MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) - The losses kept piling up for the Idaho football team, even during the offseason.

Both the Mountain West and the Sun Belt conferences rejected the Vandals' request for membership. Meanwhile, other football programs bailed out of the Western Athletic Conference.

That left the future of the Idaho football program uncertain, as after this season the WAC football roster would consist only of the Vandals and New Mexico State.

Idaho officials last week announced that the Vandals will remain in the top division of college football, but after this season will compete as an independent. Athletic director Rob Spear acknowledged the challenge that poses in scheduling games, and said he hoped it only lasted for two years before the Vandals were invited to join a conference.