Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Thursday, June 4, 1998

WAC defectors have
no place on UH schedule

I pledge allegiance to the WAC for which it stands. Divisible, but still standing. It's seriously wounded -- its guts ripped out with eight teams leaving -- but not fatally.

It might take some getting use to -- watching the University of Hawaii play SMU instead of BYU, TCU instead of Utah and Rice instead of the Air Force Academy. But I'm sure the Rainbows won't miss going to Laramie or continuing their football losing streak to San Diego State.

The Breakaway Eight wanted to break away? Good. Let's make it a clean break on Hawaii's part, now that it's not wanted. After all, it's a two-way street.

I'm glad UH president Kenneth Mortimer isn't planning on scheduling the eight defecting schools in the future. Oh, I don't mind a home-and-home series with Nevada-Las Vegas on occasion.

But believe me, I won't miss playing BYU anymore. Sure, playing the Cougars would mean a near sellout at Aloha Stadium. But it would mean selling out in another way if we continue to schedule them.

I'm sure a lot of Rainbow fans agree with me. I know Rainbow men's basketball coach Riley Wallace does.

"Don't weaken," he told me. "Don't go around saying we should schedule BYU, even if it means 50,000 fans at Aloha Stadium. The way they (the eight defectors) did things behind our backs, we should have nothing to do with them. We have to make a complete separation."

ONE thing about Riley, when he speaks his piece, he lets you know it, both barrels worth. Just ask Mortimer and athletic director Hugh Yoshida.

This time they're in complete agreement with him. They're on the same page.

"We're done with those schools," Mortimer said.

"I can't see us scheduling those people. We have no ties anymore," Yoshida added.

The WAC's Great Schism begins with the 1999 football season, when the Rainbows are scheduled to play San Diego State, Utah, New Mexico and BYU, the latter two on the road.

OK, let's scratch those four right away since the Rainbows will have to add three WAC teams not scheduled for that year -- Tulsa, Rice and TCU. It might be a good time to start the home-and-home with UNLV for the 12th game.

Staying in the WAC isn't the best of all worlds. The geographic distance is the biggest hang-up. But it's the only option.

The WAC at least gives a measure of stability in scheduling games. And it might be cost effective if the WAC schools realize how viable Hawaii is as a conference member and don't insist on travel subsidies.

Plus, it's nice to know that you're wanted. No wonder Mortimer is optimistic, despite the crushing news last week.

THE WAC, though, will need to expand to a ninth team for a balanced four-home, four-away football schedule.

Nevada-Reno comes to my mind as a likely choice since the geographically challenged WAC needs another team in the West. And the WAC needs a sixth team in baseball to get an outright NCAA bid, and only five of the remaining eight schools field teams. It's unlikely that Tulsa, SMU or Texas-El Paso would add a baseball program because of gender equity.

The so-called Hawaii exemption -- a 12th game in football, a 28th in basketball and extra games in baseball -- remains a big bonus. Here's hoping the eight defectors will realize what they'll be missing.

The only time I want to see BYU at Aloha Stadium is in the Jeep Aloha Bowl. But only if it's playing Hawaii.

Wouldn't that be something?