By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

If today's opening meeting of the Western Athletic Conference Board of Directors in Lahaina symbolizes a new beginning for the realigned nine-member conference, the change also glistens like a 24-karat opportunity for the University of Hawai'i.

The upcoming comings — of Idaho, New Mexico State and Utah State — and the goings — of Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas-El Paso and Tulsa — promise a new era in the well-shuffled WAC. One that says UH should shine. And, needs to.

If not now, with Brigham Young, Utah, Texas Christian, Rice, UTEP and the rest all having vamoosed, then when?

For as it surveys what the changes have wrought, Hawai'i has to be encouraged by not only a substantial leveling of the playing field but now even a perceptible tilting of it toward UH's favor.

For the first time in what will soon be its 27th year in the WAC, UH and its projected $21 million will be among the top two schools in athletic budgets. And, thanks to the KFVE/KHNL television contract, UH won't trail the new No. 1, Fresno State ($23 million), by much.

For UH, a school that has been middle-of-the-WAC or lower in resources while paying the most (15 percent) in travel costs, that is both significant and something to rejoice over.

Gone are all of the well-heeled private schools, Southern Methodist, Rice and Tulsa, who, with an ability to write checks without taxpayer money, were three of the top five spending WAC members in 2004. Rice has spent the most per athlete — $6,809 — of any Division I-A school in some recent years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It has paid off for the Owls in winning the WAC Commissioner's Cup, symbolic of the best overall athletic program, two of the last three years. SMU won it in '02-'03. UH, meanwhile, has not finished higher than seventh in the span.

Now comes the "new" WAC where UH's budget was about double that of almost half the schools — Louisiana Tech ($9 million), New Mexico State ($9.9 million), Utah State ($10.5 million) and Idaho ($11 million) — that form the WAC.

Money alone does not assure championships, of course. Rice and SMU each annually spend more on football than Boise State and, combined, don't have as many victories or any WAC titles.

But if you're UH, which hasn't won an outright WAC football title (or shared one in five years); which hasn't won a baseball championship in 13 years or a women's basketball crown in nine years, you have to be encouraged.

For UH, the "new" WAC means opportunity.

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