The Official WAC on Life Support What Happens To Louisiana Tech Post

I am moving all WAC /MWC/ Louisiana Tech related matters here so I can update all in one place.

12:10pm-Here is Comish Karl Benson talking at Press Conference
-said Fresno and Nevada committed "selfish actions."

-BYU was thinking about football independence and contacted WAC about joining in all other sports. Discussions started in early July. They were talking about scheduling.

-Benson said the buyout deal was set up to prevent or deter the MWC from reacting to BYU news by raiding (which happened)

- "We hope there is still a possiblity to structure an arrangement to allow BYU to be a part of the WAC in some shape or form."

-you have to have 8 football playing teams to have a conference

-"The other 6 WAC board members were under the belief that the action taken last Friday indicated a desire to move forward."

-Buyout Clause:(Benson) It is a $5 million penalty. Legal counsel says it is enforceable. Payments expected by Fresno and Nevada within 60 days.

-Benson says Nevada still owes them $5 M

- "We're going to focus on current FBS schools that don't have to go through" the FCS transition period. (OUCH!!!)

-WAC lawyers thinks oral agreement for $5M buyout penalty is enforceable

- s Fresno and Nevada failed to meet deadline of July 1 he expects both in 10-11 season seasons

-Benson "hopes" BYU is still alive as a player in the WAC

-reporter: "Do you have any idea what BYU's going to do?" Benson: "No." So we're all in the same boat.

-Benson's serious on money and exit date.

-No conservation with BYU since the 2 schools decided to leave the WAC. (WHAT?)

-Why does Benson keep talking of BYU sometimes in the past tense

-IF BYU deal stands Benson IMHO Doesn't sound too confident about them playing 4 to 6 teams

-Is 120 teams too many to play at FBS?

(Benson) 20 more teams in last 15 years in Division I-A (FBS). We (FBS) are close to maxing out.

-Benson says he will renegotiate a TV deal with ESPN

-Benson says he wishes he'd made the buyout $20 million ( I imagine so)

-at this time Hawaii and remaining six schools have support to move forward together.

-Cal Poly, Sac St., Cal-Davis are possible options (note all Cali Schools not looking eastward at all from the far West?)

- says the WAC will survive. He says the conference will be successful in the future.

-WAC Accounts Payable has billed Nevada and Fresno State payable 60 days.

-there was a Conference call with the 6 remaining schools earlier this morning.

-says people have called their offices today looking to be part of the WAC (glad it was not yesterday since nobody seemed home)

- Benson says he has spoken with Texas-San Antonio and Texas State

-on issue if Tech going to CUSA: Benson - we value Tech over the past 10 years. We've known that geographically CUSA would be a better fit but we will deal with that if the time comes.

-Tech is important to the WAC now for continuity of membership requirements.

-Said that La Tech is now a critical member of the new WAC. WAC would try to expand eastward to appease Tech. (The first bit of good news for Tech I have heard in this)

-The remaining 6 schools are NOT bound by the 5M contract!! -

-Karl Benson says he has spoken with Texas-San Antonio and Texas State

-WAC board of directors will on how the ten million dollars is spent

- admits the "inventory" of teams in the former WAC is what had the BYU folks excited.

12:00pm- WAC Commish Press Conference about to start. That should be fun. In case you are wondering. Louisiana Tech has not made a statement yet. Is that good or bad?

11:00pm- One other quick observation. A lot now will depend what BYU will do. The Church has to approve the BYU going Indy and rest going to the WAC. Of course this was seen as a done deal but that was before the MWC moves last night. IF BYU says the hell with the MWC and stays with the WAC then well the WAC still has some cards to play. If BYU stays in the MWC or leaves but finds another conference to put non football sports in besides the WAC oh well very very bad news.

10:45am Thursday- Well since this is the Western Athletic Conference we have not got much clarity as to Wac moves, BYU, moves or Louisiana Tech moves.

Still no statement from Tech?
Well the West is waking up and getting going so I suspect that to change.

We learn that the President if BYU is very very very very mad at Nevada and Fresno State. See here.
Things to listen too for details. The Tech Board mentions The "Bobby Curran Show" on the espn radio affiliate in Honolulu begins at 11:00 a.m. central time.

One other observation. I was listening to the Hawaii press conference last night. The Hawaii guy seemed very irate that he had not head from the WAC heard office all day. Incredible.

For Louisiana Tech stuff Fox and Company should be hopping from 3 pm to 6 pm central. They like the rest of the WAC ,unless you were the powers that be at Fresno or Nevada, got blindsided. listen to their station here.

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11:00pm WAC teleconference with Benson at 10 am Pacific time tomorrow.

10:oo pm Hawaii ESPN radio mentions rumors of Houston to MWC. Hawaii AD will hold news conference at 10:30 pm Central

9:30pm The Tech boards is listening to the Afternoon Hawaii ESPN radio show. They are keeping track of it here.

"Intersting interview with Chad Crippe of the Idaho Statesman. He indicated that, in his opinion, Boise State would have had to seriously consider going back to the WAC if Fresno and Nevada had said no. "
They appear to have a lot of the beat reporters for the WAC coming up

9:15pm- At times like this the passing Tech alum Lee Fletcher is really noted. He would have some scoop or insight even at this late hour

8:45 pm Listen to meltdown live In Hawaii - Tip of the Hat to Bulldawg Barks and Bytes Board:

Click on the listen live link. http://www.espn1420am.com/ Their afternoon local program began at 8 p.m. Central Time. They are in a bit of a meltdown mode. All the talk has been about the day's events.

8:30 pm -Shreveport Times guy states the obvious:

ScottFerrell

Mountain West looks a little more on the ball than WAC in latest conference shakedown. Tech better hope Karl Benson has a plan. half a minute ago via web

I am not hopeful that Benson is doing his best Cylon



The only positive thing I have seen was posted one hour ago:

SportsbyBrooks
What I'm hearing: Boise not interested in returning to WAC / LA Tech & UTEP will soon swap conferences (C-USA/WAC) about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck Retweeted by you and 7 others .

The problem with the above scenario is if the WAC falls below 8 team there will no WAC. I am praying there is a "plan"

Well both Fresno and Nevada are gone.