In brief: Don’t expect Buffs until 2012

Colleges: Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott is pessimistic Colorado will be able to leave the Big 12 in time to join the conference before the start of the 2012 football season.

Scott spoke Saturday before the Buffaloes played at California in their first game against a Pac-10 opponent since announcing in June they were leaving the Big 12 for the Pac-10. Cal won 52-7.

Scott said Colorado officials told him negotiations with the Big 12 are ongoing over the buyout for leaving the conference a year early.

“The chances are worse than 50-50,” Scott said. “I don’t know how to rank it beyond that.

“At this stage, we’re planning for them to come in 2012.”

Utah is already set to join the Pac-10 next season. Scott said officials are finalizing plans on an 11-team football schedule if Colorado does not join next season.

Football: The Washington State- Montana State game was supposed to show up on Fox Sports Northwest’s alternate channel, but not so for cable viewers in Spokane.

FSN gave this explanation to WSU officials, who passed it on to us:

It was raining so hard in Crawford, Texas, where they route the signal, that while they could get the signal in, they couldn’t send it out.

Get outta the way! Lummi 119, Wellpinit 74

Prep football: As Wellpinit HS coach Clark Pauls said afterward – “It was pretty much touchdown, kickoff, touchdown, kickoff” – as his team lost to Lummi 119-74 in an 8-man game played in Bellingham.

The game, which Lummi led 83-48 at halftime, ended with 5 minutes left in the third quarter because of the 45-point mercy rule.

Wellpinit returned six kickoffs for scores, with Greg Winecoop scoring four of them. AJ Kieffer had three TD runs over 70-plus yards.

Lummi never punted, but had two turnovers.

It couldn’t be determined Saturday night if the game set any scoring records.

“The chain crew was tired because running up and down the field so much,” said Pauls, who once played in an 84-12 game.

“Even though the game was lopsided, they (Wellpinit) never gave up,” Pauls said.

Keith Kirsch