Wednesday, May 27, 1998
Joining the eight teams
By Paul Arnett
that will leave the WAC is
intriguing possibility
Star-BulletinIt might be an offer the University of Hawaii can't refuse.
At least that's how third-year head football coach Fred vonAppen felt last night after hearing the Rainbows might be extended an invitation next week to join the eight teams that will leave the Western Athletic Conference in June 1999.
"That's an option I would think we would have to consider," vonAppen said. "Things wouldn't be quite as grim for us if we could join those eight schools. But we'll have to wait and see how everything plays out."
Several of the eight teams that are petitioning the NCAA to form a new league have strong football ties to Hawaii, especially Air Force, BYU and Utah.
"You can see why Utah and BYU want to keep playing us because of the local recruiting," vonAppen said. "And the strong military presence here is a natural for Air Force. It's good to know that option could be available to us."
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
UH president Kenneth Mortimer, left, and AD Hugh
Yoshida ponder UH's future at yesterday's press conference.
Officials at San Diego State and New Mexico hinted yesterday that a ninth team might be considered. Hawaii and Fresno State are the leading candidates. Hawaii's advantage over Fresno State is the better television market."I've said all along that this is a business decision and that anger shouldn't have anything to do with it," vonAppen said. "I know our commissioner (Karl Benson) took it personally a couple of weeks ago when the bowl game in Arizona dropped us.
"But if people aren't coming to see WAC teams, then a decision has to be made. It also looked really bad when so few people showed up for the WAC championship football game in Las Vegas. Colorado State won the Holiday Bowl, but they beat Missouri, which is only a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big 12. It was a good win, but nationally, it's not that big of a deal."
The eight defecting schools -- BYU, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado State, Air Force, Wyoming, San Diego State and Colorado State -- might be attractive in football and basketball, but baseball is another matter.
Wyoming and Colorado State don't have baseball programs, meaning other teams would have to be invited to fill out the league. The baseball-playing schools left in the WAC besides UH are Rice, Texas Christian, Fresno State and San Jose State.
"We've got four of the toughest teams," UH head baseball coach Les Murakami said. "At least we'll be playing in areas where the weather is decent."
There has been talk that UTEP was interested in reinstating its baseball program, which would be fine with Murakami. A sixth baseball-playing school is needed for the WAC to meet NCAA regulations for baseball conference status.
With six teams, Murakami envisions the coaches recommending a 30-game schedule with home and away series each season.
UH women's head basketball coach Vince Goo views the remaining eight WAC teams as fairly formidable.
"We'll still have the same 14-game conference schedule," Goo said. "I don't see it affecting our recruiting or filling our nonconference schedule slots. I'm sure none of the women's basketball coaches at the schools that left had any part in the decision-making process."
UH women's head volleyball coach Dave Shoji said he doesn't believe the move will affect his recruiting. Shoji wants Hawaii to avoid going independent and added that the Wahine would remain competitive no matter what conference Hawaii plays in.
Al Chase and Cindy Luis contributed to this report.
1958 -- Representatives of Brigham Young, Oregon and Oregon State meet to discuss an "ideal conference" that would include Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico and Washington State. History of the WAC
1960 -- Athletic directors at New Mexico and Arizona organize a meeting that included representatives of the same eight schools.
1960-61 -- Washington State, Oregon and Oregon State decide to realign with the other Pacific Coast institutions. Wyoming, New Mexico State and Utah State applied to fill the new vacancies, but only Wyoming was accepted as the final charter member.
1962 -- The WAC begins operation with 10 sports and six charter members -- Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
1967 -- Texas-El Paso and Colorado State join
1978 -- Arizona and Arizona State withdraw; San Diego State joins.
1979 -- Hawaii joins.
1980 -- Air Force Academy joins.
1992 -- Fresno State joins.
1996 -- Rice, SMU and TCU from the disbanded Southwest Conference join the WAC, along with Nevada-Las Vegas, San Jose State and Tulsa.
1998 -- Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming announce their intention to leave the conference after 1998-1999 season, saying a 16-team league is unmanageable.
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
