MWC can’t fall too far behind

The Mountain West Conference's presidents might want to spend their upcoming meetings doing more than just deciding whether to invite Boise State as the league's 10th member.

If the talk is true, that college athletics is on the verge of turning into a small group of power conferences on steroids, the Mountain West can't afford to fall too far behind.

Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn told the Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera that the Pac-10 has indicated it will invite six Big 12 schools, and it might happen as early as this weekend. Such a move could kill the Big 12.

One Big 12 school, Texas, could be courted by the Pac-10, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences. As SI.com's Andy Staples pointed out, Texas will be the key to what happens nationwide.

The Longhorns' importance was made clear in e-mails between Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Ohio State president Gordon Gee that were obtained by the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. Delany, who has said publicly that the Big Ten is not rushing expansion, wrote in an e-mail to Gee that the Big Ten was "fast-tracking it."

The question for the Mountain West is, what will its place be when all this is settled? It's hard to tell at this point.

But, when they convene Sunday through Tuesday in Jackson Hole, Wyo., the MWC presidents had better be prepared to talk about what other schools they can add to keep their league from falling behind what are soon-to-be mega-conferences.

The failed 16-school Western Athletic Conference has made the Mountain West wary of overexpansion. But being too cautious could cost the league big time, especially when it comes to the Mountain West's hopes of becoming an automatic Bowl Championship Series conference.

■ DEFENDING UTAH -- Jazz forward Carlos Boozer went on a Miami radio show recently to promote his basketball camps and wound up having to stand up for Utah's good name.

The Beehive State is "beautiful" and "a great place to raise your kids," Boozer told radio host Sid Rosenberg.

But Rosenberg wouldn't relent, asking, "But those Mormon people are crazy, aren't they?"

"No, they're not bad at all," Boozer responded.

■ COURTSIDE COMEDY -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson would seemingly have better things to do during Game 1 of the NBA Finals than chide a celebrity fan.

But Los Angeles was comfortably ahead, and maybe Jackson was bored.

While ABC's Doris Burke was interviewing comedian Chris Rock at his courtside seat in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 102-89 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Jackson wandered over and let it be known that he wasn't happy about the interview taking place.

"See, you don't have to be a player to get scolded by a coach, Chris," Burke told Rock.

COMPILED BY MARK ANDERSON LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL