Full-Court Press
IRVING, Texas - The eyes of Texas are upon Hawaii, and the Lone Star State may not like what it sees. Texas schools not
happy in the WACWhile the state of the WAC is in stable condition, it would take only a two-step by the University of Texas to put Hawaii on life-support.
The Longhorns are not only the Rainbows' first opponent of the new millennium, they also are the one school that could cost Hawaii its home on the WAC range. Rumors abound that Texas and the Big Ten are on a collision course.
Now that Notre Dame has decided to keep its independence, the Big Ten is in need of a major player and Texas could be it. If the Longhorns left the Big 12, then it would be only a matter of time before Texas A&M bolted to the Southeastern Conference, leaving Texas Tech and Baylor in need of a new home.
In all likelihood, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado would return to the glory days of the Big Eight, making it all but impossible for current WAC members SMU, TCU and Rice to keep from inviting their former fellow Southwest Conference members to come in from the cold.
"There is so much speculation out there, it's tough to center on any one scenario," WAC Commissioner Karl Benson said. "... The landscape out there is constantly changing and our league could certainly be affected by it."
IT'S no secret that SMU, TCU, Rice and Tulsa are not happy about the current WAC. One reason those presidents didn't want to add more than one member in the West is so the power base would remain in the Central time zone.
"When there were 16 teams, the four private schools viewed places like Hawaii and San Jose State as distant cousins," Benson said. "Yes, they were in the same conference, but they weren't going to be involved with those schools on a yearly basis.
"Now Hawaii, Fresno State and San Jose State are like brothers and the four private schools don't like it. It wouldn't take much for those schools to form a new alliance with teams closer to home."
Even if there weren't any shifts among the major conferences, the WAC could be hurt by possible expansion in Conference USA. The WAC is in direct competition with this rapidly growing group.
If Conference USA saw a chance to put a dagger deep in the heart of the WAC, it only need ask SMU and TCU to come on board and form its own 12-team league. Sound far-fetched? Benson doesn't think so.
"It's no secret that I thought we should add at least two teams in the West to help balance the power structure," Benson said. "With the Big West in trouble, it only made sense to have Nevada and Boise State join our league. But the presidents didn't see it that way."
AND that leaves Hawaii in a tenuous position. Most of the current coaches see Hawaii not only as a difficult trip, but an expensive one. If there is a shift in power, Hawaii could be on the outside looking in.
"The next couple of years are crucial to our league's existence," Benson said. "I don't want to say we're in a life-or-death struggle with Conference USA and the Mountain West, but if we don't prove ourselves in football and basketball, then some changes could be in order."
The state of Texas has long been the center of realignment activity. First, it was Arkansas leaving the Southwest Conference. Then came Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech.
A lot of people in this part of the world see the WAC as a possible Southwest Conference II. The four private schools and UTEP wouldn't mind if Baylor and Texas Tech came home. Throw in the University of Houston and suddenly you have a nice eight-team WAC that no longer counts Hawaii as a member.
Paul Arnett has been covering sports
for the Star-Bulletin since 1990.