WAC should look to expand

While the Western Athletic Conference isn't exactly on life support, there's nothing guaranteed about the WAC's long-term future, either.

So it's painfully clear that if the WAC wants to continue as a viable conference it's going to have to expand someday. The WAC's athletic directors recently held a meeting to discuss the conference's future and decided not to rush to do anything, which is obviously the right course of action for now.

They basically decided to keep all their options open, which is to stay at the eight teams that the WAC will have in the near future, or to expand to nine, 10 or 12 teams.

Anything more than 12 teams can become cumbersome and new Nevada athletic director Cary Groth should be able to provide some expertise in her new league. She leaves her post as athletic director at Northern Illinois and comes from a mid-major conference similar to the WAC in the Mid-American Conference.

The MAC has expanded to 14 teams, which Groth said has become cumbersome, adding 12 teams is the maximum a conference should have. 'Fourteen's a lot," she said.

The obvious advantage of having 12 teams is that a conference can have a championship game in football that's televised at the end of the year. The MAC has taken advantage of that situation, with a championship game that has been televised on ABC and in primetime on ESPN. "I think we had a good television contract with the WAC," Groth said.

But Groth said a 12-team conference for the sake of having a championship game may not be that much of an advantage. She noted there's not much room for any more conference championship games to be televised. "The market's getting a little saturated," she said.

Groth, though, said she could see the same type of arrangement the MAC has happening in the WAC.

With the departure of SMU, UTEP, Tulsa and Rice in the near future, the WAC will be left with eight teams in Nevada, Boise State, Fresno State, Hawai'i, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, Utah State and New Mexico State.

So the WAC will be at the bare minimum of teams - eight - in the near future to be a viable conference. "You need eight teams," Groth said.

That's why it was important that Louisiana Tech stated it would stay in the WAC, Groth said. "Louisiana Tech is committed to the WAC," she said.

Groth said the athletic director meetings discussing the conference's future went well - even with the outgoing members.

An arguement can still be made the WAC is in a shaky position with schools like San Jose State and Fresno State as members. San Jose State has had its share of struggles and Fresno State is a school that could always look for greener pastures.

It's no secret that Fresno State felt snubbed when the schools that now form the Mountain West Conference left the then 16-team WAC to start the MWC. It's also no secret that Fresno State's ultimate dream is to join the Pac 10. While it's probably just wishful thinking on Fresno State's part - nothing can be taken for granted.

That's why the WAC needs to cautiously look at expansion now because it may actually mean just keeping the status quo. Groth made a valid point when she said a conference shouldn't expand "if you don't have the right teams."

Obviously that means only schools which can provide added value to the conference should be invited to join, Groth said.

Groth also said Nevada should keep all its options open. "We need to make sure our program is in the best position for any opportunity," she said.

Right now, Nevada's best position is "to help strengthen the WAC. I feel very comfortable in the WAC right now."

A strength for the WAC, Groth said, is that its strongest football schools - Boise State, Hawai'i and Fresno State aren't leaving. "The success in football is staying," she said.

Groth noted, though, there are Division I-A and I-AA football programs "out there that would be good for the WAC."

One school that could be a good fit for the WAC someday is UC Davis, which has committed to entering the Big West Conference when it becomes a Division I program. UC Davis has a relatively large number of alumni in the area and while it was apparently an ill-fated effort - it should be noted there was talk of a bowl game being played here in Carson City in which UC Davis would have had the chance to be one of the featured schools.

While the WAC athletic directors don't know what direction they'll be taking - at least they're looking down the road.

"We don't know what's out there - yet," said Groth about expansion. "Let's see what's out there. I know what's out there basically."

Contact Charles Whisnand at chwisnand@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1214.