Nevada has emerged as the favorite to represent the Western Athletic Conference in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Eve.

People in the bowl industry say the Wolf Pack, which hasn't appeared in a bowl since 1996, is the most likely team to play a yet to be identified Conference USA member at Aloha Stadium.

But, depending upon how the WAC race sorts out, it could be as many as three weeks before the invitation is finalized, people involved say.

The holdup is the WAC has two guaranteed bowl berths and could have as many as four bowl-eligible teams. Conference policy is that the top two teams are guaranteed berths and only if they are placed elsewhere can other teams be given WAC-contracted slots.

With Boise State (7-2, 5-0), Louisiana Tech (5-3, 4-1) and Nevada (5-3, 4-1) all having three conference games remaining and Fresno State (7-1, 5-1 WAC), with two, not finishing its WAC schedule until Dec. 2 against Tech, the bowl invitations are on hold until the order of finish is decided.

For the WAC, Nevada would be the preferred team to place in the Hawai'i Bowl for several reasons, provided it wins one of its three remaining games (New Mexico State, Utah State and Fresno State) to become bowl-eligible.

Because of its overall record, the Wolf Pack is unlikely to draw bowl interest elsewhere and could be eliminated early from the WAC race.

Sending Nevada here would be cheaper than Louisiana Tech, an important point since the conference underwrites travel. In addition, the WAC would prefer to keep Boise State in its hometown MPC Computers Bowl, appeasing sponsors who have seen the Broncos play in bowls in Memphis, Tenn., and Fort Worth, Texas the past two years.

Should No. 20 Fresno State, the conference's only nationally ranked team, win the title, the WAC would like to match its champion against that of another conference such as C-USA or the Mountain West.

The possibility of doing that in the Hawai'i Bowl probably ended last week when Memphis lost to Alabama-Birmingham. Had Memphis (4-4, 3-3 C-USA) finished second in C-USA, the hometown Liberty Bowl could have taken the Tigers and left the champion to be placed elsewhere.

Tulsa (5-4, 4-2), Marshall (4-4, 3-2) and possibly Memphis are probably among the current frontrunners to represent C-USA here depending on how the conference race unfolds. Central Florida (6-3, 5-1), Southern Mississippi (4-3, 3-1) and Texas-El Paso (7-1, 5-1) are less likely at this point.

UAB (4-4, 2-3) and Houston (4-4, 2-3) have been to the Hawai'i Bowl in 2004 and '03.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.