If the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl contest goes down to the wire like the selection of its participants, it could be a pretty good game.

Just days before the final regular-season college football weekend of the season, the Hawai'i Bowl is still waiting to name its two participants for the Dec. 24 game at Aloha Stadium.

While Nevada (8-3) has locked up a share of the Western Athletic Conference championship, it still waits to see where it will put in an appearance after the WAC's bowl selection/placement committee delayed a decision on placing the Wolf Pack yesterday.

Commissioner Karl Benson said the five-member committee took the action at the request of the Las Vegas Bowl, which would like to match the home state team with Brigham Young (6-5), if the Pac-10 is unable to deliver a representative.

Boise State (9-3), which has also clinched a share of the WAC title, and Fresno State (8-3), which can grab a piece of it with a win against Louisiana Tech (6-4), have already been placed in bowls. Boise State is staying home in the MPC Computers Bowl against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent and Fresno State will play a Conference USA foe in the Liberty Bowl.

Nevada has been earmarked for a C-USA opponent, possibly Memphis (6-5) or Southern Mississippi (6-5), in the Hawai'i Bowl. But the WAC hopes to place all four of its bowl-eligible teams and is looking for a place to send Louisiana Tech, which has so far been the odd team out.

Hawai'i could be that place for Louisiana Tech if the Pac-10 is unable to fulfill its commitment to the Las Vegas Bowl in the event Oregon lands a Bowl Championship Series at-large berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

In addition, the WAC is talking with the Motor City Bowl about placing a team there if an opening remains.

"We definitely haven't closed any doors," Benson said. "It could be a few more days."

Until the Liberty Bowl makes its choice of C-USA teams, the conference is unable to fill the remainder of its bowl lineup, which also includes Central Florida (8-3), Tulsa (6-2), Texas-El Paso (8-3) and Houston (6-5).

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.