UH chancellor
against proposals

But Peter Englert is still willing
to listen when the WAC discusses
its credit rule and instant replay

When Peter Englert goes to Maui next month, he won't take a rubber stamp with him.

Englert, the University of Hawaii-Manoa chancellor, is a member of the Western Athletic Conference board of directors. He said his initial inclination is to not approve two high-profile recommendations forwarded by the WAC council.

The board meets June 5-7 in Lahaina.

The council, comprised of the league's athletic directors and other officials, proposes that the WAC's six-credit rule -- which compels schools to verify their athletes have passed six credits the previous semester -- be dropped. The rule comes into play during football bowl season, and has affected UH in the past because of the short time period between grade postings and the Hawaii Bowl either on Christmas or Christmas Eve.

The WAC council proposed dropping the six-credit rule two years ago, but the board voted to keep it.

"There are two ways to think," Englert said. "One, maybe it is very difficult to get sorted out in time and maybe it's not that relevant. Two, we want to uphold academic standards. I supported that and I'm still willing to support it, especially since in the last two or three years we've been able to verify the credits (in time). On the other hand, we're an active board and I'll be listening."

If the WAC drops its six-credit rule, it would still have to abide by the new NCAA rule that requires the credits be verified if the games are 14 days after the end of the semester.

Another WAC board member, Fresno State president John Welty, said he is leaning toward going with the council's recommendation.

"I have been in support of the rule in the past," Welty said. "Now that the NCAA has acted on this issue it's probably best to be consistent with the NCAA."

Welty said the NCAA's 14-day window would "remove all bowl games from the rule."

The other issue is the use of instant replay to challenge officials' calls in football games. Last year, the Big Ten experimented with instant replay and several leagues plan to this fall.

The WAC council proposal calls for its use in nonconference games only.

"Nonconference only, I cannot support," Englert said. "Why should it be only nonconference games? We need to discuss the pros and cons."

Not all WAC games are televised, and league commissioner Karl Benson has said providing equipment to facilitate replay for those that aren't would be too expensive.

UH athletic director Herman Frazier said he briefed Englert last week on the council's proposals.

Englert said he likes that the colleges coming into the WAC next school year -- New Mexico State, Utah State and Idaho -- are all public institutions.

Three of the four leaving for Conference USA -- SMU, Tulsa and Rice -- are private schools.

"Private schools have a different attitude toward athletics than most state schools with a research mission," Englert said. "The alumni at private schools have more influence."

With that being said, Englert agreed UH plays a bigger role in the state's overall sports scene than most other universities do in theirs.

"Our sports teams have done such a nice job of becoming the fabric of the state in sports that no pro sports are needed," he said. "Our teams compete not just for the alumni, but the entire state much more than Fresno or Boise."