{"id":420,"date":"2020-11-09T05:59:36","date_gmt":"2020-11-09T05:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/caw-2020\/?page_id=420"},"modified":"2021-01-14T15:45:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T15:45:48","slug":"message-from-the-president","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/wac\/message-from-the-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Message From the President"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Message from
ACU’s president<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Career” _builder_version=”4.7.3″ background_enable_color=”off” custom_margin_tablet=”|0px||” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”45px||45px||false|false” top_divider_height=”14vw” top_divider_repeat=”0.5x” top_divider_flip=”horizontal”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.7.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.5.3″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.7.3″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Roboto|300|||||||” max_width=”800px” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”||0px|||” custom_css_main_element=”font-weight: 400″]<\/p>\n

Abilene Christian \u2013 along with three other current members of the Southland Conference \u2013 has been presented with an opportunity to position our universities for future success with the Western Athletic Conference<\/a>. After considerable study and discussion, and with approval from our Board of Trustees, we have accepted an invitation to become a full member of the WAC, with an expected starting date of July 1, 2021.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The WAC<\/a>, which was chartered in 1962, sponsors championships in 20 sports and has an established reputation for excellence. It also has member institutions in or near some of the nation\u2019s most diverse markets and metropolitan cities, such as Los Angeles, Dallas\/Fort Worth, Phoenix, Seattle and Salt Lake City.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We have had a strong historic interest in the Southland, a conference we co-founded in 1963 and to which we returned in 2013 when ACU transitioned from Division II to Division I athletics. We deeply appreciate those roots and the leadership of its commissioner, Tom Burnett.<\/span><\/p>\n

Division I intercollegiate athletics in the U.S. is an ever-evolving landscape, complicated in 2020 by a pandemic and regulatory, organizational and financial challenges for the future. In many ways, the only constant in years to come may be change itself. So it is imperative we look strategically down the road to a place where we believe Wildcat athletics can thrive and our student-athletes continue to excel while representing ACU.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have realized some amazing benefits of our move seven years ago to Division I. Increased name recognition and brand awareness, media exposure and fan engagement have all contributed to record enrollments, a highly successful Vision in Action initiative, a healthy endowment, and <\/span>U.S. News & World Report<\/span><\/i> rankings positioning us as a respected national leader in student success.<\/span><\/p>\n

The WAC is adding five universities: ACU, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Southern Utah.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ACU, Lamar, SHSU, SFA, Tarleton State and Texas-Rio Grande Valley and will compose a new Southwest Division. A West Division of the WAC will feature California Baptist, Dixie State, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Southern Utah and Utah Valley universities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This realignment and expansion for the WAC means it will become a football-playing conference again for the first time since 2012, with an eventual automatic bid for its league champion to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

WAC teams winning league titles also earn automatic bids to national tournaments in men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball, baseball, softball, women\u2019s soccer, women\u2019s volleyball, and men\u2019s and women\u2019s tennis. The WAC is especially strong in men\u2019s basketball, with its new members bringing recent success and national attention to an already formidable league that regularly earns multiple bids to postseason play.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is truly a diverse conference in every way and one that has adapted and thrived for nearly six decades. But the familiarity we feel with Texas universities among our longtime friends and rivals makes the WAC an extraordinary opportunity for the Wildcats. <\/span><\/p>\n

In summary, these advantages stand out:<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

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