Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Schools switching leagues may cause major shakeup

Steve Guiremand covers college football for the Sun. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-2324.

The next couple of months figure to be very wacky in the Western Athletic Conference, a.k.a, the WAC. And we're not just talking about on the football field.

With the Big East expected to add at least two teams before Thanksgiving to replace ACC-bound Miami and Virginia Tech -- Cincinnati and Louisville seem like locks -- and possibly even more from Conference USA to help fulfill minimum eight-team conference BCS bowl requirements, it looks like the WAC could be in for another major transformation.

The Tulsa World reported last week that Conference USA already had its sights set on Tulsa as a possible replacement and is exploring the possibility of going to a 12-team, two division conference that would also included fellow WAC members SMU and Rice along with Marshall and Central Florida from the MAC.

According to the Tulsa World, Tulsa, which is coveted more for its basketball program than football, would be placed in a West Division with SMU, Tulane, Houston, Southern Mississippi and TCU, which is also getting strong consideration from the Mountain West Conference should it decide to expand. The East Division would include Memphis, Marshall, Central Florida, South Florida, East Carolina and Alabama-Birmingham.

According to the article, WAC commissioner Karl Benson has been proactive in his attempt to stop Conference USA from coming after teams from his conference and recently sent a letter to WAC presidents urging them to beat Conference USA to the negotiating punch by inviting two of three schools from a group that includes Tulane, Houston and TCU. Those two teams would go into a much more financially feasable six-team East Division that would also include Louisiana Tech, Tulsa, SMU and Rice.

During the weekly WAC media conference call on Monday morning, Benson referred to the article and called it "erroneous and without fact."

"It shouldn't be a surprise that the WAC is interested in Conference USA teams located in the Central time zone, and it shouldn't be a surprise Conference-USA is interested in WAC schools as they anticipate what they need to do to replace some it may lose to the Big East."

Hmmm.

Benson also must keep his eyes out west where it's no secret that a number of WAC schools, including Nevada-Reno, Hawaii, Fresno State and Boise State, would love nothing better than to be invited to the much more travel friendly Mountain West Conference.

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, who would probably make a pretty fair poker player, continues to not show his cards when it comes to possible expansion although rumors persist the conference has an emergency plan just in case the dominos should start falling.

"We do not have to do anything," Thompson said. "It's a great position to be in. I think the singular strength of the Mountain West is you have eight schools who enjoy each other, work well together and fight to play hard on the field."

Still, if the Mountain West wants to attain its self-proclaimed No. 1 goal -- a spot in the BCS -- it may have no other choice than to go to 12 teams with two divisions. That would give it a potentially lucrative football championship game in early December and a probable tie-in to a much-rumored fifth BCS bowl game.

Let's see. How does a Mountain West East Division with Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force, New Mexico, TCU and SMU sound? And a West Division with BYU, Utah, UNLV, San Diego State, Nevada-Reno and a Hawaii or Fresno State?

Stay tuned.

Oops department

Turns out Oregon State actually has eight players on its roster from the Las Vegas area, not seven as mentioned here last week.

Defensive end Jeff Van Orsow, a freshman from Foothill High, also is redshirting this year in Corvallis.

Once around the MWC

AIR FORCE: Starting halfback Anthony Butler suffered a fractured right wrist in the Falcons' 24-10 victory at BYU but is expected to play Saturday against Navy at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., with the aid of a special cast. Butler faces possible surgery for the injury after the season. Falcons will begin their quest to win their seventh consecutive Commander-in-Chief's Trophy against the Midshipmen. Air Force defeated Navy, 48-7, last year in Colorado Springs. "The first thing the players are told as freshmen when they get here is to beat Army and sink Navy," Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said.

BYU: True freshman offensive guard Ofa Mohetau (6-4, 330), regarded by some prep scouting services as the best run blocker in the nation a year ago, made his first college start for the Cougars at left guard in their 24-10 loss at Air Force. "He made some blocks that were just great," BYU coach Gary Crowton told the Salt Lake Tribune. Mohetau joins a BYU offensive line that starts three seniors and redshirt freshman Jake Kuresa at right guard. Linebacker Levi Madarieta could miss Saturday night's game at San Diego State with a foot injury.

COLORADO STATE: Highly-touted running back Marcus Houston may have lost his starting job due to his three fumbles against Utah last week including one that was returned 80 yards for the game-winning touchdown by former Cimarron High star Arnold Parker. Sophomore Uldis Jaunarajs (5-10, 210) has spent much of the week practicing with the first team offense leading to speculation that the will replace Houston in the starting lineup Saturday against Fresno State. Jaunarajs has carried just 18 times for 62 yards in his career.

NEW MEXICO: Lobos coach Rocky Long seems to be softening his stance on Casey Kelly as his starting quarterback. Backup Kole McKamey came off the bench to rally New Mexico from a 14-7 halftime deficit and lead the Lobos to a 24-17 victory against in-state rival New Mexico State last week. "I don't think we'll hesitate to put (McKarmey) in there if Casey's having a bad night," Long told the Albuquerque Tribune. Offensive tackle and senior team captain Jason Lenzmeier, who suffered a knee injury against BYU on Sept. 13, has resumed non-contact drills and is expected to return against San Diego State on Oct. 18.

SAN DIEGO STATE: Aztecs (3-2, 0-0), who host struggling BYU (2-3, 0-1) in their Mountain West opener on Saturday night, lead the conference in sacks (16) and have not allowed a rushing touchdown this season. Senior quarterback Adam Hall, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the season-opening win against Eastern Washington, returns to the starting lineup this week. Hall, a transfer from Texas who is good friends with Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, led the MWC and was fifth nationally in total offense last season. He will wear a special polypropylene brace to protect the left ankle. Legendary coach Don "Air" Coryell will be honored at halftime.

UNLV: Junior safety Jamaal Brimmer leads the conference with three interceptions to go along with 29 tackles in just four games. The Rebels have forced 11 turnovers and made 11 quarterback sacks over their past two games.

UTAH: First-year Utes coach Urban Meyer issued a gag order on wide receiver Paris "Trojan Man" Warren for tonight's game against Oregon because of negative remarks Warren made about his old school in Monday's Salt Lake Tribune. "I'm a big believer in shutting your mouth and playing football," Meyer said. "All you say are great things about your opponent here at Utah. That's a rule." So just what did Warren say that was so bad to warrant the ban? "I want us to do the same thing Washington State did to them, maybe even worse." Oregon lost to the Cougars, 55-16 last week.

WYOMING: Cowboys (1-4, 0-1) have a bye this week before heading to Utah State on Oct. 11. The four teams that Joe Glenn's squad have lost to -- Oklahoma State, Kansas, Air Force and Boise State -- are a combined 15-3 this season. "It isn't like we've lost to the Little Sisters of the Poor," Glenn said.

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