Columnist Ron Kantowski: Split from WAC was great move

Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001 | 10:33 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's column appears Thursday. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or 259-4088.

It wasn't that long ago where we in the media were hailing UNLV's impending move to the Western Athletic Conference as the greatest thing since sliced bread. With some of that ersatz pizza sauce sprinkled on top.

But after the WAC expanded like the Underdog balloon on the night before Thanksgiving at Macy's, ultimately doubling in size to 16 teams, the presidents at the semi-original WAC schools decided that a financial pie split 16 ways didn't taste as good as one cut in eight or 10 or even 12 pieces.

So on a mid-summer's night at Denver's Stapleton Airport, they called a secret meeting. They conveniently misplaced UTEP's number, dialed up UNLV's Dr. Carol Harter (who has easy access to the golf courses and hotel rooms that are paramount to hosting conference tournaments and meetings) and seceded so quickly from the shaky WAC union that you would have sworn they were taking their cue from John C. Calhoun. Or Rick Pitino.

Three years later, it looks like a brilliant move. The Mountain West is coming off a 3-0 football bowl season thanks to resurgent UNLV and always competitive Colorado State and Air Force and seems to be gaining credibility with every passing day. On the heels of the bowl success came news this week that a pair of former MWC stalwarts had achieved a measure of stardom on a slightly bigger stage.

On back-to-back days, Brian Urlacher, the ex-New Mexico Lobo, and Mike Anderson, the former Utah Ute battering ram, were named NFC and AFC rookie of the year for their current teams, the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.

The WAC might counter that its pride and joy, Texas Christian running back LaDainian Tomlinson, finished fourth in this year's Heisman Trophy balloting. But it would be considered a parting shot. Next year, the Horned Frogs, the WAC's best imitation of a marquee program, will bolt for Conference USA without their coach, as Dennis Franchione will try to bust Bear Bryant's ghost in Alabama.

Which points out another key difference between the two leagues: Stability.

With Brigham Young having been taken down a few pegs in virtually every sport and LaVell Edwards now baiting a fishing hook, you can forget about the Pac-10 stealing the Cougars away. Likewise, Colorado State, UNLV, Air Force, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming and San Diego State seem content to stay where they are.

As for the WAC holdovers (more like leftovers), TCU is leaving, and Tulsa soon may follow the Horned Frogs to C-USA. Fresno State and Hawaii also are posturing like they want out and even worse for the WAC, from a reputation standpoint, is they want into the Mountain West.

According to reports, the Fresno athletic administration has done everything but camp out on MWC commissioner Craig Thompson's front lawn to express interest in joining many of its former WAC rivals in the new Mountain West. And don't think the interest isn't reciprocal. The MWC certainly could certainly benefit from the presence of Pat Hill's football team, Jerry Tarkanian's basketball bunch and, more importantly, those 18,000 red-and-blue clad fans who followed the Bulldogs to San Jose for last week's Silicon Valley Classic.

Too bad nine isn't an even number.