"I think they're just trying to get away from us," Akey joked during WAC football meetings on Monday. "They saw the Vandals getting better and they thought the Mountain West was looking good."

After Akey's joke subsided, WAC commissioner Karl Benson and the conference coaches tried to make it clear the league wasn't a one-trick pony -- that pony being the Broncos. The message was that the conference will survive and be even better in the future despite Boise State's exodus.

"They're a tremendous team, but life will go on," Utah State coach Gary Andersen said. "Trust me. We'll be fine."

The Broncos have captured seven conference titles in their nine-year WAC history and have won two BCS bowl games in the past four years.

While reason might dictate the WAC coaches would be happy to wave goodbye to Boise State -- because it would give their programs a fighting chance at a few titles -- it was the opposite.

"I don't like losing Boise because they are a very good program," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "I think they've done a very good job of representing this conference and we want to play the top teams."

On the surface, Boise State's loss would appear to be a damaging blow to the WAC.

Not only does it remove the face of the WAC, it also leaves the conference with as many teams (four) consistently ranked in the bottom 20 in the nation -- New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, Utah State -- as are ranked in the top 100.

But Benson said the bottom of the conference is growing stronger. He cited the improvements made at Idaho and said nobody thought Boise State would grow so powerful so fast after the WAC invited the team to the conference in 2001.

He anticipated being able to find another unpolished gem to add to the league or watching one of the current WAC teams take the mantle as a nationally relevant program