UH's refusal to pledge loyalty to the WAC resulted in SMU, Rice, and Tulsa leaving in 2003

HA Note: "Southern Methodist and Tulsa to leave the WAC for Conference USA as having been given a nudge by UH.

President Evan Dobelle's outspoken declaration of interest in the Mountain West Conference in the spring and the school's subsequent refusals to back commissioner Karl Benson's plan for WAC solidarity have figured in this.

At the very least, UH made it easier for the three to defect. More likely, it helped galvanize the decision."

HA Note: "Persistent rumors of Fresno State and Hawai'i awaiting a call from the MWC helped feed the fears, along with Dobelle's declaration of interest in the MWC."

HA Note: "To assure the conference the unity it needed to pull the plan off, Benson visited members asking them to pledge one-for-all solidarity. According to two people who took part, the vote was 7-3 with just UH, SMU and Nevada against. The other two might have eventually come around had UH been willing to reconsider, but it never did.

Now, UH is between the WAC and a hard place. If it gets invited to the MWC — no sure thing — it has lost any leverage and will probably have to pay handsomely for the opportunity.

Or, UH faces the prospect of staying in a watered-down WAC, where the options are staying at seven teams or gathering up whatever remnants are left to fill out the lineup.

The people who run UH should, least of all, be surprised it is coming to this."

HA Note: "MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson held out the possibility in November that the conference would expand "by one or two" schools and said Hawai'i, a Western Athletic Conference member since 1979, was under discussion.

Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada and Texas-El Paso, also WAC members, have lobbied the MWC for an invitation."

HA Note: "Dobelle has publicly touted on several occasions the MWC's benefits to UH and what the school could bring to the conference. Asked yesterday if he was concerned UH might not receive an invitation, Dobelle said, "not really." "

About how they would like to be invited if the MWC expands to 12 teams, Dobelle said:
"If (the) Mountain West goes to 12 teams and asks us, we will be happy to consider it." (HA)

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