Earlier this month, it was reported that a handful of schools -- perhaps as many as ten -- would make presentations to the WAC in the hopes of receiving an invitation to join the conference.
Those presentations have indeed taken place, although with far fewer schools taking part, at least in this initial step.
According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, four schools put their best foot forward in front of officials from the WAC on Tuesday. Seattle, University of Denver, Texas-San Antonio and Texas State all made presentations; only the latter two have a football program.
Additionally, the Post-Intelligencer writes, Montana is being considered for membership but did not make a presentation.
All three of the schools under consideration with a football program currently play at the Div. 1-AA (FCS) level. Both Texas institutions have made it known that they want to make the leap to Div. 1-A (FBS), while Montana is reportedly weighing its options as far as moving up.
As it stands now, Nevada and Fresno State will likely leave at the end of the 2011-2012 school year -- unless they don’t -- which would leave the WAC with just six members. Commissioner Karl Benson said the league’s “first goal and highest priority is to ensure that we have a minimum of eight football-playing schools for the 2012 season.”
Benson added that invitations to the league could be extended in the next 30-60 days.