For the University of Idaho athletic department, the wolf always seems to prowling near the door.

Only months after landing a cherished berth in the Western Athletic Conference, UI was slapped with a 161-page report from an advisory committee that suggested the college consider dropping out of NCAA Division I-A athletics. The 26-member Vision and Resources Task Force reasoned that the financially strapped university could save money by returning to the Division I-AA Big Sky Conference.

According to the Associated Press, the report suggested that UI form an athletic committee to monitor sports programs and successes at the Division I-A level and measure the sports department’s ability to meet financial and division membership requirements. Further, the athletic committee was to draw up plans to withdraw from Division I-A if the requirements weren’t met. New UI president Tim White interpreted those suggestions liberally to mean the advisory committee wasn’t recommending that his college drop a notch.

In the past, we’ve seen the wisdom of UI giving up its battle to stay up with Idaho’s Joneses, Boise State, which pummeled the Vandals in their season football opener and is nationally ranked among grid teams. Circumstances, however, changed somewhat when the Western Athletic Conference unanimously voted in June to invite Idaho to become its ninth member in 2005. After almost 10 years of overcoming changing Division I-A rules, playing in two conferences at once and being second-guessed, Idaho finally found an alliance that makes sense.

Although a good argument still can be made for dropping out of Division I-A in light of the current UI budget crunch, Idaho deserves a chance to be successful in the new conference, which, next year, will also feature current Sun Belt schools Utah State and New Mexico State. Sports are part and parcel with a university’s image, spirit and fund-raising ability. Joining the WAC will affect all three areas positively. A game on the road with Fresno State or Hawaii in November will be more interesting to Vandal fans than a home game against Louisiana-Monroe or Middle Tennessee State.

Although several Vandal squads have performed well during their Division I-A incarnation, such as the women’s volleyball and basketball teams, the key to attracting fans, TV exposure and booster donations will be a winning football team. UI’s move to the more prestigious WAC in 2005-06 will be a mixed blessing if the footballers remain a perennial doormat. At this point, the Vandal gridsters appear headed for another disastrous season with a 0-4 start, losing by a combined score of 176-32.

To generate excitement for a program in an outpost like Moscow, a team has to be able to be competitive and occasionally be in the running for a league title. Washington State has maintained a fan base by winning an occasional conference title and appearing regularly in postseason bowl games. If Idaho becomes nothing more than a patsy for Boise State and other WAC opponents, a sports review committee should be in place to holler “uncle” in four or five years and recommend a change to a lesser league.