San Diego State May Opt to Leave Western Athletic Conference

Because of ongoing athletic department financial difficulties, San Diego State is considering several options that would include leaving the Western Athletic Conference.

Fred Miller, San Diego State athletic director, said Thursday that key SDSU boosters have received a letter from school President Thomas Day and will discuss various options the school is considering for its athletic future, at a breakfast meeting Monday.

Sources close to the athletic department said recent discussions have centered on three alternatives to remaining in the Western Athletic Conference:

--Joining the Pacific 10 Conference.

--Becoming an independent in football but joining the Big West Conference in all other sports.

--Becoming an independent.

Miller refused to comment on specifics Thursday.

“We will explore and continue to explore options beneficial to San Diego State,” Miller said. “We’ve done just that.”

Rick Moore, a spokesman for Day, said the university would not comment until at least Monday.

Both Pacific 10 Commissioner Thomas Hansen and Big West Commissioner Jim Haney said Miller has contacted them.

Hansen said the Pac-10 is not interested in expanding now or any time soon.

Haney said the Big West would be interested in SDSU.

Hansen said he has had informal discussions with Miller regarding SDSU’s future, and he said Day has had discussions with USC President James Zumberge and UCLA Chancellor Charles E. Young--neither of whom were available for comment Thursday.

“I’ve talked with Fred Miller very informally, and he made it clear that they would like to be considered (for entrance into the Pac-10),” Hansen said. “At this point, any discussion is broad in nature and very futuristic.

“I’ve told Fred this. I would judge there isn’t much interest in the Pac-10 at this time in expanding beyond 10 members. I don’t think it is something that will happen in the next two years, certainly. . . . If nothing significant happens to alter our membership or the membership of major conferences across the country, then I don’t foresee a change for a number of years.”

Undoubtedly, a route into the Big West for SDSU would be easier than one into the Pac-10. SDSU has been in the Big West women’s conference, although the Aztecs plan to withdraw after this season and join the newly formed WAC women’s conference next fall. Haney said SDSU plans to attend the Big West conference meeting May 14-18.

“As a conference, basically, we’ve taken the attitude that although we don’t feel a compulsion to add members, we are not rooted in that the Big West conference could never add another institution,” Haney said.

WAC Commissioner Joe Kearney said Miller gave him no indication during a telephone conversation Thursday that SDSU was considering withdrawing from the conference.

“Fred called me and said, ‘You’re going to hear some things that have been in the newspapers,’ ” Kearney said. “There is nothing new from our perspective.”