Name chosen for new league

Mountain West Conference tabbed for seceding schools

You'll hear it on ESPN SportsCenter and on the ABC Prudential Halftime Report. Dick Vitale will extoll its virtues and Digger Phelps will likely say it doesn't deserve an extra at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament the first weekend in March.

"And in the Mountain West Conference ..."

Like it or not, get used to it. Because that's the name that has been chosen for the new league UNLV will compete in, starting in 1999.

What had been known for weeks became official Monday as Mountain West was chosen over American West Conference and Great West Conference.

In a prepared statement, Colorado State president Al Yates said: "Mountain West Conference was the name that rose to the top and a name that seems to resonate with people. The Mountain West Conference name also brings to mind the geographic setting of our conference and will soon be synonymous with the excellence in academics and athletics of the institutions involved."

It's important for if nothing else, we have a name we can call our own," UNLV athletic director Charles Cavagnaro said. "I don't think we made a mistake. You build equity over time and that's what we'll do with this name."

The conference logo, which is being designed by Las Vegas' R&R Advertising, has not been finalized. R&R, which helped market research the Mountain West name, had over 80 possible names to choose from before the presidents decided on Mountain West.

The Mountain West, which named Craig Thompson its first commissioner Oct. 15, has a few big-ticket items left to attend to. One is a headquarters -- either Las Vegas or Colorado Springs will be the league's home. Thompson and other Mountain West officials plan to visit both sites next month.

The other items are a television contract for football and basketball and tie-ins with at least two bowl games. On Wednesday, Thompson will be meeting with ESPN and Fox Sports Network officials in Salt Lake City about a deal that would put the Mountain West on the air next season.

The Holiday Bowl wants to include the Mountain West in its game against the Pacific 10 beginning in 1999. But the Big 12 also is part of the picture, and the Mountain West won't agree to a deal until it has a guaranteed spot for its champion, in the event the Big 12 is invited to the Holiday.

The Las Vegas Bowl has expressed keen interest in having the Mountain West runner-up play at Sam Boyd Stadium in '99 and will have talks with Thompson in the next couple of weeks.

There is talk of reviving the old Freedom Bowl in San Francisco in 1999 with the Pac-10 being one of the anchor conferences. The Mountain West is said to be interested in being the other should the game materialize.

archive