ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- The Big West Conference is expected to announce its breakup as early as this week, which would leave five of its 12 schools, including Utah State, looking for a new league.
The two-division conference would become a one-division league that includes only California schools that do not play football, according to New Mexico State president William Conroy."The California schools have indicated they're interested in going off on their own with a California conference. They might add a few other California schools," Conroy said.
While it's been no secret that the Big West would likely be making changes in the near future, USU officials were surprised by the news from New Mexico.
New USU athletic director Rance Pugmire said he "knows nothing about it" as he left for a Monday morning meeting.
"This has caught us a little bit by surprise," added USU media relations director Mike Strauss.
The six schools that would remain in the league currently make up the conference's Western Division. It includes UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Pacific.
That would leave New Mexico State, Idaho, Boise State, Utah State and North Texas -- the conference's Eastern Division teams along with Nevada -- looking for another league.
The breakup came about following the realignment of the Western Athletic Conference. The WAC announced last month that Nevada would be leaving the Big West and joining the conference next summer.
"Nevada's departure has put the Big West schools in a difficult situation," Conroy said after meeting with the presidents of Big West schools in Salt Lake City. "It's hard to tell how all these conferences are going to end up two years from now."
The breakup wouldn't take effect for at least one year and possibly until after the 2000-2001 season. Nevada won't be leaving until after this year, and according to Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell, the Big West is committed to an 11-school configuration until after 2000-2001.
'The athletic directors of the California schools have made known the direction they would like to see the conference move," Farrell told the L.A. Times. "I can see some value to an all-California conference, but a lot of things would have to fall into place for that to happen."
Some of the Big West schools, including Utah State, have expressed interest in joining the WAC.
WAC commissioner Karl Benson has said his conference considered Utah State, New Mexico State and Boise State at the time it approved Nevada as its ninth member. He also has said that at some point the WAC may be a 12-team league.
"Unless other schools become available, the pool of Big West teams makes sense for us geographically," he said.
Big West athletic directors are scheduled to meet in Boise Tuesday at annual meetings in conjunction with the Football Media Day.