The late, great Western Athletic Conference rode off into the sunset last week as New Mexico and Utah were eliminated from the NCAA men's basketball tournament. There are a few spring sports left to finish up, but for all intents and purposes, the venerable old league -- as we know it -- has breathed its last breath. You could say it died with its boots on.
The move by eight schools to form the Mountain West Conference left the old league reeling. Then there's that identity crisis. It has gone from an established conference to one that's difficult to define. Let's see . . . the WAC. That would be BYU. No, wait a minute, Utah. Or was it Wyoming? Would you believe Northern Arizona?Don't laugh. It might happen.
Meanwhile, the MWC is up and running. It has eight teams (Utah, BYU, UNLV, Wyoming, Air Force, New Mexico, San Diego State and Colorado State) and headquarters in Colorado Springs. A young and ambitious staff is in place.
Still, this isn't going to be an easy transition. Remember going from grade school to junior high? This is worse. There's money at stake, and prestige, too. In fact, there's already a dispute between the old and new conferences over which should get the automatic NCAA Tournament berth next year.
However optimistic, the MWC schools may want to hang on with both hands. For a while it's going to look more like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride than smooth sailing.
"I would think that's fair to say," says associate commissioner Bret Gilliland. "We're hurtling toward our spring meeting at the end of April, and there are a lot of initiatives funneling into that particular meeting."
Starting up a new league isn't as easy as it sounds. You don't just hold a conference call and blast off. First, you need to call the NCAA and let it know you're coming. Then you need a TV contract. Somewhere along the line, you need to order stationery and, naturally, some windshirts and v-neck sweaters with your logo embroidered on the front.
To the MWC's advantage, it already has some ready-made tradition -- something most new conferences lack. Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado State and BYU have been playing one another since the Stone Age. Still, you have to get your name out to the public, and that takes time. Call up the networks and say you're with the Mountain West Conference, and you may hear nothing but breathing on the other end of the line.
The MWC has other concerns besides getting itself known. On Wednesday, New Mexico basketball coach Dave Bliss left for Baylor. That leaves the conference's second-best basketball program looking for a coach. At least the Lobos are considering several well-known replacements. Then there's San Diego State, which has been seeking a coach ever since Fred Trenkle announced his resignation in February. The Aztecs tried to hire Rick Majerus from Utah, which was their prerogative. Still, for a league that's trying to get everyone going in the same direction, cannibalizing isn't a good sign.
UNLV is making news, too, and it isn't good. The basketball program is under NCAA investigation again.
Seems UNLV brought its tradition, too.
Meanwhile, the MWC is trying to get a rule waived that requires a five-year waiting period for new conferences before getting an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
On the football side, the league brings a mixed bag. It has a number of visible and highly respected coaches, such as Utah's Ron McBride, BYU's LaVell Edwards, Air Force's Fisher DeBerry, UNLV's John Robinson and Colorado State's Sonny Lubick. There's also an impressive TV contract ready to go. But so far, there isn't a guaranteed bowl game in which to play. The conference is talking to the Las Vegas Bowl, but that game is tied up with the old conference for another year. The other main consideration is the Liberty Bowl -- the same bowl BYU played in last December. However, that bowl isn't especially prestigious and requires schools and conferences to guarantee the purchase of huge numbers of tickets.
Down the road is the hope of an affiliation with an old friend, the Holiday Bowl.
The MWC plans to combine the optimism of the New West with the romance of the Old West. It wants to be the newest, most appealing, highest-tech league in the country. Officially, it becomes an entity on July 1. Until then, it's in the awkward position of, as Gilliland says, "Operating as a league while at the same time trying to build one."
All that will culminate with the first football game on Sept. 4. If things go according to plan, you'll hardly notice the transition. If not, just like junior high, you'll have to chalk it up to growing pains.