The Summit League, West Coast Conference, and BIG EAST are the only viable non-football focused conferences that would ever make geographic (or non-geographic, in the BIG EAST’s case) sense for DU. So how could this impact DU? It was highly unlikely that DU would ever return to the WAC and now it is more unlikely than ever with the addition of football. That being said, by becoming more geographically focused, the WAC has likely moved off life support. As it pertains to football at New Mexico State - an FBS Independent since 2018 after getting booted from the Sun Belt Conference - the Aggies will not be dropping down to FCS.Ĭonsidering the cost to operate a football program in today’s athletic environment, it is a surprise that the WAC would take on the additional costs of introducing football at this time. Current WAC member, UTRGV, has submitted the appropriate paperwork to launch a Division I program by 2023 or 2024. WAC football will consist of Abilene Christian, Dixie State, Lamar, Sam Houston State, Southern Utah, Stephen F. With the newest additions, the league will bring back football at the FCS level in the fall of 2022. The West will include California Baptist, Dixie State, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle U, Southern Utah, and Utah Valley. The league will consist of the ‘Southwest Division’ and a ‘West Division.’ The Southwest will be made up of the six schools in Texas: Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, Stephen F.

The WAC will now have the most Texas member schools (6) of any other Division I conference in the country. The Western Athletic Conference January 14, 2021 The news you've all been waiting for! Welcome to the WAC – Abilene Christian University ( Lamar University ( Sam Houston State University ( Southern Utah University ( and Stephen F. Austin State University, and Southern Utah University). The focus on the southwest US geography continued this January when the WAC announcing five new members located in Texas and Utah (Abilene Christian University, Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F.

Last year, the conference added California Baptist and Dixie State (UT). With a tiny athletic budget and broad geography, it was just a matter of time before the Cougars exited the conference. Not surprisingly, struggling Chicago State will exit the WAC effective June 2022. A return to the West Coast Conference, Seattle’s former home, becomes a greater priority as the Redhawks become more geographically isolated and less aligned with fellow WAC member institutions. As the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) adds football, jettisons member Chicago State, adds five new members and becomes more geographically focused, Seattle University becomes even more isolated.

Wac conference new teams