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The University of Hawaii will leave behind more than just 33 years of memories when it exits the Western Athletic Conference this summer.
It will also forfeit approximately $503,000 in conference earnings for the 2011-12 school year.
Based on WAC reports, UH officials said that would have been the school’s share of the conference TV package, Bowl Championship Series and NCAA money had it remained in the WAC, which has been its home since 1979.
But as of July 1, UH will join the Mountain West Conference in football and the Big West Conference in most other sports. The WAC departure penalty is forfeiture of accrued conference revenue. Fresno State and Nevada also will forfeit their WAC revenue in moves to the MWC.
The WAC hasn’t announced if its five remaining schools, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, San Jose State and Utah State, will divide the forfeited funds.
UH will not be eligible to share in the revenue of the MWC or Big West until June 2013. In the MWC it will share only in football revenue. In the Big West, revenue returns to members are low since proceeds help fund conference operations and keep member dues at 1990s levels.
