Western Athletic Conference
(Redirected from WAC)
The WAC is the sixth oldest among the nation’s 11 Division I-A conferences. Its history traces back to July 27, 1962, when the original six-team league of Arizona, Arizona State University, Brigham Young University, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming began competition. Arizona State claimed the league’s first NCAA title when the Sun Devils won the College World Series trophy.
During 2010, the WAC had many announcements of membership changes. Boise State University, which does not field a baseball team would join the Mountain West Conference in 2011-2012. University of Nevada and Fresno State University join the MWC in 2012-2013. University of Hawai'i at Manoa will be joining the Big West Conference (except the football program which will play in the MWC) in the 2012-2013 school year. San Jose State University left for the Mountain West Conference & Louisiana Tech University left for Conference USA after the 2013 season.
University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Texas at Arlington and Texas State University–San Marcos, along with non baseball school University of Denver will be joining the conference in the 2013 season. UT San Antonio and Texas State would then leave after one year to join Conference USA and the Sun Belt Conference, respectively for the 2014 season. UT Arlington would join the Sun Belt Conference for 2014. Seattle University would add a baseball program to coincide with their membership to the WAC for the 2013 season. Dallas Baptist University and California State University, Bakersfield would also accept affiliate membership in the WAC in baseball only beginning in 2013 [1]. Dallas Baptist would leave the WAC after one year and join the Missouri Valley Conference for the 2014 season. Utah Valley University & Chicago State University would join the WAC in 2014.
University of Texas-Pan American would combine with nearby University of Texas at Brownsville and rebrand as University of Texas Rio Grande Valley for 2016. In 2019, California Baptist University would join the WAC. Following the 2020 Covid-shortened season, Chicago State would cut its baseball program and Cal State Bakersfield would move to the Big West Conference. The WAC would go on to add Tarleton State University, & Dixie State University for the 2021 season. Abilene Christian University, Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, & Stephen F. Austin State University would follow for the 2022 season. Lamar would depart after 2022 back to the Southland Conference. Following the 2023 season, New Mexico State University & Sam Houston State University would leave for Conference USA. Stephen F. Austin State University & University of Texas Rio Grande Valley would leave the WAC after the 2024 season for the Southland Conference. 2025 would be the last year in the WAC for Grand Canyon University who will join the Mountain West Conference & Seattle University who is joining the West Coast Conference.
California Baptist University, Utah Valley University, and California State University, Sacramento will all join the Big West Conference following the 2026 season. Utah Tech University and Southern Utah University will join the Big Sky Conference for all sports at the same time.
The WAC had merged its football league with the Atlantic Sun Conference to form the United Athletic Conference beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. On June 26, 2025, the WAC announced that the three remaining schools (all in Texas) of the WAC would merge with five schools from the A-Sun under the UAC banner for all sports beginning in 2026-2027. The now all-sports conference would retain the WAC's automatic postseason bids. This would mark the end of the Western Athletic Conference after more than 60 years.
2026 Schools[edit]
- Abilene Christian University
- California Baptist University
- California State University, Sacramento
- Tarleton State University
- University of Texas at Arlington
- Utah Tech University
- Utah Valley University
- Southern Utah University (dropped baseball 2012)
Former Schools[edit]
- Air Force, (1981-1999)
- University of Arizona, (1963-1978)
- Arizona State University, (1963-1978)
- Brigham Young University, (1963-1999)
- Cal State Bakersfield, (2013-2020)
- Fresno State, (1993-2012)
- Chicago State University, (2014-2022; dropped baseball after 2020)
- Colorado State University, (1968-1999; dropped baseball after 1992)
- Grand Canyon University, (1995-1998, 2014-2025)
- University of Hawai'i, (1980-2012)
- Lamar University, (2022)
- Louisiana Tech University, (2002-2013)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, (1997-1999)
- University of Nevada, Reno, (2001-2012)
- University of New Mexico, (1963-1999)
- New Mexico State University, (2006-2023)
- Rice University, (1997-2005)
- San Diego State University, (1979-1999)
- Sam Houston State University, (2022-2023)
- San Jose State University, (1997-2013)
- Seattle University, (2013-2025)
- Stephen F. Austin State University (2022-2024)
- Texas Christian University, (1997-2001)
- University of Texas at El Paso, (1968-2005; dropped baseball after 1985)
- University of Texas-Pan American, (2014-2015)
- University of Texas at San Antonio, (2013)
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2016-2024)
- Texas State University, (2013)
- University of Utah, (1963-1999)
- University of Wyoming, (1962-1999; dropped baseball after 1996)
Boise State University, University of Denver, University of Idaho, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Southern Methodist University, University of Tulsa, & Utah State University all played in the WAC but did not support baseball.
Conference Baseball Champions[edit]
Sources: Western Athletic Conference & Wikipedia
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