Riverside, Northridge Top List to Join All-California Conference

Officials from the Big West Conference’s six California schools met Monday to discuss adding UC Riverside and possibly Cal State Northridge to the conference by 2002, sources said.

That plan moved a step closer on Monday, when Boise State became the latest Big West school to be invited to join the Western Athletic Conference and will make the move in the fall of 2001. Nevada will join the WAC next fall.

“We certainly were not surprised by Boise State leaving,” Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said. “Our California schools have expressed where they want to be in the future. Time is on their side, they just need to let nature take its course.”

It will be a short course if officials from Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Irvine, Pacific, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have their way.

Travel costs and football are the flash points. None of the California schools have Division I-A football. A move to an all-California conference would not be possible at this time because a 75% majority is needed to add new schools. The California schools have a 6-4 voting edge in the conference. That, though, could change as soon as January.

Sun Belt Conference officials are interested in adding football schools. North Texas and New Mexico State are believed to be at the top of their list.

Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters said some Big West schools “have expressed interest in our league.”