UNLV, San Jose State Might Slip Away From the Big West : Athletics: Reports say those schools will be part of a Western Athletic Conference expansion.

Continuing reports in Dallas and Salt Lake City newspapers that the Western Athletic Conference will add Big West Conference members Nevada Las Vegas and San Jose State along with four other schools in 1996 have heightened speculation about the future look of the Big West.

The reports indicate the WAC also will add Southern Methodist, Texas Christian, Rice and Tulsa to form a 16-school conference.

“The prospect of losing UNLV and San Jose State doesn’t come as a surprise to any of us in the conference,” UC Irvine Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said. “We met at length at the Big West basketball tournament and considered various scenarios.”

Where would this leave the Big West?

Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell says the conference could stick with the remaining eight schools or look to replace UNLV and San Jose State. “We could go back to 10 schools or even move beyond that,” Farrell said.

Farrell declined to speculate on replacements. Boise State and North Texas State have been mentioned in the past for football only. Cal State Northridge has been interested in the Big West and Cal State Sacramento also has been mentioned, but there are no indications that either is being seriously considered at this stage.

“We can’t close the book on any school as a possibility right now,” Farrell said. “There are a lot of possibilities and I don’t want to limit it.”

Farrell said he hopes to schedule a meeting of conference members within two weeks to discuss the situation.

“No matter how you look at it, it would be a matter of losing two respected institutions that have brought a great deal to the conference,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero said he feels various factors will be considered if the schools do leave.

“There is no definitive number for a conference that necessarily works well,” Guerrero said. “We would have to look at it from every option. There are a lot of factors that would have to be considered . . . cost, travel and compatibility with the other conference members.

“And I would continue to say that I feel the four institutions that don’t have football (UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara) form the core of the conference.”

Cal State Fullerton Athletic Director Bill Shumard also is concerned that the interests of the non-football playing schools be protected.

“If the card is indeed played, we’ll have to consider several different things, including ways in which we can operate more cost effectively, especially in terms of travel for the non-revenue producing sports. . . . The Big West has been an excellent conference in basketball and baseball and some of the other sports for so long.”

Fullerton suspended football after the 1992 season for financial reasons. Should it return in the future, it probably would be at the Division I-AA level.

The football-playing members of the conference in addition to UNLV and San Jose State are Nevada, Utah State, New Mexico State and Pacific. They were joined by Northern Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Southwest Louisiana and Arkansas State for football only last season.

According to an Associated Press report, the WAC has not yet invited the schools to join, but officials familiar with the discussions say the WAC presidents’ council is ready for expansion.