Part of the celebration over the University of Hawaii’s departure from a fast-sinking Western Athletic Conference a year ago was the anticipation of more lucrative paydays ahead.

But as UH goes to the bank this week with the first year-end conference disbursement checks after the move, no armored cars or heavy lifting will be required. There will be no laughing all the way to the deposit window.

The athletic department will deposit about $503,000, or less than a third of the $1.7 million it received in 2011, its final year as a full WAC partner.

"There won’t be much at all," athletic director Ben Jay acknowledged.

In the WAC, where it was a member for 32 years, UH shared in all the four major revenue streams: conference TV money; Bowl Championship Series and bowl receipts; conference basketball tournament revenues and NCAA basketball tournament proceeds. Nor was it obligated to pay travel subsidies for conference opponents coming here or bargain away some of its TV money.

UH RECEIVED, on average, $2 million per year over the final five years of full membership in the WAC, including $4.4 million after its Sugar Bowl season. In addition, UH kept its local TV rights, which averaged about $2.5 million per year.

But in the Mountain West, where it became a football-only member July 1, 2012, UH currently shares only in BCS money, which meant all of $134,825 this year because none of the MWC teams appeared in the BCS.

The other nine schools divided up approximately $11.5 million. In 2014 the split will be among 12 members, since San Jose State and Utah State came aboard this week. According to reports, Nevada received $2.45 million in MWC disbursements, while San Diego State earned $2.28 million.

UH is, however, entitled to keep all its local TV rights fees, approximately $2.45 million this year, under an agreement with the MWC, and must pay upwards of $650,000 in travel subsidies. In the WAC UH kept its local TV money and received a share of the conference rights fees.

MEANWHILE, UH said it receives approximately $368,000 from the Big West, where most of its sports other than football are quartered. In the future, UH also will receive shares of the approximately $3.5 million combined buy-out fees from Boise State, San Diego State and Pacific. The Broncos and Aztecs bowed out of agreements that had called for them to join the Big West this month in most sports in order to remain in the MWC. Pacific left the Big West after 42 years for the West Coast Conference.

Of course, had UH remained in the watered-down WAC — home the past year to the likes of Texas State, Idaho, Denver, etc. — or trod the risky path of independence, two of the alternatives to joining the MWC and Big West, the returns would likely have been even less.

The meager payoffs merely underline how vulnerable UH is in the ever-changing college athletic landscape, and reinforce the need to raise its profile for the next round of musical conferences.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.