Gamesmanship in the WAC

A poorly lit arena. Somebody showing up after the scheduled practice start time to unlock the building. Visiting teams not being allowed access for practice the night before a game for whatever reason.

Is it gamesmanship or unfortunate circumnstances? Depending on who you talk to, it's a problem inside the Western Athletic Conference.

Nevada coach Mark Fox and SMU's Jimmy Tubbs said they haven't experienced any real problems. Fox said he only remembers one time where the Wolf Pack weren't able to practice at the game site the night before it played.

Rice coach Willis Wilson disagreed.

"It's always a problem," Wilson said. "It's not going to change. We're having that problem now. It's not something worth talking about until somebody in the league office enforces it."

Road travel in the WAC for Thursday-Saturday games is simple. Teams travel the day before a game, and try to practice at the arena that afternoon or evening. Teams also will have a shootaround the day of the game.

The alleged problem arose (again) last week when Hawai'i, which had flown in a day early for its Thursday game against UTEP, and allegedly was denied access to Don Haskins Center for a Tuesday practice.

It forced Hawai'i coach Riley Wallace to find a different place to practice. He took his team to New Mexico State University in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico. The veteran Hawai'i coach told reporters on Monday that he wasn't frustrated by UTEP's actions.

"They had a right to do that," Wallace said. "They only have to open it the day before."

Doc Sadler, UTEP's first-year head coach, attempted to explain the situation.

"It's a WAC rule that teams can get into gyms the night before and the day of the game," he said. "Our gym is available from noon to 1:30 during the day and after 6 p.m. the night before the game."

According to Dave Chaffin, the media relations director for the WAC, there is no bylaw in the WAC rules. He said it's a gentleman's agreement. He added that the coaches have been asked if they want it in the bylaws, but have refused.

It could be part of a bigger riff between the schools. Apparently, Wallace asked Billy Gillespie, who coached UTEP last season, if they could reschedule a game to a different day because of the ESPN Bracket Buster, and Gillespie refused.

Most of the coaches agree that they like their teams to be able to practice and get used to a facility, especially when they have a lot of new players.

"I like to have a team practice the night before," Fresno State's Ray Lopes said. "You can get used to the environment, the background and rims. It's a big deal to us."

It sounds great on paper that visiting teams should have that right, but it's not practical. Some of the bigger arenas in the conference host other events. There have been times where Nevada can't even practice in Lawlor Events Center because of a concert. Nevada couldn't use Lawlor earlier this year because of mid-year graduation.

"I think teams have problems getting into our place," Lopes said. "We have a multi-purpose facility. We have concerts and a minor league hockey team. Such things are out of my control.

"I remember on a trip to Hawai'i, we couldn't use the arena the night before because there was a men's volleyball game."

And, if you know anything about college volleyball, you know that it's a big thing in Hawai'i.

It's not logical to stop events from being scheduled that way. After all, these big arenas have to be paid for somehow.

Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1281.