To understand the Western Athletic Conference is to understand how a
league as old as the New York Mets -- 38 -- can be experiencing growing pains.
But the WAC, which proclaimed last year as a "new beginning" in promotional brochures, is undergoing yet another transitional period.
Last year, eight schools seceded officially from the WAC, lowering membership to eight. Nevada joins the conference this year, but Texas Christian -- the
league's only ranked football team -- leaves for Conference USA next July.
Then next year, Boise State and Louisiana Tech come aboard -- which, if
you're scoring at home -- would bring membership up to 10.
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Mon, August 14
In TCU and LaDainian Tomlinson the WAC has a team and a player who will hopefully divert the national attention they've recently received off the field (for losing teams to the Mountain West and financial problems) and bring it back on the playing field. However, the triumph may be short-lived, as both are Tomlinson & TCU will be gone after this season. TCU heads to Conference USA after this season and Tomlinson will most likely head to the NFL. But along the way, we should be in for a great ride. TCU could be the Tulane of '98 or the Marshall of '99. If they get past Northwestern on Sept. 16, they could be on their way to an undefeated season. Tomlinson will be on the Heisman Watch in light of his 1,850 yards last season and 406 yard single game rushing record. This kid has a legitimate shot at more than 2,000 yards. Together they may create enough buzz to draw attention to the Mobile Alabama Bowl, the WAC's marquee bowl game.
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WAC leaders spent more time the past three months debating whether to go
to a two-division league in 2001 and how to promote unity than working to
improve a much-criticized national television contract. The WAC does not
receive appearance fees for its five national telecasts; instead, it splits
whatever advertising revenue is left over after production costs.
Those sideshows overshadow a football league that, in the final auditing,
actually did quite well in 1999. WAC teams won two of three bowl games and,
this year, as many as four of the nine teams could potentially earn postseason berths.
The league boasts a Heisman Trophy candidate -- TCU running back LaDainian
Tomlinson, the NCAA's rushing leader in 1999 -- and a top-25 team, with the
Horned Frogs breaking into the preseason polls for the first time in four
decades.
But with its lame-duck status, TCU has had to promote itself, using the
Internet to market Tomlinson's Heisman candidacy. TCU believes it is
justified in making its own waves. Last year, the WAC negotiated a bowl
switch in an attempt to get the Horned Frogs to play in the Mobile Bowl,
where they would receive greater fan support. But in switching, the Horned
Frogs had to win an extra game -- a hoop they did not feel they needed to
jump through.
"You certainly feel like a fifth wheel," TCU coach Dennis Franchione told
reporters at last month's WAC Media Football Preview in San Jose. "You
probably are more paranoid about it than there is actuality to it."
The league, meanwhile, has found a role model in Hawaii, which went from
0-12 in 1998 to 9-4 in June Jones' first year as head coach.
"Hawaii gave everyone hope," said Keith Burns, Tulsa's first-year head
coach. "I don't know if everybody can do it, because June did a great
coaching job. But it sort of gives you hope that it's possible. That's why we
talk about Hawaii on a daily basis."
Southern Methodist linebacker Vic Viloria said "it used to take three,
four, five years to turn things around. With the wide-open offenses, you can
put up points really fast and you don't need the big guys to pound the ball.
You don't have to wait for guys to grow. That's what led to a lot of quick
success."
Indeed, this year, eight of the nine WAC teams will use one-back offenses.
All will use multiple-blitz defenses.
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