To help focus attention on its emerging Bowl Championship Series contenders, Hawai'i and Boise State, the Western Athletic Conference hired a media consultant, officials said.

With a potential $6 million paycheck headed its way if a WAC member receives a berth in the BCS, commissioner Karl Benson said Bob Rose was retained to augment efforts by the conference office, UH and Boise State sports information offices.

Rose is a former sports information director at Stanford and has helped secure radio, television and newspaper interviews and has "helped tell the story and get the WAC message out," Benson said.

A WAC team needs to finish in the Top 12 of the final BCS rankings Dec. 2 — the day after UH's regular-season finale against Washington — to earn a guaranteed BCS berth or be in the Top 16 and ahead of the champion of an automatic conference.

"He (Rose) has been bird-dogging (media) people making sure they don't overlook WAC teams and the seasons they are having," Benson said. "It is part of a combined effort (with UH and BSU) to try and position our teams, and I think we've seen some positive results," Benson said.

Rose is paid a monthly retainer, which Benson would not disclose.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.