About the Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is committed to providing student-athletes an exemplary university experience on and off the field of play. With high standards of integrity at the core of its athletic and academic excellence, the WAC’s goal is to unlock the potential of the nation’s premier student-athletes and to prepare them to become the leaders of the future.
The conference has member institutions in or near some of the nation’s most diverse markets and largest metropolitan cities, including Los Angeles (#2), Dallas/Fort Worth (#5), Phoenix (#11), Seattle (#13) and Salt Lake City (#30).
The WAC hosts championships in:
Baseball
Cross country (men’s and women’s)
Soccer (men’s and women’s)
Swimming and diving (men’s and women’s)
Track and field – indoor (men’s and women’s)
Volleyball
Basketball (men’s and women’s)
Golf (men’s and women’s)
Softball
Tennis (men’s and women’s)
Track and field – outdoor (men’s and women’s)
WAC championship teams earn automatic NCAA Tournament bids in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s tennis.
The Western Athletic Conference was established July 27, 1962, as a six-team league including Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
member institutions
Abilene Christian
Location: Abilene, TX
Enrollment: 5,293
Mascot: Wildcats
acusports.com
California Baptist
Location: Riverside, CA
Enrollment: 11,045
Mascot: Lancers
cbulancers.com
Dixie State
Grand Canyon
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Enrollment: 22,000
Mascot: Lopes
gculopes.com
Lamar
New Mexico State
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Enrollment: 14,289
Mascot: Aggies
nmstatesports.com
Sam Houston
Location: Huntsville, TX
Enrollment: 20,477
Mascot: Bearkats
gobearkats.com
Seattle
Southern Utah
Location: Cedar City, UT
Enrollment: 12,582
Mascot: Thunderbirds
suutbirds.com
Stephen F. Austin
Location: Nacogdoches, TX
Enrollment: 12,620
Mascot: Lumberjacks
sfajacks.com
Tarleton State
Location: Stephenville, TX
Enrollment: 13,316
Mascot: Texans
tarletonsports.com
Texas - Rio Grande Valley
Location: Edinburg, TX
Enrollment: 32,618
Mascot: Vaqueros
goutrgv.com
WAC Southwest Division
Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Texas-Rio Grande Valley
WAC West Division
California Baptist, Dixie State, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Southern Utah, Utah Valley
WAC affiliate institutions
Air Force
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Enrollment: 4,413
Mascot: Falcons
goairforcefalcons.com
Houston Baptist
Location: Houston, TX
Enrollment: 2,567
Mascot: Huskies
hbuhuskies.com
Idaho
Location: Moscow, ID
Enrollment: 12,312
Mascot: Vandals
govandals.com
Incarnate Word
Location: San Antonio, TX
Enrollment: 8,455
Mascot: Cardinals
uiwcardinals.com
Nevada-Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Enrollment: 29,069
Mascot: Rebels
unlvrebels.com
Northern Arizona
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Enrollment: 18,824
Mascot: Lumberjacks
nauathletics.com
Northern Colorado
Location: Greeley, CO
Enrollment: 10,097
Mascot: Bears
uncbears.com
Sacramento State
Location: Sacramento, CA
Enrollment: 27,972
Mascot: Hornets
hornetsports.com
San Jose State
Location: San Jose, CA
Enrollment: 30,448
Mascot: Spartans
sjsuspartans.com
NCAA Division I team championships won by WAC members
The following teams have won NCAA Division I national championships while a member of the WAC:
Arizona – baseball (1976)
Arizona State – baseball (1965, 1967, 1969, 1977)
Brigham Young – men’s track and field (shared the national title in 1970)
Brigham Young – men’s golf (1981)
Brigham Young – women’s cross country (1997)
Brigham Young – women’s cross country (1997)
Fresno State – softball (1998)
Fresno State – baseball (2008)
Rice – baseball (2003)
UNLV – men’s golf (1998)
UTEP – men’s cross country (1969, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981)
UTEP – men’s indoor track and field (1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982)
UTEP – men’s outdoor track and field (1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982)
The WAC also produced one Associated Press national champion in football:
Brigham Young (1984)
In men’s basketball, the WAC has sent at least two teams to the NCAA Tournament in 28 of the past 45 seasons. In women’s basketball, the WAC has had at least two teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament 10 times in 28 seasons, with a record five teams in 1998.
In baseball, the conference has boasted two national champions since 2003. The WAC also sent teams to three BCS football bowl games from 2007-10.
Former full WAC member institutions
Air Force (1980-99), Arizona (1962-78), Arizona State (1962-78), Boise State (2001-11); Brigham Young (1962-99), Cal State-Bakersfield (2013-20), Fresno State (1992-2012), Colorado State (1968-99), Denver (2012-13), Hawai’i-Manoa (1979-2012), Idaho (2005-14), Louisiana Tech (2001-13), Missouri-Kansas City (2013-20), Nevada-Reno (2000-12), New Mexico (1962-99), Rice University (1996-2005), San Diego State (1978-99), San Jose State (1996-2013), SMU (1996-2005), Texas-Arlington (2012-13), TCU (1996-2001), Texas State (2012-13), Texas-San Antonio (2012-13), Tulsa (1996-2005), UNLV (1996-99), Utah (1962-99), Utah State (2005-13), UTEP (1968-2005), and Wyoming (1962-99)