Left in the Lurch, Idaho Must Go On Alone

The days when college conferences were held together by academics and geography are gone.

In this ugly new age, all that matters is perceived football prowess and access to television markets. That means even more universities are changing their conference allegiances.

The latest shake up came on Friday with the expansion of Conference USA. Texas-San Antonio, Louisiana Tech, UNC-Charlotte, North Texas and Florida International all defected from their respective conferences (the WAC, Atlantic-10 and Sun Belt).

That means 31 universities - more than a quarter in all of Division I football - will have switched conferences for various stated reasons such as stability or more prestige. Granted, most college presidents do not have the audacity to freely admit they are moving conferences to chase more money.

With Utah State and San Jose State also finding new conference home in the WAC 2.0, also known as the Mountain West, you can, as Brett McMurphy put it, "start carving the tombstone" for the WAC.

That's a shame considering the WAC is the sixth oldest D-I football conference and will have had 26 members at one time or another when the D-I expands to 125 programs in 2013.

That also means a school near and dear to my heart, the University of Idaho, has been left in the lurch.

The Vandals, despite doing things the right way with student-athlete graduation and leading the WAC Commissioner's Cup, are out of good options. Idaho is in a minuscule television market, it's regional TV footprint is over shadowed by the Smurf Turf to the south and there has not been any consistent success on the Palouse.

What is being widely suggested by many sports writers for the Vandals, a drop back to the I-AA level and the Big Sky Conference, would be a disaster.

Hitting a "Fan's Cycle"

Angels pitcher Jered Weaver reacts to throwing a no-hitter May 2 (Getty Images)

Baseball has always been in my blood. I was attending professional games even before I was born.

For me, no matter how much snow was on the ground, mid-Febraury was a sign that spring was just around the corner. And Major League Baseball's Opening Day has always been one of my most anticipated days of the year.

I consider myself fortunate to have been able to go to so many baseball games.

And I am lucky to have witnessed some amazing feats on the diamond in person, none more impressive than watching Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver throw a complete game no-hitter.

I first took notice Wednesday night that Weaver had given up no hits in the middle of the fourth inning, but thought it was way too early to be watching history.

It wasn't until a perfect sixth inning when Weaver shut down the Minnesota Twins speed batters, Denard Span and Jamey Carroll, both whom did not even show bunt, that I thought we might be on the cusp of a special game.

For the last two innings, Angel fans stood, imploring the umpire to call strikes and for Weaver to finish off the no-hitter. When right fielder Torii Hunter caught Alexi Casilla's fly ball for the last out, the stadium erupted, a crescendo that had been building for the last 30 minutes of the game.

"I couldn't believe it," Weaver said after the game. "I never thought in a million years I'd first of all be in the major leagues pitching and to throw a no-hitter in the big leagues - it was very surreal."

It was a surreal game to watch. As a former work colleague put it, Weaver's no-hitter was the final piece to my fan's cycle. Four stunning baseball feats that rarely happen.

I've also seen then-Baltimore Oriole Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle, former Washington National Dmitri Young smack a grand slam on Fourth of July, and Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Mickey Morandini turn an unassisted triple play in 1992, the first such play in 24 years in the majors.

Those types of plays make baseball fun for the fans. You never know what you might see on a random Wednesday night.

Now I can just hope my Pittsburgh Pirates raise another World Series pennant in my lifetime, but I might just settle for a winning season at this point.