For CSUN, Big West Could Be in Future

Reports that Nevada Las Vegas and San Jose State might bolt the Big West Conference to join the Western Athletic Conference could boost Cal State Northridge’s efforts to place its athletic program in an established alliance.

Bob Hiegert, Northridge’s athletic director, said this week that he has informally discussed the school’s interest in joining the Big West with conference commissioner Dennis Farrell on “a couple of occasions.”

“Their posture all along has been that expansion is not part of their plans unless something drastic happened in terms of their membership,” Hiegert said.

The loss of UNLV and San Jose might be drastic enough.

One of the reasons the Big West has been unwilling to accept Northridge is that the Matadors play football on the Division I-AA level rather than Division I-A.

The Big West qualifies as a Division I-A conference in football, but with the loss of UNLV and San Jose, that designation is in jeopardy.

Without UNLV and San Jose, the Big West would be left with only four football programs.

Division I-A teams are required by the NCAA to play 70% or more of their schedules against like opponents.

The College Football Assn. suggests schools meet that requirement within their conference schedule, which would leave the Big West four teams short.

Hiegert said he believes Northridge and the Big West would be “a good fit.”

He also predicted, “I think the Big West will be looking at expansion a little differently at its next executive board meeting in June.”