Posted on: Sunday, June 22, 2003

UH 'logical' choice if MWC expands

Advertiser Staff

Two former San Diego State athletic directors said they believe the University of Hawai'i would be the first school the Mountain West Conference would offer membership to if it expands.

"If the Mountain West takes one (school), they probably take Hawai'i because of the extra-game exemption," Fred Miller told the Fresno Bee.

"I think the two most logical candidates for the Mountain West are Fresno State and Hawai'i," Rick Bay told the Bee.

Bay was athletic director at San Diego State, a MWC member, for eight years until his resignation last month. Miller, who preceded Bay at San Diego State, was hired by Fresno State two years ago to help lobby the MWC on the Bulldogs' behalf.

The eight-school MWC earlier this month lifted its four-year moratorium on expansion and said it will spend the year studying the possible addition of one to four schools.

UH athletic director Herman Frazier said Friday that he has not contacted the MWC about membership, nor has the conference approached UH.

Miller and Bay both said if UH were extended an invitation it would only be after the school agreed to reinstate subsidizing travel for the other members of the conference.

"There will be a pound of flesh taken for any new members," Miller told the Bee.