WAC boss takes shot at Boise State

Utah is almost out the door, but Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson felt no reason to take a swipe at the Utes.

He said Wednesday he even wishes the Utes well when they move to the Pac-12 Conference next year.

It was a different approach from Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson, who Monday took a direct shot at the Mountain West and an indirect one at Boise State. The Broncos will leave the WAC next year for the Mountain West.

"If Utah hadn't gone to the Pac-10, I think the Mountain West would have been in very, very good position to seek the exception," Benson said of the MWC becoming a Bowl Championship Series conference. "Now I really don't believe they have a chance."

Besides indicating Boise State, a WAC member for another academic year, wasn't good enough to replace what the Mountain West loses in Utah, Benson's statement also was inaccurate, according to Thompson.

"I don't know what numbers he's looking at," Thompson said. "Boise State has finished sixth and ninth in the last two years in the BCS final rankings. I don't mean this disparaging at all ... Utah's finished sixth and 23rd. I'm not a mathematician, but six and nine is better than six and 23."

The Mountain West loses Utah's two-year rankings during the current four-year evaluation process for automatic BCS inclusion but will pick up what Boise State has accomplished. Thompson said the Mountain West is in good shape midway through the evaluation period.

"It is halftime," Thompson said at Mountain West football media days at Red Rock Resort. "We've played two quarters. We cannot afford to have one single 19th-ranked team this year and expect to maintain that status. We might not have to have three (in the) Top 25, but we have to play well and finish these next two years."

■ RIVALRY IN JEOPARDY -- No Mountain West rivalry has been more dramatic or intense than Brigham Young-Utah, but it probably will move from a season-ending showdown to a September game after the Utes depart.

There also are questions whether the rivalry can be played annually in the next several seasons because of potential scheduling conflicts.

"What I don't want to see is Oklahoma-Nebraska," Thompson said of the once fierce rivalry that probably will disappear when the Cornhuskers move to the Big Ten Conference next year.

■ FACE TIME -- Thompson said one or two Mountain West basketball games are expected to be televised on CBS next season, and some football games could be shown in future years.

But many Mountain West schools don't want to play morning football games, which would be necessary to accommodate CBS's afternoon Southeastern Conference telecasts.

■ TOUGH SLATE -- Thompson said he thinks UNLV overscheduled. The Rebels play nine teams that appeared in bowls last season, including Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.