Ex-NCAA chief tabbed as consultant

In an attempt to get things moving at a quicker pace, the eight schools planning to leave the Western Athletic Conference hope to bring former NCAA president and Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Gene Corrigan on board as a consultant.

The yet-to-be-named conference, which hasn't made a major announcement since the blockbuster decree in late May that it was abandoning the WAC to form a league of its own, will have its transition committee meet Aug. 17 at the MGM Grand hotel-casino.

Corrigan is expected to be at that meeting. If all goes well, he will assist with guiding the fledgling league with decisions regarding day-to-day operations until a permanent commissioner is found. That isn't likely to happen until late December of early January.

"He's someone we feel can help us with where we're going," Utah athletic director Chris Hill said of bringing Corrigan on board. "He's a person who can point things out and allow us to draw upon his expertise."

UNLV athletic director Charles Cavagnaro has know Corrigan a long time and believes Corrigan's experience will prove to be invaluable over the coming months.

"I hope it makes a statement that this league is serious and intends to compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics," Cavagnaro said. "Having someone thinking on a day-to-day basis is a big help.

"Because of his experience, he can point us in the right direction and with his many contacts, he can assist us in getting there."

Corrigan, 69, wasn't available for comment. But he is on the record saying he has no interest in becoming a full-time commissioner.

"I don't want to be an executive director of anything," he said upon his retirement as the ACC's commissioner. "What I would like to do is advise."

Hill said Corrigan should not be considered an interim commissioner.

"This is strictly a consulting position," he said. "Gene is a classy person and he has a wealth of experience and all we're looking to do is tap into that experience."

Corrigan has forged some long friendships over the years with several presidents of the departing eight schools. It was they who approached him about helping the new league get off the ground.

The departing schools are trying to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.

For starters, there's a Sept. 1 deadline when it must officially notify the WAC that it is leaving the conference. So far, nothing has been produced in writing, although Hill said that process is under way at each of the eight institutions.

Also, the two sides still haven't agreed to an amendment to the conference's bylaws. That amendment would revise the incorporation of the conference to allow both sides to act as separate entities and pursue normal business, such as negotiating television contracts, establishing ties with bowl games and setting future schedules, especially in football.

"All we've had so far is a lot of loose talk," San Jose State president Dr. Robert Caret said. "Nobody has given me anything in writing. They have to decide what they want to do about this."

Colorado State president Al Yates, who is the chairman for the presidents of the departing eight, told the Denver Post the breakaway schools are proceeding as planned, although not as quickly as he had hoped.

"Reaching an agreement is going more slowly than any of us suspected," he told the Post. "There are a variety of issues without being greatly specific."

Part of the problem is the financial compensation issues with the remaining WAC schools.

The departing eight supposedly want to have an all-inclusive agreement which would amend the bylaws and negotiate a financial settlement while at the same time, absolve the departing schools from any legal action.

The WAC holdovers won't agree to those terms. Last week, the presidents of the remaining WAC schools gave commissioner Karl Benson the green light to conduct business as usual on their behalf.

"These issues have to be addressed at some point," Caret said. "Once we officially receive notice, we can address the other issues."

Hill said any agreement to amend the bylaws or other transactions with the WAC are still at the presidential level. The transition committee has not been made aware of any final documents.

Cavagnaro said UNLV's attorneys are handling the school's letter of withdrawal, and president Dr. Carol Harter will be handling that particular task.

"I don't know where things stand on that," Cavagnaro said Sunday. "But I do know that the process is under way and that the deadline is Sept. 1. We'll have made our official withdrawal to the WAC before the deadline."

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