ARLINGTON, Texas – The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) acknowledges the intention of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to depart the conference effective July 1, 2024.  

“This decision speaks in large part to the growth and overall strength our conference has built in recent years," WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton said. "The WAC has taken many steps in its recent history to raise the profile of the league nationally, and our presidents and athletics directors remain committed to that upward trajectory.  

"The WAC will not waver from our mission of being competitive at the highest level while providing quality resources and experiences for all WAC student-athletes. We acknowledge UT Rio Grande Valley’s contributions to the WAC in helping grow the conference over the past decade.” 

ABOUT THE WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE 
 
With its conference headquarters located in Arlington, Texas, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) has enjoyed longstanding success in collegiate athletics since its formation in 1962 and is currently comprised of 11 full-time member institutions – Abilene Christian University; California Baptist University; Grand Canyon University; Seattle University; Southern Utah University: Stephen F. Austin State University; Tarleton State University; The University of Texas at Arlington; The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Utah Tech University and Utah Valley University. 
  
Presently, the WAC crowns champions in 19 sports – nine men’s and 10 women’s championships. In 1995, the WAC became the first conference nationwide to have an exclusive broadcast contract with ESPN for football and basketball games, forming a partnership that continues to the present day with more than 1,000 WAC-affiliated live games and events available annually on ESPN’s digital and linear platforms. WAC member institutions have won 35 team national championships since the conference’s inception.   

--WAC--