The University of Hawaii announced today that they will leave the Western Athletic Conference for the Mountain West Conference in football, while their other sports will join the Big West Conference. 

This move is not a surprise; in fact, rumors of talks between Hawaii and the MWC have been floating for about a month now. 

The MWC has lost its three most successful programs over the course of the last year.

Utah has left to join the new Pac-12, BYU has gone independent in football and TCU is joining the Big East.

In response, the MWC has raided the four best teams from the WAC: Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State, and now Hawaii. 

This move may prove to be a death blow to the WAC.

The conference has lost all four teams that finished this year with winning records. The teams that remain are Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Utah State, San Jose State, and New Mexico State.

The WAC will add UT San Antonio and Texas State in all sports, and the University of Denver, which doesn't have a football team.

In order for the WAC to remain a football conference, it must have eight teams.

With Hawaii's departure, that leaves the WAC with seven.

Worse, the WAC doesn't have a standout program now.

It can invite another FCS team and hope that they become the next Boise State, but such things take time and are far from a sure thing. 

What's worse, rumor has it that Utah State is trying to escape the sinking WAC to the MWC as well. 

The fact remains that the MWC will end up as little more than the WAC 2.0.

Air Force is the only team remaining in the MWC with a consistently sturdy program.

San Diego State has been on the rise, but if Brady Hoke gets spirited away to an AQ program, then SDSU would probably sink back to where it was a few years ago. 

At any rate, the conference rearrangement in this region is not yet over. Expect more changes on the horizon!