Posted on: Sunday, October 26, 2003
On a night like this, WAC is a good fit
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist
The University of Hawai'i leave the good old Western Athletic Conference?
Perish the thought.
Amid all the recent talk of the possibility of changing conferences and, perhaps, finding a new home elsewhere, there was last night's 31-15 victory over Texas-El Paso to remind everyone of just how good these Warriors really have it.
For all the debate about where UH belongs and speculation of where it should strive to be in the latest round of musical conferences, this was a night for counting its considerable blessings.
If there was an Exhibit A for staying right where they are, this was it.
The powers that be in Manoa need look no further than this one to grasp the multiple and varied benefits of staying put where the Warriors/Rainbow Wahine/Rainbows/Rainbow Warriors have been.
After 25 seasons, UH has found a comfort zone of sorts in this conference that just might not be available elsewhere. With its seventh consecutive conference home win, UH knows where its heart — and its victories — are.
I mean, where else can you play three such somnolent quarters as were experienced last night and hardly be threatened?
In what other conference can you play so far down to your competition and still move into sole possession of second place in the standings?
Yet, here are the Warriors at 5-3 (4-1 WAC), not only a hop, skip and jump from back-to-back bowl appearances, but still in the thick of the conference race.
Is the WAC a great place to be, or what?
While FieldTurf might, upon a quick glance, seem greener elsewhere, where else, on a night when not a whole lot else was working offensively, could you take a commanding 15-6 halftime lead largely built around three shovel passes and three field goals?
Sure Brigham Young University is in that other league out there in the Rockies, but where else are you going to find such faithful straight men as the Miners, who haven't won here in what seems like light years?
Or, 34,971 who will turn out to see them clinch what, for all intents and purposes, will be a 14th losing season in 15 years?
Hard to imagine the Mountain West Conference would provide such hospitality or be open to letting the Warriors bring the Miners with them.
Consider that even if the MWC offered UH a membership invitation — and at this point the odds are far from certain that they will — they'd do so with their hands out. They'd want a travel subsidy worth upwards of $500,000 a year and probably some sort of six or seven figure buy-in to boot.
Leaving aside for the moment the fact that UH is coming off back-to-back $1 million-plus deficits, that's money the school could better use to upgrade its own program, rather than enriching those of others.
If — and when — the MWC should come calling and the talk turns to money, UH should remember this night and several that have preceded it this year and say, it has it much too good to leave. It should say, you'd have to pay us to give up this gig.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
