Thursday, March 4, 1999
WAC considering
lawsuit, expansion
A 12-team , two-division
By Paul Arnett
conference is one
possibility
Star-BulletinLAS VEGAS -- The eight presidents of the Western Athletic Conference met yesterday at the Thomas & Mack Center to discuss expansion, a possible lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference and where next year's basketball tournament will be held.
University of Hawaii president Kenneth Mortimer said it was a productive meeting, but no votes were cast on any of the matters discussed during the three-hour session that included conference commissioner Karl Benson.
''We didn't reach any conclusions, but each of us had a chance to give our opinions on the matters discussed,'' Mortimer told the Star-Bulletin yesterday afternoon. ''Our next meeting is in June and I could see us voting on these issues by then.''Right now, it's a feeling-out process. We are united on the idea of seeking possible litigation against the eight teams that left. We also believe the current league is not balanced, so expansion is a possibility.''
Benson made an expansion proposal that he believes will be beneficial to the league in the near future. Although he wouldn't confirm his presentation, it's believed he told the presidents that New Mexico State should join TCU, SMU, Tulsa, Rice and UTEP to form an Eastern Division.
Utah State, Boise State and the University of Nevada would join Fresno State, San Jose State and Hawaii in the Western Division. A schedule would comprise five division games, three cross-over matchups and either three or four nonconference games.
''I think it would be very premature to say that's what's going to happen,'' UTEP president Diana Natalicio said. ''We could add four teams or we could stay at eight. We just have to weigh our options.''
A possible suit against the eight departing schools is also in the mix. But SMU president R. Gerald Turner said it was too early to say the WAC would pursue this matter.
''If we come out of this with a television and bowl contract in place, then I think it's going to be difficult to show we were hurt by those schools leaving our league,'' Turner said. ''We want to see what our options are before we go to court.''
Mortimer believes individual schools could sue the Mountain West, even if the eight remaining presidents vote not to take it to court.
''If we were forced to become an independent because these teams left, then I believe we could go to court without the other teams joining us,'' Mortimer said. ''This is something we have to review and decide as a group probably in June.''
Mortimer was in Northern Arizona earlier this week, and only learned yesterday that the UH athletic department and Bowl Games of Hawaii had made a formal proposal to the WAC to host next year's men's and women's basketball tournament.
''We not only discussed the WAC Tournament, but the status of our TV and bowl negotiations as well,'' Benson said. ''I believe Hawaii's proposal for the WAC basketball tournament is a good one. After the presidents have a chance to review all seven bids, then we'll decide where to go from there.''
The presidents also reviewed NCAA issues, including whether the basketball teams will receive an automatic qualification next year.
''We had some good dialogue on all of these issues,'' Mortimer said. ''But at this point, we're still reviewing our options. No decisions have been reached on how to proceed on any of these matters.''
