Idaho's WAC hopes get big boost
North Texas not interested in leaving Sun Belt
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Nick Jezierny

The Idaho Statesman | Edition Date: 05-27-2004
The Idaho Vandals have received a serious dose of good news in their quest to join the Western Athletic Conference.

North Texas, the WAC's top target for potential expansion, is not interested in joining the conference, university president Norval Pohl said Wednesday.

That means North Texas is staying in the Sun Belt. Idaho wants to leave the Sun Belt for the WAC.

"With the WAC, it just doesn't seem to make sense for us," Pohl said. "Really, what we want to do is play regionally. It really didn't seem to make sense with how the conference is currently configured. It's just something that wasn't attractive to us.

"We just didn't think it fit. We took a long time to analyze this. It wasn't the right fit for us, and I don't think it was the right fit for them."

That is good news for Idaho.

"You bet it is," Idaho athletic director Rob Spear said.

The Vandals are now the only candidate left for WAC expansion, if the conference continues to explore that option. The conference dropped to eight schools in April when UTEP bolted for Conference USA.

The WAC's league presidents meet June 3-4 in Half Moon Bay, Calif. They could vote on expansion then, but a decision would have to be made no later than June 30. That's the deadline for Idaho to notify the Sun Belt that it would be leaving the conference.

Membership changes would go into effect for the 2005-06 school season.

North Texas was the WAC's top choice for potential expansion because of its metropolitan location near Dallas and its successful football program. The location in the Central time zone also would have made the school an ideal travel partner for WAC member Louisiana Tech.

Pohl said Idaho is a better fit for the WAC.

"I think it's probably in their best interests," he said. "Idaho playing in Florida doesn't make any sense. It's like us going to play in San Jose or Hawaii. The time zone thing was big for us."

Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters said two other schools in his conference, Middle Tennessee and Louisiana-Lafayette, have been mentioned as possible WAC candidates, but have no interest in joining.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said expansion will be a key agenda item at next week's meetings.

“I think it’s certainly one of the more critical agenda items because of the importance to the WAC’s future,

Humm Sanity and College Football.

Thought they were mutually exclusive.

arkstfan Wrote:Humm Sanity and College Football.

Thought they were mutually exclusive.

Most of the expansion still remains insane...

TCU is still going to the MWC. While Central Time Zone schools are leaving the West, TCU is leaving the Central Time Zone for the West.

It is still crazy.

Will the WAC invite Idaho or stay at 8?

Sounds like a good poll question!

Who will want more than 8 conference members?

Hawaii-no They can schedule games on the island..More road trips equals more problems.
LaTech-no Schedule someone closer than Moscow..Plenty of Sun Belt schools that would love a home and home when they are not on the road getting their heads bashed in with body bag games.
Utah State-yes Need the home and home with western school.
Boise State-yes Get Idaho off the OOC schedule
Fresno-don't know They can schedule another OOC football game and can do a home and home with schools better than Idaho..
SDSU-yes Need the home and home
Nevada-don't know They seem to schedule good OOC games and the ability of Idaho fans to travel to Reno may be a consideration.
NMSU-50/50 as they can schedule closer teams than Idaho in Texas and La.

I don't think this is a lock either way.

If Idaho had baseball, Nevada and possibly Fresno would be in the yes column.

Although this looks to be good news for Idaho and make common sense, I'm still very leary of what the WAC will do.
I really think the fate of Idaho football is now in the hands of the University Presidents. I doubt we can
survive playing football in Florida every year. I know Idaho fans are excited about lining up against our
old rivals from the big sky and big west.

Vandal13 Wrote:Although this looks to be good news for Idaho and make common sense, I'm still very leary of what the WAC will do.
I really think the fate of Idaho football is now in the hands of the University Presidents. I doubt we can
survive playing football in Florida every year. I know Idaho fans are excited about lining up against our
old rivals from the big sky and big west.

The Big Four in the Old Big Sky were Boise State, Idaho, Nevada and Montana. I would be great to get Montana in the WAC someday too!

Hawaii is the only WAC team (2005 Configeration) not to have served time in the old PCAA/Big West.

TCU is leaving for totally different reasons. They aren't leaving for a better conf they are leaving because SMU and thats it. If it would have been Tulsa, Rice LA Tech, UCF & Marshall, I can almost lay money down that TCU would still be in the conf. . Its pure political on TCUs move.

Hawaii has a connection to the BWC as I believe their women's teams were members of that conference (mid eighties, I think).