MWC likes having UH, Thompson says

LAS VEGAS » Despite being the lone football-only member, the University of Hawaii’s status appears to be secure in the 12-school Mountain West Conference, league commissioner Craig Thompson said.

"I couldn’t imagine what a catalyst would be that (leaders of MWC schools would) say, ‘Wait a minute, these guys shouldn’t be here,’" Thompson said. "If that happened, I would be shocked."

UH moved its sports teams from the Western Athletic Conference in 2012. The football team joined the MWC, while most of the other UH teams entered the Big West Conference.

Boise State and San Diego State had pledged to move from the MWC to the Big East Conference this year. Both schools instead chose to stay. San Jose State and Utah State joined this year, expanding the MWC’s football membership to 12.

While the league’s membership appears to be set for several years, the X factor is Brigham Young, an inaugural MWC member that left to become an independent in July 2011. Thompson acknowledged that MWC and BYU leaders have had informal discussions the past year.

"If (BYU) were to have an interest in (rejoining) the Mountain West Conference, we would talk to them," Thompson said. "There’s no question. We have a working relationship with them. They were very good members of the Mountain West Conference. And they would make us a better league."

The MWC provides referees for BYU’s home football games. Five MWC teams have scheduled future games with the Cougars. Boise State and BYU agreed to a four-game series.

Thompson said the logistics work better with an even-numbered membership. This is the first year the MWC is split into two six-team divisions, with the champions of each division meeting in a game for the football title.

If BYU decided it wanted to rejoin the MWC, a 14th team probably would be added instead of a current member being ousted.

Thompson said UH has a history with the other 11 MWC teams. Thompson said UH does not present a financial burden because it agreed to pay travel subsidies to opposing teams playing in Hawaii.

"Hawaii is a good member in good standing," Thompson said. "I don’t see anything that would change that. … The program is challenged right now. Norm (Chow) is going into his second year (as head coach). We think they’ll turn it around. I don’t see any changes with Hawaii as a football-only member."

Shooting the gaps

Thompson said he believes an arrangement can be worked out to appease members of the five big conferences.

There have been concerns about the gaps in budgets between the wealthier leagues and smaller-revenue conferences.

But Thompson pointed out that there are gaps between teams even within the power conferences. For instance, Ohio State has a football budget much greater than those of Big Ten members Minnesota and Indiana.

Thompson said he is confident that university presidents can "create a better NCAA."

Polian likes the islands Brian Polian, Nevada’s first-year head coach, was able to complete a daunting assignment when he was an assistant at Notre Dame.

"I got a Mormon from Hawaii to go to the world’s largest Catholic university in the middle of Indiana," Polian recalled. "In the beginning, people said, ‘You’re nuts,’ and we probably were nuts a little bit."

The recruit was linebacker Manti Te’o, who went on to have a successful career at Notre Dame, highlighted by being a Heisman Trophy runner-up and playing in the BCS championship game. Te’o was the San Diego Chargers’ second-round pick in the NFL Draft in May.

Polian also recruited Te’o’s Punahou teammate Robby Toma to Notre Dame. A wide receiver, Toma signed with the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday.

More recently, Polian convinced former Saint Louis receiver Jeremy Tabuyo to come to Texas A&M.

"I really, really enjoyed recruiting Hawaii," Polian said. "I felt very welcomed."

Polian said he learned early the hard work involved in recruiting.

"I was young and dumb," he said. "I didn’t know how hard it was going to be. I was like a golden retriever. It was like, ‘Go fetch.’ ‘OK.’"