change.