LET'S see now. What's Plan B for the University of Hawaii? Rainbows left to
look for other optionsThe Breakaway Eight of what's left of the Western Athletic Conference today decided not to expand to a ninth team at this time, leaving UH president Kenneth Mortimer and athletic director Hugh Yoshida scrambling to look at different options.
Mortimer was notified of the decision by the eight defecting schools at the WAC presidents' meeting in Monterey, Calif.
The decision closed the door to one of the options that UH had in mind -- seeking an invitation to join the new league, even if it means paying a travel subsidy.
Both UH and Fresno State, which was also spurned, had expressed hopes of joining the defectors -- BYU, Colorado State, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, UNLV, Air Force and San Diego State.
Instead, the Breakaway Eight said they would remain at that number and will begin operation July 1, 1999, as a new conference after fulfilling all WAC obligations next season.
In a release today, they said it will not consider enlarging the conference at this time and do not anticipate revising this issue in the near term.
Mortimer had gone to the meetings with the hopes of finding out what the departing schools had in mind. "I don't think even the eight defectors know what they want," he said yesterday.
Today, he got his answer.
EVEN then, Mortimer said he wouldn't make any commitment until he returns home and sits down with the UH board of regents and Yoshida.
"I'm not a free agent on this. I have to meet with them first and discuss a whole series of issues first."
So it's on to Plan B. And it might be a palatable one for Hawaii, based on indications from the meeting.
And that's to stay with the remaining WAC schools -- Texas Christian, Southern Methodist, Rice, Tulsa, San Jose State, Texas-El Paso and, of course, Fresno State.
"We had hoped from the very beginning that Hawaii and Fresno State would stay in the WAC," said SMU president Gerald Turner, who was named the chairman of the WAC presidents council for next year.
"We have included both president Mortimer and president (John) Welty (of Fresno State) in all of our meetings. Both schools are valued members of our league," Turner said in a telephone interview today.
While travel subsidy is still a possibility, it is not a condition to stay in the WAC, according to Turner.
If UH can remain in the WAC without having to pay travel subsidy -- which should be costlier in view of the distance of the three Texas and one Oklahoma school -- it would a tempting option for Mortimer and Yoshida.
ACTUALLY, to my way of thinking, if UH has to pay any travel subsidy to anyone, it should be in order to join the Pac-10. Who knows? It might be an offer the Pac-10 schools couldn't refuse.
Because Mortimer didn't know until today if Hawaii or Fresno State was included in the Breakaway Eight's future plans, he couldn't answer Turner if they were in or out of the WAC in 1999-2000.
That is why Mortimer, who was next in line as chairman of the WAC council, said it would have been awkward to accept the position under the current circumstances. So he passed.
Turner's election wasn't a "power play" by the Texas schools, according to Mortimer. He felt, along with the others, that Turner's prior dealings with the NCAA would make him better suited for the position.
"The Texas schools also seemed more committed to the existing WAC," Mortimer added.
After what happened today, at least Hawaii received a commitment, which it didn't get from the defectors.