WAC holds meetings
by Steve Behr Sports Editor
The Western Athletic Conference concluded its annual meetings Thursday without picking up any new members, but not dismissing the idea of possible expansion.
The WAC is down to two football-playing schools for 2013 after being raided by the Conference USA and the Sun Belt in the most recent conference realignments. It's been speculated that one of the remaining football programs, Idaho, may have to return to the FCS Big Sky Conference.
The other program, New Mexico State, may look for other options if the WAC can't be saved.
“The WAC Board of Directors continues to aggressively evaluate membership options,” WAC Interim Commissioner Jeff Hurd said on the league's web site. “We remain confident in the league's future and will continue to survey and discuss several options.”
Appalachian State, which is trying to move into a Football Bowl Subdivision conference, was left out of the more recent movement. Conference USA added five teams in May, but left ASU out.
Much of the recent expansion of Conference USA was driven by population. All five of the programs brought into the conference — Charlotte, North Texas, Texas-San Antonio, Louisiana Tech and Florida International — are either in, or are close to big metropolitan media markets.
Appalachian State athletics director Charlie Cobb said at the time that ASU is in media markets that includes Charlotte, the Triad area — home to Winston-Salem and Greensboro — and the Asheville market.
The WAC is down to two football-playing schools for 2013 after being raided by the Conference USA and the Sun Belt in the most recent conference realignments. It's been speculated that one of the remaining football programs, Idaho, may have to return to the FCS Big Sky Conference.
The other program, New Mexico State, may look for other options if the WAC can't be saved.
“The WAC Board of Directors continues to aggressively evaluate membership options,” WAC Interim Commissioner Jeff Hurd said on the league's web site. “We remain confident in the league's future and will continue to survey and discuss several options.”
Appalachian State, which is trying to move into a Football Bowl Subdivision conference, was left out of the more recent movement. Conference USA added five teams in May, but left ASU out.
Much of the recent expansion of Conference USA was driven by population. All five of the programs brought into the conference — Charlotte, North Texas, Texas-San Antonio, Louisiana Tech and Florida International — are either in, or are close to big metropolitan media markets.
Appalachian State athletics director Charlie Cobb said at the time that ASU is in media markets that includes Charlotte, the Triad area — home to Winston-Salem and Greensboro — and the Asheville market.