The loss of Nevada and Fresno State, coupled with rumors that Hawaii, Utah State and others might be on their way out, could mean the Western Athletic Conference is in its last days. We’ll keep track of the rumors, reports and official statements as they come in.
WAC Reaches Agreement To Keep Nevada, Fresno State In League Through 2012
Fresno State and Nevada have been insistent on trying to leave the WAC after this season to join the Mountain West, but lawyers have been involved and this whole situation has taken so many turns. The situation finally showed progress on Tuesday, when reports out of ESPN Radio 1430 in Fresno reported that Fresno State and Nevada would join the Mountain West in 2011 for all sports except for football which would join the Mountain West in 2012. Also, there would be only a $1 million exit penalty to be paid by each school. That report was proven to be inaccurate shortly after the announcement.
Now, there are multiple sources saying that Nevada and Fresno State will stay in the WAC through July of 2012 for all sports, and then join the Mountain West in the fall of 2012. The exit fee is expected to be lower for both schools, but at this time that information is not available. The official announcement is expected to come out on Thursday.
Read Article >The Five Million Dollar WAC Exit Penalty Is No Longer In Place
The WAC is really in trouble now because once Fesno State and Nevada left to join the Mountain West that five million dollar exit fee the league agreed upon last week is no longer in place:
The WAC maybe over as we know it since Hawai’i is considering independence, Utah State is trying to get into the Mountain West, and Louisiana Tech has always wanted a better travel schedule. Unless something major is done the WAC may not be around come the fall of 2012.
Read Article >Report: Utah State Negotiating Move From WAC To MWC
Report: Hawaii “Fleshing Out The Possibility” Of Leaving WAC, Going Independent
Considering Hawaii is basically guaranteed a spot in the Hawaii Bowl every year assuming they win six games, they don’t need to worry much about what conference they’re in when it comes to post-season concerns.
Read Article >WAC’d: Are We Witnessing The Demise Of The Western Athletic Conference?
Two days ago, it looks like the WAC was on its way to regaining some of its old glory, if that’s appropriate to say. Once left for dead when its best schools shuffled loose and formed the Mountain West Conference, the WAC always seemed like the MWC’s little, petulant brother. Sure it had Boise State...but that was about it. Sooner or later Boise was going to leave and that would be that.
Boise did decide to leave a few months ago. But the WAC soldiered on just like before. Then, BYU announced their grand scheme. Join the WAC in everything except football, where they’d remain independent. Not a perfect scenerio for the WAC but something that certainly weakened the MWC. Coupled with the loss of Utah, the MWC was starting to look like a crumbling mountain-range dynasty itself.
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