ARLINGTON, Texas – Rebekah Ray, who has served as the Interim Commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) since October of 2024, has been unanimously appointed as the eighth full-time Commissioner in Conference history.

"I am honored to accept the appointment from the WAC Board of Directors as Commissioner," Ray said. "The WAC has been resilient for over 60 years in the Division I college athletics space and is committed to rebuilding. Coming out of a productive Board meeting during the WAC Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas, our leadership is dedicated to innovative strategies to elevate the Conference, while prioritizing quality experiences for our student-athletes."
 
Ray originally joined the WAC staff in August of 2022 as the Senior Associate Commissioner, Sport Administration and Championships, along with being the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) of the Conference. Ray’s responsibilities included oversight over all WAC Championships and serving as the primary Conference administrator for a variety of WAC-sponsored sports, and as a liaison to the WAC Board of Directors.

Ray arrived at the WAC after spending the previous eight years at Seattle University, where she was the Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations and SWA. Ray oversaw internal operations including department communication, capital projects, equipment, game operations and facility maintenance, as well as game scheduling. While at Seattle U, Ray also represented the university on the WAC Cabinet, Sport Management Committee and Medical Advisory Committee.  
The following statement is from Dr. James Hurley, President of Tarleton State University and Chair of the Western Athletic Conference Board of Directors.

“We are thrilled today to officially name Rebekah Ray the eighth Commissioner in the storied history of the WAC. Rebekah’s exceptional leadership has been on full display over the past five months serving in the interim role. As a longtime on-campus administrator who made the move to the Conference office three years ago, Rebekah has the experience, creativity and drive to lead the WAC into the future.”

The following statement is from Mindy Benson, President of Southern Utah University and a member of the Western Athletic Conference Board of Directors.

“We are excited to appoint Rebekah Ray as the first female Commissioner of the WAC. During this transitional time in college athletics, Rebekah’s standing as a strong leader in the industry provides the Conference with a great foundational pillar to inspire continued growth. On behalf of the WAC Board of Directors, we look forward to working with Rebekah to chart the course for our membership.”