Friday, July 30, 1999
Benson has
the WAC up and
running again
The conference's commissioner
By Paul Arnett
has lined up bowl bids and a TV deal,
making the league's breakup
a little easier to take
Star-BulletinIRVING, Texas - Despite the possible intent of the eight departing Mountain West schools to leave the remaining Western Athletic Conference institutions stranded on the side of the road, commissioner Karl Benson isn't in need of the car doctor.
Not only was he able to get the league up and running with two bowl bids in Las Vegas and Mobile, Ala., he also landed a television deal with the Fox Sports Net that could keep the WAC in good standing as it prepares to enter the 21st century.
"It was very important for us to get some kind of national exposure on television and to have a place for our football teams to play in the postseason," Benson said yesterday during WAC media day.
"Now, it's up to us to perform as a league to show we're a viable conference on the national landscape."
The WAC champion will likely play the Mountain West winner in the Las Vegas Bowl in December in what is sure to be viewed as a grudge match. The Mountain West champion could wind up in the Holiday Bowl, but it would have to beat out a Big 12 team to do it.
Should that not happen, it's possible the Mountain West will wind up with only one team in postseason play, while the WAC is guaranteed at least two.
"The team that goes to Mobile will probably have to be a team near their region," Benson said.
"We're seeing that more and more with bowls at this level. But we'll be playing a team from Conference USA, so it's important for us to do well in both bowl games because those two conferences are our main competition."
The contracts with the Mobile and Las Vegas bowls are good for only this year, but Benson sees the possibility of long-range deals should the WAC put entertaining teams on the field.
Next year, the Silicon Bowl in San Jose, Calif., will have a WAC tie-in as well. Benson said that the Aloha and Oahu bowls also want to keep a WAC team under consideration.
"Despite ESPN's efforts to keep us from being involved in those two games, the Aloha Bowl administrators said they would keep us in mind," Benson said. "They already have a commitment to Hawaii should they become bowl-eligible, so our future looks bright on that front."
Benson also announced yesterday that the Fox Sports Net will broadcast three WAC games nationally - SMU vs. TCU, SMU vs. Fresno State and TCU vs. Arizona - and four regional broadcasts as well. Two of those involve the University of Hawaii.
"It's always good to get national exposure," UH head coach June Jones said.
Hawaii's season opener with USC and its game at Tulsa on Oct. 23 will be broadcast on Fox.
"Now it's up to us to play as well as we can against two talented teams," said Jones.
Granted, the seven games won't generate the kind of money ESPN sunk into its seven-year contract with the Mountain West, but the potential to earn real dollars down the road is there.
"We need to prove to people that we're a viable league," Benson said. "I believe we can do that, but we have to show it on the field."
Benson conceded that the WAC's future remains uncertain. Possible expansion on several fronts could hurt the league. But he feels adding Nevada-Reno to the mix next year can only strengthen the ever-changing WAC landscape.
"I think it's possible that Boise State could be in our league somewhere down the road," Benson said.
"What happens in the Big West is of special interest to us. We'll have to wait and see what develops."
Benson expects the league presidents will vote next week whether to sue the eight Mountain West schools. He believes the WAC will win, but he concedes a judge might throw it out. Six of the eight league presidents are needed for the suit to move forward.
"I think everybody except Hawaii has wavered on this suit," Benson said.
"Fresno State is reluctant to sue, as is TCU. So, I'm not sure what will happen. It probably would take two or three years before anything would be settled."
