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Embattled WAC commissioner Karl Benson has jumped to lead the Sun Belt, moving away from a conference that has been decimated by expansion in the past year.

Interestingly enough, one of the first items on the agenda for his new conference: expansion. The Sun Belt currently has 10 football-playing schools, with South Alabama set to join in 2013. Benson noted Thursday that a committee will be formed to evaluate current and future membership.

"Without getting specific in terms of numbers, I think that there’s an advantage to getting to at least 12 to take advantage of additional postseason opportunities," Benson said in a conference call. "The Sun Belt footprint also provides a pool of possible numbers that are already in that footprint: current FBS members, as well as FCS members that have indicated interest in perhaps in moving to FBS. Again it will be a very important piece in the coming months."

One school squarely in that footprint: Louisiana Tech, a member of the league Benson is leaving. Benson declined to talk specifics about schools, but it would make total sense for the Sun Belt to go after the Bulldogs.

“Right now I’m focusing on the 10 football-playing members of the Sun Belt along with the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and focusing on how to make the Sun Belt a stronger conference," Benson said. "It’s not the first time a commissioner moving from one conference to the other. There may be sensitivity and perhaps some awkwardness. I think everyone understands that once you change positions that you are now responsible and obligated to that conference. I will certainly do that with the Sun Belt."

But one wrench that could be thrown into that plan is the future configuration of the future Mountain West-Conference USA association. That group has indicated it would like to grow to potentially 24 teams. Sun Belt schools like North Texas and FIU, for example, would retain footholds in two strong base states.

Benson addressed why it is attractive for teams current in the Sun Belt to remain in the Sun Belt.

"The Sun Belt has established itself as a credible, as a bona fide Division I BCS conference," he said. "I think that we hope to be able to demonstrate in the coming weeks that the future is bright for the Sun Belt -- that in light of the changes that have occurred in Conference USA, in the Mountain West, in the WAC, that the Sun Belt position in terms of the hierarchy of the so-called non-AQ conferences has increased tremendously, and the opportunity for the Sun Belt to succeed in a manner that will provide the current membership with greater bowl opportunities, with greater television opportunities, with greater revenue opportunities that we will be able to demonstrate that the Sun Belt is on par with any other of the non-BCS conferences.”

WAC commissioner Karl Benson issued an apology for an instant replay review that delayed play 22 minutes in Hawaii's 44-26 win over Louisiana Tech.

The review happened early in the second quarter after a Hawaii punt. On the preceding series, Hawaii called a timeout as a third down play was being run. The officials on the field granted the timeout and the play did not count. But the replay official thought the timeout was granted after the the play was finished. After an incomplete pass on the next play and the punt, the replay official buzzed the field to inform the referee that five downs had occurred and the plays needed to be reviewed.

“I apologize to the Louisiana Tech and Hawaii student-athletes and coaches, fans and members of the media who had to sit through this excessive delay,” Benson said. “It was an embarrassment to the WAC and steps have been taken to prevent something like this from happening again. The instant replay official failed terribly in managing the review process as we have policies in place that state if a particular call can’t be overturned in two minutes, the play in question must then stand.”

Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes said during his news conference Monday that the delay was "a bit bewildering" and "not good for college football."

"They were going to give us the ball on Hawaii’s end of the field and I tried to tell them that it wasn’t the right thing to do," Dykes sad. "I and (Hawaii) coach (Greg) McMackin knew what the right thing to do was after 15 seconds -- so if they asked us we could have saved them 21 minutes and 45 seconds.”

The 22-minute delay was one of several issues with the officiating in last Saturday’s game. There was confusion with the coin toss, two Louisiana Tech penalties offset one Hawaii penalty, and the first down chains were moved incorrectly on one drive, allowing Louisiana Tech to benefit from a first down.

The WAC added Seattle University on Tuesday, but is holding off on inviting another football playing school until at least next season.

Commissioner Karl Benson acknowledged on a conference call that having seven football playing members for the 2012 season was less than ideal, but the league wanted to continue to explore all its options before adding another program. The WAC has been hurt with the departures of Boise State, Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno State to the Mountain West. The league has only added Texas State and UT-San Antonio, two schools that will move up from FCS to FBS to join the WAC.

Benson said the league has been in contact with 10 to 12 schools about future membership, but made a decision in April to hold off on football expansion. He said the economy precluded some of the FCS schools considering a move up from making a quick decision.

"We hope in the next year that the timing will be better," Benson said. "Hopefully a year from now there may be football playing schools ready to make a move to the WAC."

There are still those outside the WAC who wonder about the viability of the league without its premier members, but Benson believes the five members who will remain past 2011 -- Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Idaho, San Jose State and Utah State -- have the opportunity to become the next Boise State.

"It will be important this year for the five remaining WAC schools to show some success," Benson said. "It will be important for one of those five teams to contend for a WAC championship, to go to a bowl game, to carry the WAC umbrella into the postseason. I've been asked many times what the future holds and I think I've been consistent in saying there isn't any reason one of those schools or perhaps a Texas State or UT-San Antonio can't be the next Boise State.

"Ten years ago when Boise State joined the WAC, I don't think anybody expected Boise State to have the dominance it has had. Looking at the five remaining members of the WAC, I don't see a whole lot of difference between those five programs in 2011 than where Boise State was in 2001. It's very realistic that one of those five schools can indeed be the flag bearer and a national power coming out of the WAC."

As for bowl affiliations, the WAC will retain three tie-ins for 2011. In 2012, there would only be one -- the WAC champ would head to the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

There was plenty in the way of news and notes from the non-AQs this weekend:

• Boise State met for 13 hours with the Committee on Infractions in Indianapolis on Friday to discuss its major infractions case. School officials declined comment after the hearing. Five programs, including football, violated NCAA rules by giving student-athletes improper benefits. All the football violations were minor, but after a major violation in the women's tennis program, the NCAA lumped all the violations into one case and slapped the dreaded "lack of institutional control" label on the athletic department. The school planned to vigorously fight that charge. It already has imposed penalties on itself, but the big question is whether it has done enough. Now all it can do is sit and wait for a decision.
• The WAC Board of Directors is meeting today and tomorrow, and expansion is on the docket. After the league loses Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada, it will have seven football playing members for 2012-13 (with the addition of UT-San Antonio and Texas State) and eight basketball playing members. Commissioner Karl Benson has said he expects to make an announcement on future plans after the board votes Tuesday. Among those schools being discussed in hoops: Seattle, Utah Valley and Cal State-Bakersfield for basketball. For football, the WAC would be looking at FCS schools to move up. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Lamar, Sam Houston State, Montana and Montana State, Sacramento State and Cal Poly have been discussed.
• Wyoming backup quarterback Emory Miller Jr. has left the team, leaving the Cowboys in dire straits at the position. Miller is the second quarterback to leave the program this offseason, joining veteran starter Austyn Carta-Samuels. Miller was listed as the co-starter at quarterback after spring practice with true freshman Brett Smith, who enrolled in school early. Now, Wyoming will go into the fall two two freshmen vying for the starting job: Smith and Adam Pittser. “When we signed Brett Smith and Adam Pittser this past February, everyone knows how excited we were to get these two outstanding young talents, and nothing has changed since then,”coach Dave Christensen said in a statement. “I can’t wait to see them compete against one another once fall camp opens.”
• Former Nebraska quarterback Cody Green reportedly has interest in Tulsa and Houston as he looks for a new team. Green told HuskerOnline he would make a visit to Tulsa soon. That could be a good situation for Green, who would have to sit out one year because of NCAA transfer rules. G.J. Kinne is a senior this year. Shavodrick Beaveris penciled in as the backup for 2011, but you figure there will be a competition for the starting job once Kinne leaves.
• Jury selection begins today in Orlando in the wrongful death lawsuit the family of Ereck Plancher has filed against UCF. Plancher collapsed and died during an offseason workout in 2008. An autopsy showed he had sickle cell trait, which was triggered and caused "vascular distress." UCF says Plancher was aware he had the trait, and it did everything it could to save him. The Plancher family alleges Ereck Plancher didn't know he had the trait, and also allege coaches and trainers failed to treat Plancher properly.
• Houston quarterback Case Keenum got married on Saturday. Keenum and his new wife have known each other since they were kids, and have been dating for six years. Keenum was granted a sixth year of eligibility for 2011 after tearing his ACL last season.

Air Force plays Georgia Tech later today in an intriguing battle between the two best run teams in the country in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl. I picked Air Force. ACC blogger Heather Dinich picked Georgia Tech. Who do you have?

Now on to some links:

For those who missed it, FIU won a wild Little Caesars Pizza Bowl against Toledo 34-32 on Sunday night for the first bowl win in school history. No more F-I-Who?

Pat Forde takes us inside the mind of TCU coach Gary Patterson.

The loss to Boise State last season put TCU on the path to the Rose Bowl.

Air Force is excited about its opportunity against Georgia Tech.

SMU is making the most of its bowl trip ... at home.

Austin Pettis and Titus Young have set the bar high for other Boise State receivers to follow.

East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis is making the most of his second chance.

For Temple, a cordial parting with Al Golden.

Faith has shaped the career of Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Karl Benson's creativity is being put to the test to reinvent the WAC.

For those who missed it, Houston quarterback Terrance Broadway is transferring to Louisiana.

It has been a tough few weeks for backers of the BCS.

First, Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee spouted off about teams from outside the power conferences, equating their opponents to the "Little Sisters of the Poor."

Then earlier this week, Jerry Palm discovered a major error in the Wes Colley computer rankings that affected the finishes of LSU and Boise State. Colley is the only one of the six BCS computer programmers to make his formula public, and hence the only one who can have his math double checked. There is no transparency provision for those computer rankings, but there clearly should be after this embarrassment. Imagine if the error had affected who was playing in the BCS national championship game?

Mid-week, we had Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and his cohorts threaten to go back to the old way of doing business if the non-AQs continue to push for more access. The forum in New York featured Delany, Larry Scott of the Pac-10, John Marinatto of the Big East, Karl Benson of the WAC and Dan Beebe of the Big 12, but did not do anything to make any of us believe the big conferences want to play nice. Those threats are nothing new, of course, and are an attempt to get the non-AQs to back down and accept the system for what it is -- something that has given them unprecedented opportunities.

Still, Delany complained about having to give up BCS spots to teams who have not had to do a lot. In fact, he interrupted Benson several times to make a point, none more striking than this one: "The problem is your big stage takes away opportunities for my teams, to play on the stage they created in 1902."

(Brief aside: To use an example, Florida is a relatively new football power. Because the Gators did not create a stage in 1902, perhaps they should not be allowed into the title game next time they are ranked high in the BCS standings).

Finally, to end the week, BCS chief Bill Hancock penned an editorial for USA Today in which he said the "abuse from critics is balderdash."

"As this season proves," he wrote, "outstanding teams can play in BCS bowls, including the national championship game, no matter what conference they're in. For much of this season, Boise State and TCU earned the ranking of No. 3 and No. 4. That can't happen in a rigged system."

He went on to describe the importance of bowl week, and keeping that tradition alive:

"A playoff, on the other hand, would be limited to a small number of schools, and it would turn their celebratory week into a series of one-day business trips because the teams would arrive the day before the game and leave right afterward. If they won, they'd need to get ready for next week's game. That's not a bowl party — that's another game on the schedule. For the schools that don't make a playoff, their bowl games would fade away. Sadly, so too would a great American tradition."

None of the comments from Delany or Hancock are surprising. The worst part of this week for those with BCS defense fatigue, as Delany described it, was the computer mistake Palm discovered. There are those who want a playoff, and those who hate the way the BCS system is currently configured. But this is the system we have in place. So I ask this -- how can anyone have confidence in a system that has secret computer formulas helping determine the BCS national championship matchup? What if Auburn had gotten left out because of a computer mistake that got TCU in?

What would the defense have been for that?

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany caused a bit of a stir this week when, during a panel discussion with other league commissioners in New York, he addressed the hot-button topic of BCS access and where the Big Ten fits in.

A series of comments made by Delany and WAC commissioner Karl Benson made its way around the Web:

Benson: "The BCS has provided greater access. Look at 120 schools, 11 conferences and to establish opportunities for those student-athletes. To play on the big stage, we've been to the big stage. ...

Delany: "The problem is your big stage takes away opportunities for my teams, to play on the stage they created in 1902."

Benson: "I think the group of five [non-automatic qualifying BCS conferences] has established value in the last five years."

Delany: "The notion that over time by putting political pressure on, it's just going to get greater access, more financial reward and more access to the Rose Bowl, I think you're really testing. I think people who have contributed a lot have, what I call, 'BCS defense fatigue.' If you think you can continue to push for more money, more access to the Rose Bowl, or Sugar Bowl. I have tremendous respect for Boise and TCU. ... I think they are tremendous teams that can beat any team in the country on a given day. I think the only question is, 'Does one team's 12-0 and another team's 12-0 equate?' And that's where the discussion plays out, not whether or not they're elite teams or deserving access to the bowl system. I'm not sure how much more give there is in the system."

To most folks, Delany came out looking like the bad guy, telling Benson to be grateful for what you have as far as BCS access. Many in the media paint Delany as the evil BCS czar, when in some cases he's just advocating for the Big Ten's best interests. Which is, you know, his job.

Big Ten fans should want a commissioner who doesn't just lie down in the face of political pressure and cower to teams from non-BCS leagues at the expense of the Big Ten. If you're a Big Ten fan who loves the Rose Bowl and the tradition of that game, you shouldn't want any other commissioner representing your league.

I caught up with Delany earlier Friday and asked him about what happened in New York.

"It was a reactive statement," he said. "My only point was when commissioner Benson was suggesting in the next cycle there might be more access, there might be more revenue and there’s a hierarchy of conferences, I was just trying to say back to him that different conferences have put in different assets. The Big Ten has put in the Rose Bowl, which has benefited anyone who’s gotten a chance to play in it that otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance.

"I simply said in response to the future, we had put in a lot, we had gotten a lot, there was an imperfect system for us because our access to the Rose Bowl has been diluted."

The Big Ten still benefits from the BCS more than any other league, sending two teams to BCS bowls in each of the past six seasons. But if you don't think it stings Delany or his constituents every time they lose the traditional Big Ten-Pac-10 matchup in Pasadena, you're dead wrong.

Asked about the chances for further access loosening with the Rose Bowl, Delany was crystal clear.

"I don't think there would be any support in our group, any support to doing anything more than what’s been done," he said. "Any support. That's not a negotiating point. That's simply a fact. ... Everybody has something that’s really important to them and they protect it.

"If you are defending what you're doing, it doesn’t resonate in the same way as somebody who might be attacking it. That doesn’t mean it's not true."

Delany brought up an interesting point: What if in 1995, a Northwestern program that ended decades of futility by winning the Big Ten, couldn't go to the Rose Bowl because of a BCS access change? He also used a more recent example of a team denied access.

"I know that Stanford will push hard not to see this happen to their team again," Delany said. "Under normal circumstances, the Stanford Cardinal could replace Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Can you imagine how it feels at Stanford? They love the Orange Bowl, but [the Rose Bowl] is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for those kids."

Delany also made it clear that his comments weren't intended to disparage the accomplishments of elite teams from non-AQ leagues.

"I have tremendous respect for TCU, Utah and Boise for what they’ve accomplished," he said. "Those are elite programs. And they’re capable, on any particular week, of beating anybody in the country. It’s how I feel, and it’s honest. But that doesn’t mean that in creating the situation, the Big Ten and the Pac-10 didn’t make a sizable contribution to the system.

"Maybe it’s not P.C. to say that, but it’s true."

Some interesting stuff from the commish. Interested to get your reaction.

North Texas has turned down overtures from the WAC for at least the third time, deciding to stay put in the Sun Belt.

Athletic director Rick Villarreal told The Denton Record-Chronicle late Monday night that he phoned WAC commissioner Karl Benson to decline a potential move. North Texas is one of the original members of the Sun Belt, founded in 2001, and Villarreal pointed to the stability of that league compared to the WAC as one of the factors for staying.

“We made a commitment to a conference that we want to try to help continue to grow," he told the newspaper. "We feel that there is a little more stability in the situation we are in today.”

The WAC is in desperate search for stability, facing the prospect of losing its fourth member since last year. Hawaii became the latest to announce its intentions to move to the Mountain West, and would join Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada in bolting from the WAC. Commissioner Karl Benson said Monday he had reached out to North Texas, hoping the recent additions of Texas State and UT-San Antonio might sway the school. The WAC also contacted North Texas in 1999 and 2004.

Embattled WAC commissioner Karl Benson reiterated Monday his league will survive even if it loses Hawaii to the Mountain West.

In fact, Benson said the whole purpose of his conference call was to dispel any notion that his flailing league would implode with the loss of its four best teams.

"The WAC is prepared to move forward and do whatever it takes to continue our operation," Benson said.

To that end, here are a few snippets of what he had to say:

-- Benson met with Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson last Monday in Dallas, where the two were attending BCS meetings. It was then that Thompson told him of their interest in adding Hawaii as a football-only member.

-- Last Thursday, Benson held a conference call with the five remaining WAC members, who agreed to accept the Warriors as a football-only member so they can stay in the WAC. Benson extended this offer Thursday night -- the same night Hawaii announced it had a handshake agreement to join the Mountain West in football only.

-- Benson is scheduled to meet with Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan tomorrow in Las Vegas. "I will reiterate the WAC's desire for Hawaii to remain in the WAC," Benson said.

-- Benson also says he has reached out to North Texas to see if the school has had interest in joining the WAC. The league has reached out several times previously to the school, and is hoping the addition of Texas State and Texas-San Antonio will make a difference this time. He also reached out to Cal-Davis to see if it would reconsider its move to the Big Sky to join the WAC instead, but the school was not interested.

-- Should TCU join the Big East as a football-only member, the league would welcome TCU's other sports.

-- If Hawaii leaves, it would most likely take its tie-in with the Hawaii Bowl to the Mountain West. As for the other bowl partners, Benson said the league already has had preliminary discussions with bowl partners about 2012 and beyond. The New Mexico Bowl has already dropped the WAC in favor of the Pac-10. He added the Humanitarian Bowl will continue its affiliation through 2013 and 2014. As for the Poinsettia and Kraft Fight Hunger Bowls: "It won’t be the same type of guarantee that we were under for 2010 and '11, but I anticipate we will remain a partner in some form."

Benson also said the WAC is not in danger of losing its BCS status, and he is very confident that proposed NCAA legislation doing away with the continuity of membership requirement will pass in January. If it does pass, that means the WAC would continue to receive its automatic bid to NCAA tournament events.

If the WAC remains at seven football playing members in July 2012, it would lose its status as an FBS conference. But Benson said the only negative there is losing seats on NCAA governance councils. "It’s business as usual for the member institutions. It’s just that we become unclassified," he said.

Idaho defensive back Shiloh Keo was suspended for a half-game by the WAC on Wednesday for delivering a blow to the head on Boise State quarterback Mike Coughlin last week.

Commissioner Karl Benson originally suspended Keo for one game, but the decision was appealed by Idaho and reduced to a half-game by the WAC sportsmanship committee. Benson is required to review all hits to the head. After reviewing the play, he determined that a flagrant personal foul should have been called, which would have resulted in Keo's ejection.

The play happened at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when Keo hit Coughlin as the quarterback attempted to run for a first down during the 52-14 win.

Keo must sit out the first half at Utah State on Saturday.

As for Utah State, coach Gary Andersen dismissed linebacker Junior Keiaho from the team for an undisclosed violation of team rules, the school announced Wednesday.

Keiaho had 20 tackles in eight games while battling a knee injury throughout the season. He recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, including one sack, along with three pass break-ups and one interception.

Now that the WAC has officially added UT-San Antonio, Texas State and Denver, the big question is this:

Where does this league stack up against all the rest in college football?

It appears as if it is going to be a long road back for the WAC now that it is losing Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada, its three best teams. The WAC has already gotten roundly criticized for the perception that it is a weak league with Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada in it. Now that it is adding two football members that are not even on the FBS level right now, the WAC might move behind the Sun Belt in terms of conference perception.

Commissioner Karl Benson did his best to spin the move, and show his excitement about getting back into the Texas market for football with UTSA and Texas State. He said the two new football members would be able to compete for bowls quickly. Sure, that is possible, but you have to wonder how quickly that might happen. UTSA has coaching pedigree with Larry Coker in charge, but even the school is not sure about joining as a football member until 2013.

"The WAC has taken blows in the past and we've been able to add schools since 1998," Benson said. "This is the next opportunity to provide Texas State, UT-SAn Antonio and the University of Denver an opportunity to take their programs to another level. The WAC has been known for providing those opportunities for our schools and for our student-athletes."

When asked if adding these three schools was an act of desperation, Benson said, "I don't think it's an act of desperation. It's a proactive approach to solidify the conference for the future."

Of the six remaining members of the WAC, only one currently has a winning record -- Hawaii. The Warriors are in the best position to carry the flag Boise State has carried for the WAC given the current state of their program. They went to the BCS during the 2007 season, losing to Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl.

But combined, the six remaining schools have an average of five bowl appearances each. New Mexico State has not been to a bowl since 1960; Utah State hasn't been since 1997. San Jose State has been to one and Louisiana Tech has been to two since 1991.

"From a historical standpoint, the one thing the WAC has going forward that doesn't exist in the other five the non-automatic qualifying conferences -- with Hawaii the WAC still has a team that has played in a BCS game," Benson said. "There's only been two conferences that have put teams into the BCS, the WAC and the Mountain West. As we go forward with this new membership, we'll still be able to claim a team in Hawaii that has played in a BCS game.

"I've said several times that I've been fortunate to go to three BCS games in the past four years, two with Boise State and one with Hawaii. I'm expecting that somewhere down the road I will go to a BCS game with a WAC member."

But then again, you can easily point to the rise of Boise State in the WAC as a reason not to count anybody out. Boise State joined the WAC in 2001, and since then has played in two BCS games and is aiming for a third straight undefeated regular season. Boise State is 360-144-2 since joining FBS in 1996.

"Any of the six schools going forward can easily be the next Boise State," Benson said.

He is going to need for that to happen. And fast.

The WAC membership committee met with five potential new members in Dallas, and commissioner Karl Benson said invitations could be handed out in the next 30 to 60 days.

Texas-San Antonio, Texas State, Seattle University, Montana and the University of Denver are all candidates to join the WAC, which is losing Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada to the Mountain West. Only UTSA, Texas State and Montana have football programs, and none of them play on the major college level.

Both UTSA and Texas State have plans to move up to FBS. Montana is still deciding whether it is going to make the jump up and has conducted feasibility studies on the subject. There also is administrative change there as well, with a new president set to take charge. Seattle and Denver would be candidates to join as non-football playing members.

“Our first goal and our highest priority is to ensure that we have a minimum of eight football-playing schools for the 2012 season,” Benson said Wednesday on a conference call.

The membership committee, consisting of the athletic directors of the six remaining WAC schools, heard presentations from everyone but Montana on Tuesday. Because Montana has yet to make a decision about its future, the school had a different dialogue with the committee. Benson said it was important to include Montana in the discussion because it is a good fit for the league.

He also added these were the five schools the WAC was focused in on for right now, but also said he did not want to back the league into a corner should there be further expansion moves with other conferences.

“We want to make sure we leave some opportunities in case there are other moves,” Benson said. “We are going to continue to track what’s going on around us. At the same time, we believe it’s necessary to allow our coaches to go out into the recruiting world and be able to inform student-athletes that this is what the WAC is going to look like in 2012.

“There is negative recruiting going on right now in many sports and our coaches are being disadvantaged when other coaches in other conferences are suggesting maybe the WAC isn’t going to be around in 2012. It’s very important we send a strong message sooner than later that the WAC is going to continue operating.”

The goal is to have the new members in place for the 2012-13 school year. Boise State is leaving after this season, but there is a legal fight looming with Fresno State and Nevada. Both schools also want to leave after this season, but the WAC wants them to stay through 2011-12.

Boise State starting safety Winston Venable has been suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game against New Mexico State for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Oregon State's James Rodgers last weekend.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson announced the suspension Wednesday during a conference call. Benson had initially suspended Venable for the entire game. But Boise State appealed to the WAC sportsmanship committee, which cut the suspension to half a game.

The hit knocked the Oregon State receiver out of the game with a concussion, though it did not draw a penalty. Tape of the hit was sent to Benson for review. Under NCAA rules, commissioners must review all helmet-to-helmet hits. Benson also asked Dave Parry, NCAA coordinator of officiating, and NCAA secretary-rules editor Rogers Redding to review the play as well.

Both officials deemed the hit to be a flagrant personal foul, which would have required automatic ejection had a flag been thrown.

Venable will receive a letter from Benson, informing him of the suspension and warning him that future helmet-to-helmet hits may result in further suspensions.

The WAC and Mountain West also reviewed a low block Nevada offensive lineman John Bender delivered to BYU defensive tackle Romney Fuga in last weekend's game. Both conferences ruled the hit didn't violate NCAA football rules so no further action is required. BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall complained about the hit, saying it wasn't a "positive football play." Fuga is out for the season after tearing two ligaments in his knee on the play.

You can imagine what WAC commissioner Karl Benson must be feeling these days.

On the one hand, he has got to feel pride, seeing Boise State and Nevada in the Top 25 -- the first time the WAC has had two teams ranked since Sept. 28, 2008. On the other, he has to feel incredible disappointment, knowing those two schools and Fresno State are ditching his league for the Mountain West.

Benson refused comment when asked about the dichotomy earlier this week, saying only, “I’m not going to go down that path.”

Strange as it may sound, what is good for the WAC is good for the Mountain West this season.

If Nevada keeps winning, the Wolf Pack help out Boise State in the BCS computer rankings and perhaps in national perception. It also would help fill the void that BYU is leaving in the Mountain West’s quest to become an automatic qualifying conference. The same could be said of Fresno State, which is off to a 2-1 start but reeling after a loss at Ole Miss.

The quest for AQ status is three-pronged. Results from the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons will be evaluated to determine whether the Mountain West qualifies. Here is the evaluation process, for those who need a refresher:

1. The ranking of the highest-ranked team in the final BCS standings each year.

2. The final regular-season rankings of all conference teams in the computer rankings the BCS uses.

3. The number of teams in the Top 25 of the final BCS standings each year, with adjustments to account for the size of league membership.

The Mountain West would have to finish among the top six conferences in No. 1 and No. 2 and have a ranking equal to or greater than 50 percent of the conference with the highest ranking in criteria No. 3. If the Mountain West fails to meet these standards, it can apply to the Presidential Oversight Committee for an exemption.

The calculations will be made based on conference membership on Dec. 4, 2011. That is why it is so critical for the Mountain West to get Fresno State and Nevada on board for the start of the 2011 season. They are currently embroiled in a legal fight with the WAC, which maintains those schools must remain through 2011-12. Boise State will begin play in the Mountain West in 2011.

As it stands now, the Mountain West would fall short of AQ status.

If Fresno State and Nevada are able to join for the 2011 season, both are going to have to turn it up to bolster the chances of the Mountain West. Utah leaving for the Pac-10 is negated with the addition of Boise State, which has been ranked in the top 10 of the BCS standings in 2008 and 2009. TCU remains.

The problem here is replacing BYU, which is going independent. The Cougars finished No. 16 in the final BCS standings in 2008 and No. 14 in 2009. Neither Fresno State nor Nevada finished in the Top 25. That is why their performance this season is so critical.

Nevada must keep winning, for the WAC and the MWC. Look at what happened in 2008. Fresno State was ranked No. 22 after a 3-1 start, but dropped from the rankings after a 32-29 overtime loss to Hawaii. The Bulldogs ended up losing four more games that season and finished 7-6.

Nevada is now in at No. 25, its first ranking ever in the coaches’ poll. Fresno State coach Pat Hill, familiar with the expectations that come with rankings, said, “I think it’s good, but you have to keep winning to stay there,” Hill said. “We live in such a day of hype and everything else you have to keep playing.”

Nevada coach Chris Ault seems to understand the ramifications.

“I do think it’s a great motivator for our football team to get recognized and understand you’re playing that well that people are appreciating it,” Ault said. “The bottom line is you still have to line up. We’ve got a long ways to go.”

1. Rich Brooks, the former head coach at Oregon and Kentucky, has seen the No. 5 Ducks play the past two weeks. “They’re a very, very good football team,” Brooks said. “They have a lot of speed and skill on offense and they are very quick on defense. I’m not sure they can stand up to Stanford. Arizona is a physical team, too.” The Cardinal, the only Pac-10 team to beat the Ducks a year ago, play at Oregon on Oct. 2.

2. I admire how WAC commissioner Karl Benson has talked tough about holding Fresno State and Nevada to their league commitment into 2012. The parties are negotiating. It’s encouraging to see what happened in the Big 12. Nebraska and Colorado said they didn’t owe the league anything. The Big 12 said they owed $35 million. The parties settled on about $15 million from the two schools combined. The one difference: The Big 12 wants to move on to its lucrative future. No one is describing the WAC’s future as lucrative.

3. I’m guessing that Tulane coach Bob Toledo, discussing how hard the Green Wave played in their Sept. 11 loss to Ole Miss, didn’t intend to comment on the intelligence of anyone playing Monday Night Football. Said Toledo, “I’ve never been one of those guys to come away with moral victories. It’s kind of like the Saints and the 49ers last night, you either win or you lose. There is no gray matter.”