USU gets wish: an invitation to join WAC

When Utah State University president Kermit L. Hall took office 2 1/2 years ago, one of his first endeavors was to visit the presidents of the Western Athletic Conference to lay the groundwork for future dealings.

Thursday, with what he called a lot of hard work, luck and fate, those visits paid off.

By a unanimous 10-0 vote from the WAC board of directors, Utah State University and New Mexico State University were announced Thursday as the newest members of the conference by commissioner Karl Benson.

"This is obviously a wonderful day for Utah State University," athletic director Rance Pugmire said. "The response, as you can expect, has been one of excitement and enthusiasm. We're thrilled and excited for our coaches who now have an opportunity to develop and continue some existing Western rivalries. It certainly helps us in an area in which we recruit."

Both of the Sun Belt Conference schools were extended official invitations Thursday morning, and both accepted by noon.

The two schools will officially join on July 5, 2005. They will join Boise State, San Jose State, Nevada, Fresno State, Hawaii, UTEP and Louisiana Tech in the nine-team conference.

"Bringing New Mexico State and Utah State in adds a lot more "Western" to the Western Athletic Conference," Hall said.

Utah State men's basketball coach Stew Morrill agreed.

"I couldn't be happier that we have found a "home" in the West," he said.

Benson said the decision to add the two schools was simple.

"New Mexico State and Utah State are natural fits both academically and athletically," Benson said. "I appreciate very much the fact that both schools have been patient, building their respective programs, while at the same time investing in the future throughout the years they have waited to join the WAC."

With last week's announcement by Tulsa, Rice and Southern Methodist to bolt from the WAC to Conference-USA reopened the door for the two schools to join the WAC.

Benson originally thought he would take 30 to 60 days before making any decisions, but the decision came quicker than expected because of the sense it made to add Utah State and New Mexico State. Both schools were on the WAC's list in 2000 when it expanded, so the WAC was already familiar with each.