Late Morris would have been fan of UNR move

Somewhere Bill "Wildcat" Morris must be smiling.

The former Las Vegas High School and UNR football star and major UNLV booster, who died in 1998 at age 70, loved to watch Nevada's two major colleges battle each other in athletics, especially when they were members of the same conference, the Big West, from 1993 to 1995.

On Wednesday, UNR -- along with fellow Western Athletic Conference school Fresno State -- accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference, effective in either 2011 or 2012. The move puts the rival Wolf Pack and Rebels in the same league again.

UNR president Milton Glick called it a "momentous day" for his school.

Morris would have concurred.

"He would sure be smiling," Jaymie Morris said of her father, Bill, who was selected as the best athlete in 100 years of Wolf Pack sports. "No one loved UNLV and Reno as much as he did. He would be grinning ear to ear."

Jaymie Morris, a major UNR backer and 1983 graduate, quickly pointed out one potential benefit of the Wolf Pack joining the Mountain West.

"Wow. That means we'd play UNLV twice in basketball each year," she said.

It took an act of the Nevada Legislature several years ago to mandate that the rivals meet annually in football, after playing each other only six times in the 1980s. The Wolf Pack have a 20-15 series edge.

George McCabe, a local advertising and public relations executive, was born in Reno, grew up in Las Vegas, graduated from UNR and then moved back to Southern Nevada, where he has lived the past 16 years.

McCabe, a loyal Wolf Pack booster, said before the move became official that he thought having both teams competing in the same conference would intensify the UNR-UNLV rivalry.

"We've been talking about it all day in the office," he said. "I'd love that. It would be wonderful. I don't see a downside."

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.