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They have a handshake agreement, according to the school president. This could pretty much end the WAC as we know it.
Hawaii discussing joining Mountain West Conference in football
HONOLULU -- The University of Hawaii is close to joining the Mountain West Conference for football, raising the prospect of leaving the depleted WAC after 32 years.
Hawaii president M.R.C. Greenwood talked to Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson over the phone Thursday and said she was confident a deal would be worked out.
"We have a handshake but we have yet to agree on the details," Greenwood said, before adding: "The people of the state of Hawaii should be very positive about this and convinced that we have a bright future."
It's not clear where the rest of Hawaii's athletic programs fit in. Athletic director Jim Donovan said his poll of the school's 18 other teams indicated 16 of them would prefer to play in the Big West.
The Mountain West released a statement Thursday night saying the conference's board of directors "has authorized Commissioner Craig Thompson to begin discussions with the University of Hawaii regarding possible membership in the sport of football only."
No offer has been extended to Hawaii, a source told ESPN.com's Andy Katz.
Hawaii is the longest-running member of the Western Athletic Conference. But the WAC recently has lost Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State to the Mountain West.
HONOLULU -- The University of Hawaii is close to joining the Mountain West Conference for football, raising the prospect of leaving the depleted WAC after 32 years.
Hawaii president M.R.C. Greenwood talked to Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson over the phone Thursday and said she was confident a deal would be worked out.
"We have a handshake but we have yet to agree on the details," Greenwood said, before adding: "The people of the state of Hawaii should be very positive about this and convinced that we have a bright future."
It's not clear where the rest of Hawaii's athletic programs fit in. Athletic director Jim Donovan said his poll of the school's 18 other teams indicated 16 of them would prefer to play in the Big West.
The Mountain West released a statement Thursday night saying the conference's board of directors "has authorized Commissioner Craig Thompson to begin discussions with the University of Hawaii regarding possible membership in the sport of football only."
No offer has been extended to Hawaii, a source told ESPN.com's Andy Katz.
Hawaii is the longest-running member of the Western Athletic Conference. But the WAC recently has lost Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State to the Mountain West.
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