Thursday, May 28, 1998
Cayetano:
UH should pay to play
with defectors
If paying travel expenses
By Cindy Luis
will allow Hawaii to join the
'Gang of Eight,' the governor
says UH should do so
Star-BulletinHostage situation or just a business deal?
Regardless of what it's called, the situation regarding the future of University of Hawaii athletics is serious enough to warrant attention from Gov. Ben Cayetano and the state Legislature. The eight schools that broke away from the Western Athletic Conference on Tuesday apparently are interested in retaining Hawaii as a member -- for a fee.
It would cost upwards of $400,000 annually for Hawaii to reinstitute the travel subsidy it stopped paying when the WAC expanded to 16 teams in the 1995-96 school year. Cayetano said yesterday the university should try convince the eight departing schools to let Hawaii join them, and to again offer to pay for the travel expenses.
"The alternatives to not joining the new conference are not very good," he said, adding that he felt the Legislature would be receptive to helping the university.
"If the payment of travel expenses is a problem with them (the eight breakaway schools), then we should be willing to say that we would be willing to pay those expenses," Cayetano said. "I think the university can go to the Legislature next year and ask for more money to help them pay for the transportation costs if UH is allowed to join the eight teams that left the WAC."
UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida said he felt "very good about the governor's commitment."
"When the governor says he would go to the Legislature on our behalf, I strongly believe that he would do that," Yoshida said, adding that his department's position has not changed on the subsidy issue.
"At the time of expansion, we were very willing to continue to pay travel subsidies to the original eight WAC members," Yoshida said. "It was only when the WAC expanded to 16 teams that we were against paying the subsidies."
The UH men's programs joined the WAC in 1979. Its women's programs moved over from the Big West in 1996-97. Travel subsidies were paid in football and basketball to Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Texas-El Paso, Utah and Wyoming.
Seven of those schools and UNLV, a member since 1995, announced Tuesday they would leave the WAC. Texas-El Paso, a member since 1967, was not invited to join the defectors.
If money does indeed talk, Hawaii could be back with familiar opponents. Yoshida began making phone calls early yesterday morning, discussing what the Rainbows bring to the conference table with the "Gang of Eight," as the defectors are being called, and the remaining seven WAC members.
"I see this as a party of eight where the eight control the invitation list," said UH associate athletic director Jim Donovan. "We're trying to get invited. The subsidies used to just cover football and men's basketball. We may add women's basketball and volleyball to the arrangement."
UH president Kenneth Mortimer had convinced the WAC Council of Presidents to eliminate Hawaii's $250,000 travel subsidy in football and basketball when the WAC expanded to 16 teams. Mortimer, who leaves Saturday for a meeting of WAC presidents in Monterey, Calif., said he realizes travel costs have become an increasing concern in the league.
Yesterday, WAC officials were busy looking for ways to keep the conference alive after the June 1999 departure of at least eight members.
"We need to move fairly quickly," said Jeff Hurd, the WAC's associate commissioner.
The survival of both leagues will depend on it. Neither can afford to lose time angling for television deals past the upcoming 1998-99 WAC season.
There is little hope that the defecting faction can be talked into returning to the WAC, although that option is sure to be discussed at the meeting in Monterey, which starts Sunday.
The breakaway schools have until Sept. 1 to formally apply to leave.
The WAC will explore the possibility of adding members from a list that includes Big West schools Utah State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Boise State and North Texas. There also has been speculation of a merger or transplant of schools into Conference USA, the Big West, the Sun Belt and the Big Sky.
Star-Bulletin writer Craig Gima and the
Associated Press also contributed to this story.
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
