With much fanfare and amid high hopes a couple weeks ago, the Western Athletic Conference inaugurated its worthy "Play Up" marketing campaign designed to enhance perceptions of the reshuffled conference and its members.

Now, in short order, we'll see if the WAC can live up its slogan when it comes to its first tests and most visible opportunities: non-conference football games.

If the WAC is to, indeed, put its best foot forward this season, the opportunity is rapidly approaching with member schools playing 12 of the 15 opponents from Bowl Championship Series conferences in the first month.

Led by Hawai'i's Sept. 3 meeting with two-time defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Southern California, WAC teams will play four top 20 teams in that span. With UH-USC, Boise State at Georgia and Idaho at Washington State, it will be a laborious Labor Day weekend to be sure.

The WAC's best shot against a ranked team comes at No. 13 Georgia on Sept. 3 where No. 18 Boise State is a one touchdown underdog but becoming a popular "upset special" pick.

Before September is pau, WAC teams will have taken on No. 10 Florida, No. 19 California, Michigan State, Oregon State, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, Kansas and Washington. And, before the regular season is finished, Wisconsin and Alabama will figure in, too, as every WAC member plays at least one BCS league opponent.

All in all a pretty good cross section of competition, almost exclusively on the road. Opportunities a plenty for the WAC to open some eyes — if it can.

Of course, as former Brigham Young University coach LaVell Edwards liked to put it: "Playing the brand name schools is one thing. Being able to win some of them is another."

"I think it is critical that we have some non-conference success in the month of September," said Karl Benson, WAC commissioner. "We certainly have (several) opportunities."

Remarkably enough, WAC teams could even be favored in a couple contests. Boise State figures to be the pick at Oregon State and possibly even No. 24 Fresno State at Oregon.

After as many membership changes as the revolving door WAC has undergone — 13 departures and five additions in seven years — this is a conference in need of forging an identity.

It is one thing to talk about the "new" WAC. It would be even better to show a new, more nationally competitive WAC with its play against marquee opponents.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.