Maxson holds meeting to discuss conference's
future
By Eric Boyum
Daily Forty-Niner
Cal State Long Beach President Robert Maxson
called an emergency meeting last Monday with presidents and athletic directors
of all six California schools from the Big West Conference to discuss the
possibility of an all-California conference.
"I called the meeting with them at The
Pyramid," Maxson said. "I think there was a unanimous
agreement that our future lies in an all-California conference."
The meeting was held after Boise State,
a current member of the Eastern Division of the Big West Conference, announced
it would join the Western Athletic Conference in 2001.
The Boise State announcement follows the
recent departure of WAC member Texas Christian to Conference USA in early
October.
Big
West
Conference
may crumble
|
The departures of two Eastern Division
schools from the Big West Conference to the WAC --
Nevada in the summer, and now Boise State -- prompted
Maxson to call the meeting to discuss the future direction of the schools
from California in the conference.
Maxson said the timetable for a decision
on conference realignment has not been determined. However,
he said he believes the California schools could begin formally realigning
into an all-California conference after the Eastern Division schools of
the conference find a conference in which to call home.
Maxson said the Division I football schools
from the Eastern Division are currently exploring other football-supporting
conferences. They include Idaho, Utah State, New Mexico and North Texas.
The two other schools in the East, Boise
State and Nevada, will continue to play football for one more season in
the Big West Conference before joining the WAC.
The Associated Press contributed to
this story. |
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