Still playing name game

There's still nothing to announce, but the eight schools that are leaving the Western Athletic Conference are making some progress toward selecting a name, a headquarters and a commissioner.

The hope was the new league, which includes UNLV, Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming, would be called something by now. While three names have been test marketed the past two weeks, there's no consensus that one stands out above the others.

That's why nothing has been announced.

"I wouldn't say it's been so much negative but no one's real excited about any of them," San Diego State athletic director Rick Bay said of the choices -- "American West Conference," 'Great West Conference" and "Mountain West Conference."

Bay said that when the transition committee meets on the phone today, it may revisit the entire issue of the name and possibly go in a different direction.

Rob Dondero of R&R Advertising, the Las Vegas firm hired to test market the possible names, said he hadn't heard that, but didn't deny the possibility of an alteration or adjustment.

Meanwhile, the Nevada Development Authority has submitted a proposal to have Las Vegas or Henderson serve as site for the new league's headquarters. The deadline for submission of proposals is today. Las Vegas, along with Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City, are said to be the three possible sites.

The new league is asking for help on office space, banking services, automobile services and other financial areas. The NDA's proposal addresses all those needs, including a substantial break on office space.

"We're trying to answer their requests," NDA president Somer Hollingsworth said. "They're asking for a lot of information in a short period of time and we're going full bore at selling Las Vegas."

Hollingsworth said the reaction from the local business community has been tremendous.

"I think the prestige of having it here has excited a lot of people," he said of the new league calling Las Vegas home. "It would give us tremendous credibility in college athletics and we'd have a quality product to show potential clients."

The new league could have a commissioner before it has a name or a home.

Interviews are expected to take place as early as this week. There has been speculation that a couple of former athletic directors -- BYU's Glenn Tuckett and San Diego State's Fred Miller -- could be possibilities for the post.

Meanwhile, the new league continues to talk to the Holiday Bowl, the Las Vegas Bowl and the Aloha and Oahu Bowls about tie-ins for next year.

The Holiday Bowl already has locked in the Pacific 10 Conference's runner-up and is trying to decide whether the opponent will be the champ from the new league or the third-place team from the Big 12, the latter supposedly preferred by the Pac-10.

The Las Vegas Bowl committee meets today. And while no announcement is expected on a tie-in with the new league from that meeting, things are moving in a direction where the second-place team would play in the game at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Bay said he'd like to see some decisions made soon, especially concerning the Holiday Bowl, which is played in his school's town.

"Part of the problem is the Pac-10's part in it," he said of the decision- making process. "We don't have as much leverage as I'd like.

"To have a name is important. I'd like to have it done. But we don't need to rush just to get it done. The most urgent issue is the bowl games."

UNLV athletic director Charles Cavagnaro agreed.

"We've got to make sure we don't make a mistake," he said of choosing a name everyone can live with. "The name isn't as important to the public as it is to the coaches who have to sell it to the kids they're recruiting. If it takes a little longer to find the right name, I can live with that."

archive