Texas and Texas A&M's announcement that they'll stay in the Southwest Conference is good news to R.J. Snow, BYU's vice president over athletics.
"I think that sort of stops the (realignment) dominoes, the major ones anyway."Snow was not anxious to see the SWC dismantled, which it surely would have been had the two Texas schools left for the Southeastern Conference.
That development also, he said, should help to keep the Big Eight from being raided. It had been speculated the SWC would try to entice Oklahoma into its fold had the Texas schools left.
BYU's dominoes were basically stopped earlier in the week when the Pac-10 announced it was not interested in expansion at this time. The Cougars had been mentioned along with Colorado and the two Texas schools as likely candidates for the Pac-10 had the conference favored expansion.
"There's no eagerness on our part to desert the WAC . . . Our first priority is to keep the WAC as strong as possible . . . I hope the WAC presidents consider their options," Snow said.
With the expansion movement slowed by the announcement from Texas, Snow thinks possible WAC expansion - Texas Tech, Tulsa, Fresno State, San Jose State, Utah State and UNLV have been mentioned at various times as candidates - will also be slowed.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they (WAC presidents) say `let's just sit it out and see what happens." '
Expansion speculation may start afresh, however, if the Federal Trade Commission rules the various television deals with the College Football Association are illegal, Snow said.
- John Robinson