WAC’s hopes of reeling in Cougars get darker
Salt Lake Tribune
08/30/10

As the window further closes, it increasingly appears the Western Athletic Conference is not in Brigham Young University’s plans as school officials sort out their options for going independent in football and placing BYU’s other sports in another league.

Sources in Logan familiar with the situation told The Tribune Monday it appeared the Cougars were now looking elsewhere for a nonfootball affiliation.

That could mean the West Coast Conference — an eight-school league composed of private, faith-based institutions — is now BYU’s destination for its other sports. Utah State, which as of two weeks ago was closely tied to BYU’s plans, expects details about BYU’s intentions of becoming an independent in football to be announced today.

BYU must give the Mountain West notice of its intention to leave the conference by Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the WAC reiterated on Monday its demand that Fresno State and Nevada each pay the $5 million buyout the schools agreed to with other WAC members on Aug. 13. The league has set a 60-day payment deadline, and threatened legal action if the two schools fail to comply.

The conference also continues to insist that Fresno and Nevada must remain in the league through the 2012-13 academic year. Both schools have informed the WAC that they intend to leave after 2011-12.

Again, Benson said the conference would seek “legal recourse” if needed.

“Having both schools stay in the conference for two years isn’t an ideal scenario for anyone involved,” Benson told The Tribune Monday. “But when Fresno and Nevada decided to leave the conference, they pulled the rug out on the other six schools in the league. Them leaving in time for the 2011 season just doesn’t work for the WAC.”

Nevada officials said Monday their stance has not changed.

“We disagree with Commissioner Benson’s interpretation,” Nevada President Milton Glick said. “We will be contacting the WAC … to resolve these issues, and hope that they can be resolved in an expeditious fashion.”

WAC members reached agreement Aug. 13 on a resolution to help cement BYU’s commitment to join. It called for a $5 million penalty if any member left the conference in the next five years. However, Fresno State and Nevada scuttled the agreement when they announced five days later they had accepted invitations to join the Mountain West Conference.

The WAC’s resolution, obtained by The Tribune last week, indicates that if BYU does not come to a written agreement with the conference by Wednesday, the terms of the agreement, including the $5 million buyout, are void.

Without Fresno State and Nevada, and probably without BYU now, the WAC has been reduced to a six-school conference. But Benson says that conference expansion isn’t a sure thing.

At least not anytime soon. Like USU, the league needs time to look at all the alternatives, Benson said.

“People think the timetable for expansion is four to six weeks,” Benson said. “It could be more like four to six months.”

USU now has until June 30 — the next deadline to give the WAC notice it is departing — to explore its athletic affiliation options.

USU President Stan Albrecht and athletic director Scott Barnes were absent from a USU booster luncheon Monday. One prominent USU backer says the two administrators deserve time to work out a solution.

“We trust Scott and Stan,” said Jim Ray, who played on the 1993 USU team. “They’ve been our strongest administrators in quite a while. … I trust them until they give me a reason not to trust them.”

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