DENVER - Western Athletic
Conference commissioner Karl Benson announced today that Fresno State and the
University of Nevada must pay $5 million each for failing to abide to a
corporate resolution they both agreed to earlier this month that called for
both to remain members of the WAC through June 30, 2016. Fresno State and
Nevada announced on August 18 that they would join the Mountain West
Conference. Both schools were notified on August 27 with a "demand for payment"
letter and have 60 days from that date to make payment. The two schools are
also required to compete in the WAC during the 2010-11 season and the 2011-12
season as neither school announced their decision to withdraw from the WAC
prior to the June 30 deadline as required by WAC Bylaws. Both schools were also
notified of this on August 27.
"The WAC fully expects to receive the $5
million from both Fresno State and Nevada and will take legal recourse if
necessary to obtain the money," said Benson. "As for the termination date, WAC
Bylaws make it very clear that Fresno State and Nevada must remain in the WAC
through the 2011-12 season unless the WAC authorizes an 'early out.' Fresno
State and Nevada leaving the WAC following the 2010-11 season would cause
irreparable financial harm to the remaining WAC members in terms of football
scheduling and potential loss of revenue from television and bowl games. The
damages that Hawai'i, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, San Jose State
and Utah State would incur could exceed as much as $2 million per school."
-WAC-