Western Athletic Conference

Western Athletic Conference
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Name	Western Athletic Conference
Founded	1962
Association	NCAA
Division	Division I
Subdivision	FBS
Region	Western United States

Western Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with a history of membership realignment among institutions such as Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Wyoming, and San Diego State University. The conference has been associated with postseason competitions including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, the College Football Playoff, the NIT, the Bowl Championship Series, and the Camellia Bowl, and has undergone several reorganizations involving leagues like the Mountain West Conference, the Big West Conference, the Sun Belt Conference, the Pac-12 Conference, and the Conference USA.

History

The conference was founded in 1962 at a meeting that included representatives from Brigham Young University, University of New Mexico, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Utah, and University of Wyoming and was shaped by regional shifts tied to schools such as San Diego State University, Fresno State, San Jose State University, UNLV, and Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. During the 1970s and 1980s the league saw growth and national exposure through members like UCLA-adjacent recruits and opponents including University of Southern California, influencing moves to conferences such as the Pac-10 Conference and triggering alignments that involved Big Sky Conference institutions, Western Kentucky University, Boise State University, and Colorado State University. The 1990s and 2000s brought television deals and bowl tie-ins negotiated with networks like ESPN, ABC Sports, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports Net, precipitating departures to the Mountain West Conference, Big 12 Conference, and other leagues featuring schools such as TCU, Arizona State University, University of Colorado, University of Texas, and Oklahoma State University. Realignment in the 2010s included arrivals from Grand Canyon University, Seattle University, Utah Valley University, California State University, Bakersfield, and departures to Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA, with playoff and championship implications tied to events such as the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four and the College Football Playoff selection processes.

Member schools

Current and historical institutions associated with the conference include Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Utah, University of New Mexico, University of Wyoming, San Diego State University, Fresno State, Boise State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Texas Christian University, University of Tulsa, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Texas at San Antonio, California State University, Fullerton, Seattle University, Grand Canyon University, Utah State University, University of Texas at El Paso, University of North Texas, Stephen F. Austin State University, Sam Houston State University, New Mexico State University, Florida International University, Marshall University, Old Dominion University, Coastal Carolina University, James Madison University, Monmouth University, and Chicago State University. Affiliate memberships and sport-specific associations have included West Coast Conference schools and institutions from Big West Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, and ASUN Conference footprints.

Sports sponsored

The conference sponsors a range of NCAA sports contested by member institutions, including NCAA championships in men's basketball and women's basketball that feed into the NCAA Tournament and the Women's Basketball Tournament, football competition that impacts bowl placements for games like the New Mexico Bowl and the Armed Forces Bowl, and Olympic sports such as track and field, swimming and diving, baseball, softball, volleyball, and soccer. Programs often schedule nonconference matchups against teams from the Pac-12 Conference, Big 12 Conference, SEC, ACC, and Big Ten Conference to improve strength of schedule ahead of NCAA selection committee evaluations and postseason bids for events like the College World Series.

Championships and honors

Conference championships have been awarded in sports including football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, and track and field, with automatic NCAA bids impacting participation in the NCAA Tournament, the College World Series, and the NCAA Women's College World Series. Individual honors have included conference Player of the Year awards, Coach of the Year recognitions, and all-conference team selections that have spotlighted athletes who progressed to professional leagues such as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and National Women's Soccer League franchises. Historic award winners intersect with national honors like the Heisman Trophy, the Naismith College Player of the Year, and Pitcher of the Year recognitions through careers that passed through institutions linked to the conference.

Media coverage and revenue

Television and streaming agreements have connected the conference to broadcasters such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, NBC Sports Network, Pac-12 Networks, and digital platforms including ESPN+ and conference-operated feeds, influencing revenue distributions for member institutions like Fresno State, Boise State University, San Diego State University, and New Mexico State University. Media rights negotiations have been driven by metrics tracked by entities like Nielsen, sponsorships with corporations such as Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and bowl contracts with organizations like the Bowl Championship Series era partners, affecting budgets for athletic departments at schools including Utah State University, Grand Canyon University, Seattle University, and Stephen F. Austin State University.

Rivalries and notable events

Traditional rivalries connected to the conference era include matchups between BYU-area programs and regional opponents like University of Utah, contests involving UNLV and San Diego State University, and historical basketball rivalries featuring Fresno State versus Boise State University and Nevada. Notable events tied to the conference past and present include conference tournament finals held at neutral sites, upsets in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against Duke University and University of Kentucky powerhouses, postseason bowl victories in games such as the Las Vegas Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl, coaching milestones achieved by figures associated with Steve Fisher, Jerry Tarkanian, Bill Self, Brian Dutcher, and John Calipari during intersections with conference play, and landmark realignment announcements that affected national landscapes highlighted by institutions moving to the Pac-12 Conference, Big 12 Conference, and Mountain West Conference.

Category:College athletic conferences in the United States