Would've been a nice road trip
WAC politics force Hawaii to reject UNLV offer
Posted: Friday July 31, 1998 11:03 AM
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- University of Nevada-Las Vegas football coach Jeff Horton thought he had a sure thing when he approached the University of Hawaii with a proposal for a 10-year home-and-home
series between the schools.
UH turned him down.
University President Kenneth Mortimer has told the athletic department not to schedule any games with the eight schools who are planning to leave the Western Athletic Conference in at the end of
this 1998-99 academic year.
UNLV is one of the eight defectors.
Horton is trying to enlist the help of Gov. Ben Cayetano and Las Vegas hotel owner Boyd Group to convince UH to reconsider.
Cayetano's grandson, Micah Ancheta, plays for UNLV and the Boyd Group paid UH $250,000 to play a 1995 game in Las Vegas.
"I really want to play Hawaii," Horton said.
Las Vegas is a popular destination for Hawaii residents and the Rebels largest home crowds have come against the Rainbows.
"People in Hawaii love coming over here to play. I just think it makes sense for us to keep playing nonconference games if we can," Horton said.
The Rainbows have also rejected overtures from WAC defectors BYU, Utah and Air Force Academy to continue their rivalries in a nonconference context, while UH baseball coach rejected a request to play San Diego State in a home-and-home series.
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