Utah set to join Pac-10

It’ll soon be official. After lengthy speculation, the Pac-10 has extended a membership offer to the University of Utah. A formal announcement is set for Utah’s Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday. The public is invited to attend the 12:30 p.m. gathering, set for the sixth floor at the Rice-Eccles Stadium Tower. The only item on the agenda is the “discussion of athletic conference,” which will be presented to the board for its approval. A news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. After efforts by Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott to lure Big 12 members Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech out West failed over the weekend, various media reports targeted Utah as the institution most likely to join Colorado (a Big 12 defector) in the expanded conference. Although Scott’s hopes of establishing a 16-school superconference failed to materialize, the so-called Pac-12 now has enough teams to hold a lucrative football championship game — something the NCAA allows for leagues with at least 12 members. Beginning as early as 2011, the Utes will compete for such an opportunity against the Colorado Buffaloes, as well as Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State. The Utes will reportedly be placed in the Southern Division with Arizona, ASU, Colorado, UCLA and USC. – Deseret News

New Washington State AD Bill Moos appeals to Cougs’ loyalty

Bill Moos said Wednesday he’d begin his new job with some restraint. But not without grand ambition. Moos, 59, was introduced as Washington State’s next athletic director at a campus news conference. He will take over no later than May 1. While the resuscitation of the Cougars’ renovation project for Martin Stadium appears the key priority, Moos said he’d begin by taking a wider view of possible facilities needs. Even before that, he wants to address a mindset, and in massaging that, he envisions capital improvements. “One thing I’m going to focus on is the culture,” he said. “I will never look at the program as underdogs. We’re not underdogs; we’re not going to use the term ‘Couging it.’ We’re going to set forth a path that leads to championships. “Cougars everywhere love their alma mater. They’re going to hear from me that that’s important. The common theme from me will be, ‘If you like the sermon, show it when the collection plate is passed around.’ ” – Seattle Times

Washington St. coach given assurance he’ll be back

Washington State coach Paul Wulff said Monday he has the support of the administration and will be back in 2010 despite just three victories in his first two seasons. In a conference call with reporters ahead of Saturday’s Apple Cup against Washington, Wulff said athletic director Jim Sterk has talked to his staff and been “very reassuring about what we’ve been doing.” “(Sterk’s) very excited about how much work we’ve done and moving forward. It’s been outstanding,” Wulff said. “As we move into next year you’re going to see a hugely improved team, one of the most improved teams around. We’ve got all the ingredients to take a giant step as a team.” – AP

Paul Wulff Feeling Heat at Wazzu

The likelihood is the Cougars will go winless in the Pac-10 this year and Wulff’s record will stand at 3-22 when his second season concludes. That. Is. Not. Good. Duh. Wulff inherited an empty cupboard of talent. He’s had huge injury issues and had to play young players before they were ready. But fans are impatient. It wasn’t too long ago that the Cougs were on a run of three consecutive top-10 rankings. Washington State will need to improve next year, which means win a few games. That won’t be easy because the Pac-10 looks like it will be even more rugged in 2010 than in 2009. – ESPN.com

Paul Wulff blasts coaches trying to poach verbals

Wulff said other schools in the conference have targeted between five and seven of those Cougar commits. “The negative that comes into play that I think is a bad message to 18 and 17-year olds is that (we teach them) that you can commit and your word is good..and then other schools come in and try to get them to change their mind — I think that is 100 percent the wrong message,” said Wulff. “It shows a lack of class upon those schools that do that…I think it’s immature. I think it’s wrong. “I think it just shows the character of the people that try to do that. I think if I was a recruit, and a parent, I’d be very leery of someone who does try to do that…We’ve had several of our kids who have committed to us being talked to by other Pac-10 schools, which I (do) think speaks highly of the kids we have committed. “If it takes them six months or eight months longer for them to find them, or to wait until we get them committed, to me that shows their lack of work. They try to come in on the back door… To me, I think that shows little to no class.” – Cougfan.com

FRM’s Take: We’re not sure what Paul Wulff is thinking. Every coach we know (that wins), has no issues with going after a prospect who’s committed to another school. That’s the way the college football world works. To us, this is proof Wulff is WAAAAYYY in over his head at WSU. What a joke…

Paul Wulff Feeling Heat at Washington State

Paul Wulff, Washington State. Washington State has never competed for national titles, but in 2008, it got downright macabre. Wulff is only in his second season, but is not the losses themselves, but how they’ve lost. In year one, they gave up at least 39 points EIGHT times. Pac-10 contenders outscored them 257-45 . . .at Pullman. The One that could always be counted on is the Cougars being pesky in the Paloose. And try this one on for size. In four seasons under Bill Doba, the Cougars never surrendered 60 points. In 2008, four teams lit them up for that number, and two others scored 50+. The first two games of 2009 don’t give much hope. The Cougars opened with two home games and gave up 39 and 38 points. Should Wulff survive this year, he may be forced to make CO-Defensive Coordinators Chris Ball and Jody Sears walk the plank. Some Wulff advocates say it’s hard to recruit there, but that’s always been the case. Of course, Chris Petersen at Boise State isn’t making it any easier. - AC