The University of Hawaii’s pursuit of new conference alignments moved ahead yesterday with face-to-face talks with the Mountain West Conference on the mainland while paperwork has been submitted to the Big West for membership.

UH vice president Rockne Freitas and athletic director Jim Donovan were said to have headed a delegation that met with the MWC in Colorado.

UH is seeking to move its football team to the MWC and place most of its other sports in the California-based Big West.

Freitas was not immediately available for comment and Donovan declined to confirm his whereabouts saying only, "I’m on a business trip."

MWC commissioner Craig Thompson has had conversations with member presidents the past two days and held a conference call with MWC athletic directors yesterday. Much of the conversations apparently surrounded TCU’s announced move Monday to the Big East and the MWC’s possible responses.

UH would be the 10th member of the MWC for the 2012-13 school year.

Meanwhile Big West and UH officials confirmed the school has presented the requested materials to the Big West in support of membership. Big West commissioner Dennis Farrell said what UH submitted wasn’t a formal application as much as material relating to academics, athletic performance and finances.

The Big West Council is scheduled to meet Dec. 8 to review submissions and is expected to make a recommendation to the Board of Directors, which is composed of member chancellors and presidents.