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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 23, 2007

WAC consultant will help get 'message out'

 •  Game on!
 •  WAC crown, big payoff within Hawaii's reach

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

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.