Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan spoke to reporters today about Boise State leaving the Western Athletic Conference for the Mountain West Conference.

“In the sport of football it did some harm (to the WAC),” Donovan said.

The Broncos football team has won two BCS bowl games in the past four seasons, with Fiesta Bowl wins over Oklahoma and TCU.

In nine WAC seasons, Boise State was first seven times and second twice. The Broncos are expected to be ranked in the top five in the nation headed into this season.

Boise State is scheduled to join the Mountain West after the 2010-2011 college sports year.

“While I am disappointed that Boise State has elected to leave the WAC, I am very optimistic that the WAC will continue to have success in the future,” WAC commissioner Karl Benson said in a statement today.

In another move today, Nebraska accepted an invitation join the Big Ten. Other Big 12 teams, including Texas,Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, may be moving soon, also.

The remaining WAC schools, including Hawaii, are awaiting further developments.

“Until that (Big 12) situation sorts out we can’t move,” Donovan said.

“I don’t think the dominoes have stopped,” Donovan added. “I think we can survive as an eight or nine team conference.”