RENO, Nev. — Here's a pop quiz: Name the football members of the Western Athletic Conference.

"Today I can name all nine teams," said defensive back Leonard Peters, who is representing Hawai'i at the WAC Football Media Preview in the Reno Hilton. "I've been hanging around all of the guys over here. But if you asked me the day before, I couldn't tell you. I don't follow who's in or out. It doesn't matter to me who's in the league."

In the latest version of the WAC hokey-pokey, three new teams stepped in (Utah State, New Mexico State and Idaho) and four stepped out.

"Teams come and go," said offensive lineman Aaron Lips of Louisiana Tech, a WAC member since 2001. "The change won't have a big effect. I don't think we lost anything by the teams we lost and the teams we gained."

Since 1999, 13 schools have left the WAC and six have joined, dropping membership from16 to nine.

To adjust to the recent turnover, the WAC, in consultation with marketing experts, decided to re-brand. Yesterday, WAC commissioner Karl Benson officially introduced the league's new logo, color scheme (maroon and silver) and slogan ("Play Up").

Benson also confirmed that the new members were encouraged to upgrade their programs, answering this debate: Does the WAC boost a new team or does the new team boost the WAC?

"What we found is this: teams that join the WAC get better," Benson said, citing a WAC-commissioned study. "When Hawai'i joined in 1979, Hawai'i got better and gained national recognition. Fresno State did the same thing in 1992. When Nevada, Boise State and Louisiana Tech joined the WAC, their programs improved and they, too, have gained national recognition. We expect the same to happen to Utah State, New Mexico State and Idaho. History shows teams get better under the WAC umbrella. Teams go from good to great as members of the WAC."

Boise State linebacker Korey Hall said: "There's a lot of truth to that. We got into the WAC (in 2001), and finished second that year. We ended up doing all right."

The Broncos have won the past three WAC titles. They have not lost a WAC game since 2001.

"Everybody thought we'd limp into the WAC," Boise State offensive lineman Daryn Colledge said of the move from the Big West. "When I was a freshman, we just joined the WAC. From what I can tell of the Big West, we dominated that conference. We won championships there. I wouldn't understand why we wouldn't come in here and be successful."

New Mexico State linebacker Jimmy Cottrell said his team and the WAC will benefit equally from the partnership.

"The league will bring us up because it's a higher level of competition," he said. "But nobody knows what to expect from us. We're going to surprise some people."

Meanwhile, Fresno State defensive lineman Garrett McIntyre said he welcomes the change, mostly because one of the recently departed — Rice — employed a run-option, low-blocking offense that was a defender's nightmare.

"They were notorious for constantly going for your knees," he said. "I'm glad they're gone. I won't have to worry about that damn option anymore. ... I wasn't a big fan of the Texas teams. It's kind of nice to get some new teams. It's good to have change. You play the same teams every year and it's like, uh-uh."