With conference realignments in full swing across the college sports landscape, now is probably not the best time for the Western Athletic Conference to be left without a commissioner.
Karl Benson announced he is resigning as WAC commissioner effective April 1 to serve as commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference.
"It has been a privilege to serve the WAC and to share in the many successes of our member schools and student-athletes over the past 18 years," Benson said in a statement."I am confident that the 10-member WAC that will be in place on July 1, 2012 will provide the foundation that will allow the WAC to continue as one of the outstanding athletic conferences in the country."
The WAC experienced its fair share of highs and lows during Benson’s 18 years at the helm.
Benson’s tenure began on April 20, 1994, when he was named the fifth commissioner in league history. His tenure got off to a quick start as the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), Rice, San Jose State, Southern Methodist University (SMU), Texas Christian University (TCU) and Tulsa all joined the WAC shortly after he was appointed.
In Benson’s second year on the job, the conference signed a multi-year contract with ESPN to telecast football and basketball games. By 1996, the WAC had 16 member universities, making it the largest conference in NCAA Division I-A.
However, the tide started to shift in 1999 when eight schools left the WAC to join the newly formed Mountain West Conference. The WAC raid continued as five more schools left the conference to join Conference USA. A total of 13 schools left the conference between 1999 and 2005.
Benson and the WAC responded by adding new schools to the WAC roster during that time, including Nevada, Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho Utah State and New Mexico State.
The new members quickly began contributing to the WAC in a variety of sports. Boise State became a football power, Utah State had consistent basketball program and Fresno State had an elite baseball team.
It seemed as if the WAC had weathered the realignment storm, but the conference would endure more changes down the line. Boise State left for the Mountain West in 2011, while Fresno State, Hawai’i (football only) and Nevada will join the conference next season.
Once again, the WAC was left scrambling to find new schools to fill up the conference. As a result, Denver, Seattle, Texas State, Texas-Arlington and Texas-San Antonio were invited to the conference.
The five schools will begin WAC competition at the start of the 2012 academic year; however, Denver, Seattle and Texas-Arlington do not have football programs. Boise will also return to the WAC in all sports except football.
Despite adding five new member schools, the WAC is in a state of flux and the departure of Benson may or may not help the situation.
The two conferences that have taken schools from the WAC, Mountain West and Conference USA, are merging to form one 16-team conference. If the conference dominoes continue to fall, there is a chance current WAC schools will jump ship and head to the new MWC/CUSA conference.
NM State President Barbara Couture told the WAC website that a committee will be formed to begin the search for a new commissioner.
"The Board thanks him for his years of service to the conference and wishes him well in this position with the Sun Belt,” Couture said. "We will be looking for leadership that will continue to positively position the WAC as one of the nation's top conferences both academically and athletically.”
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