Columnist Steve Carp: WAC divorce doesn't have to be messy

THIS WAS SUPPOSED to be a civil parting of the ways, an amicable breakup.

But it appears the Western Athletic Conference's divorce is going to be anything but civil and amicable. It's getting uglier with each passing day and it may explode into downright nastiness any time now.

The eight departing schools, which include UNLV, hold the power. And the remaining WAC members know it, even though they are in denial and refuse to publicly admit it.

Why do you think the Las Vegas Bowl and the Holiday Bowl are bailing out on the WAC? Because the bowl games will hitch their wagon to the new league.

The networks aren't interested in TCU and Tulsa football or San Jose State and Rice basketball. They're all about ratings. People will watch BYU throw the football all over the place and they'll stay up late to watch New Mexico, UNLV and Utah hoop it up on Big Monday.

As is the case in most breakups, money is at the heart of the matter. And that's why this is going to be ugly. Neither side is going to give in on the NCAA basketball tournament money, which is the largest nugget the WAC possesses. Under the WAC bylaws, if you leave, your assets don't accompany you. The departing eight, which have generated most of that revenue, believe they're entitled to some, if not all of it.

There are secondary issues as well. The departing eight tried to make a conciliatory gesture Tuesday when UNLV president Carol Harter stepped down from her position on the executive council of the NCAA Board of Directors and allowed the spot to be taken by a remaining WAC member, Tulsa's Robert Lawless.

The WAC got thrown a bone Wednesday when the Aloha Bowl graciously offered to take the WAC champion, which after being dumped by the Holiday Bowl, officially has no place to go.

Those that are leaving have tried to bite their tongues and refrain from fiery rhetoric. But as the days go by and the words heat up, you get the sense that those who are leaving are very close to telling those who are staying to stuff it and go about their merry way, bylaws or no bylaws.

The question here is, does it have to be this way? Can't a just peace be brokered without all the pettiness and bitterness? Why can't everyone sit down in a room, lay their cards on the table and once and for all work toward a fair settlement?

It's time for commissioner Karl Benson to step in and be that intermediary. He has reminded us on more than one occasion that the WAC still is a 16-team league for now. He still is supposed to look after the interests of all 16 schools. So why not make sure that it acts like an entity instead of a dysfunctional, fractured family?

Word is such a meeting may take place soon. Surely there's room for compromise on all of the sticking issues. Everything doesn't have to be confrontational, does it?

But if it does and Benson can't or won't step into the fray and work things out, then it'll be "See you in court." The only winners in that game will be the lawyers.

Gee, what a shock that would be. And what a shame.

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