Western Athletic Conference athletic directors took a big step toward making their big, 16-school conference more manageable last weekend when they voted to create two permanent divisions and abolish the much-maligned quadrant system.
The recommendation to form Eastern and Western divisions - scheduled to begin in 2000-01 - will be on the table when the WAC Presidents' Council convenes the first week in June.The league's presidents, who have final say in realignment issues, will either vote to adopt or strike down the recommendation. Or they could decide to implement another plan altogether.
According to the scenario passed by the athletic directors, BYU and Utah will join Air Force, Fresno State, Hawaii, San Diego State, San Jose State and UNLV in the Western Division. Colorado State, New Mexico, Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas Christian, Tulsa, UTEP and Wyoming will comprise the Eastern Division.
The plan calls for football teams to play seven games against division foes plus one crossover against a team from the other division. In basketball, teams will play a schedule of home-and-home games with no crossovers.
The realignment goal is to build stronger rivalries and reduce escalating travel costs in a league that includes nine states and four time zones. WAC leaders also hope the permanent divisions will erase much of the confusion for fans and media alike that has been generated by the rotating quadrants.
As expected, there was not a consensus among the conference's 16 ADs. The Front Range schools - CSU, Wyoming and Air Force - do not want to be split up.
For BYU and Utah, being aligned with the West Coast schools is good news. Since California is fertile recruiting territory for the Cougars and Utes, membership in the proposed Western Division assures they will maintain a presence in that state.