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	Vol.7, No 28, October 18, 1999
	Conference shuffle may have domino effect Conference USA presidents unanimously approved the addition of Texas Christian to the league last week in all sports, but passed on Southern Methodist, whose football program has struggled in the Western Athletic Conference. Eric Boyum   This move sent a wave of optimism for athletic directors and presidents in the Big West Conference and they will begin discussing realignment and the likely possibility of dropping football as a Division I sport this week, according to Long Beach State Athletic Director Bill Shumard.   This decision by Conference USA to sway teams from other conferences might have a "domino effect on some Big West Conference teams," -- especially in the all-football side of the Eastern Division, Shumard said.   Conference USA's choice to take only one of the Western Athletic Conference teams surprised most athletic directors, Shumard said.   "I think everyone sort of assumed that it would be a TCU and SMU package deal," he said.   TCU, a former member of the Southwest Conference, but a member of the WAC now, will join Conference USA in all sports in 2001.   Rob Halvaks, Associate Commissioner of the Big West Conference said, "I think that the move (by Conference USA) gives the opportunity for the WAC to not take any action, thus allowing the football members of the Big West that play Division I-A football to develop a league by partnering with the Louisiana schools."   According to Halvaks, the schools interested in developing their own league with the Eastern Division schools of the Big West Conference include: the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, as well as Arkansas State. A meeting was held Sunday by WAC presidents and athletic directors to try to determine if the conference will expand or remain at eight teams. Shumard said schools in the Big West Conference will watch to see if further developments provide any opportunity for movement from any Eastern Division members of the Big West Conference. Teams that currently participate in Division I-A football in the Eastern Division are: Idaho, Boise State, Utah State, New Mexico State, North Texas and Nevada. However, Nevada is the latest Big West Conference team to decided to leave for the WAC earlier this year. Although, they will remain in the Big West Conference this season, Nevada will begin play in the WAC next year. The only team that participates in football from the Western Division is Cal Poly, although they play at the Division I-AA level. Big West Conference athletic directors from the Western Division are pushing the conference for realignment and are hoping they will drop football in order to maximize resources to fulfill potential in other sports. One sport that could be positively affected at LBSU is men's basketball. 49er basketball Head Coach Wayne Morgan said some changes to the conference are likely to happen. "It appears to me at this time that obviously something is going happen," Morgan said. "I don't have a crystal ball, but we probably will have some type of mostly or all California league."   Morgan said he chooses to look at the possibility of a move as a positive for his program.   "I can look at it as a positive or a negative," Morgan said. "I choose to look at it as a positive."   And for good reason.   Although Morgan publicly won't say he wants Eastern Division teams such as New Mexico State and Boise State ousted, the likely hood of not having to play them every year should sit well with him.   Under Morgan, the 49ers have never defeated New Mexico State in four attempts and they are 1-3 against Boise State.   New Mexico State Head Coach Lou Henson's presence would not be missed by most coaches in the conference. Henson has had only four losing seasons during a 36-year coaching career.   In addition, if Morgan would not have to coach against Boise State's Head Coach Rod Jensen -- who has had a winning record in his first four seasons with the Broncos -- it would present an easier path to the NCAA tournament for the 49ers.   Morgan said he will not be completely happy in Long Beach until his team wins the conference championship and advances it to the NCAA tournament.   The chances of the 49ers getting to this championship game took a slight blow when Morgan revealed that 6-foot-8 senior forward Richie Smalls had surgery last week to repair damage to his fibula. The damage to Small's fibula, which is the thinner bone below the knee, most likely will result in Smalls missing the entire season, Morgan said. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Eric Boyum is the sports editor for the Daily Forty-Niner.		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Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.