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The Western Athletic Conference (WAC, IPA
IPA chart for English

This concise chart shows the most common applications of the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent English language pronunciations.See Pronunciation respelling for English for phonetic transcriptions used in different dictionaries....
: ['wæk]) was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A). The WAC covers a broad expanse of the Western United States
Western United States

The Western United States—commonly referred to as the American West or simply The West—traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost U.S....
, with member institutions located in California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
, Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
, Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, Louisiana
Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
, Nevada
Nevada

Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....
, New Mexico
New Mexico

New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....
, and Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
.

WAC formed out of a series of talks between Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University , located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a Private education, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
 President Edwin Kimball and other university administrators from 1958 to 1961 to form a new athletic conference that would better fit the needs and situations of certain universities which were at the time members of the Border
Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association

The Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association , an National Collegiate Athletic Association-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931, was disbanded following the 1961-1962 season....
, Skyline and Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast Conference

The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-10 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis and scandal....
 Conferences.






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The Western Athletic Conference (WAC, IPA
IPA chart for English

This concise chart shows the most common applications of the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent English language pronunciations.See Pronunciation respelling for English for phonetic transcriptions used in different dictionaries....
: ['wæk]) was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A). The WAC covers a broad expanse of the Western United States
Western United States

The Western United States—commonly referred to as the American West or simply The West—traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost U.S....
, with member institutions located in California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
, Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
, Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, Louisiana
Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
, Nevada
Nevada

Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....
, New Mexico
New Mexico

New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....
, and Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
.

History


Formation

The WAC formed out of a series of talks between Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University , located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a Private education, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
 President Edwin Kimball and other university administrators from 1958 to 1961 to form a new athletic conference that would better fit the needs and situations of certain universities which were at the time members of the Border
Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association

The Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association , an National Collegiate Athletic Association-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931, was disbanded following the 1961-1962 season....
, Skyline and Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast Conference

The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-10 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis and scandal....
 Conferences. Potential member universities who were represented at the meetings included Brigham Young, Washington State
Washington State University

Washington State University is an American public school research university in Pullman, Washington, Washington. WSU is the state's largest Land-grant university university and offers more than 200 fields of study....
, Oregon
University of Oregon

The University of Oregon is a State university, coeducational research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The second oldest public university in the state, and the flagship school of the Oregon public university system, UO was founded in 1876, and graduated its first class two years later....
, Oregon State
Oregon State University

Oregon State University is a coeducational, public university research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities....
, Utah
University of Utah

The University of Utah is a public university research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of ten institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education and Utah's premier research school currently enrolls 21,526 undergraduate and 6,684 graduate student students and has 1,419 regular Faculty members....
, New Mexico
University of New Mexico

The University of New Mexico is a public university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico, USA. It was founded in 1889. It offers multiple bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs in all areas of the arts, sciences, and engineering....
, Arizona
University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is a land-grant and Space grant colleges Public university institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States....
, Arizona State
Arizona State University

Arizona State University is the largest public university research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of 67,082 as of fall 2008....
, and Wyoming
University of Wyoming

The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie Mountains and Snowy Range mountains....
. While the three Washington and Oregon schools elected to stay in a revamped Pac-8 Conference that replaced the scandal-plagued PCC, the remaining six schools formed the WAC, forcing the disbandment of the Border and Skyline conferences. New Mexico State
New Mexico State University

New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as the Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became "New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts." It received its present name, New Mexico State...
 and Utah State
Utah State University

Utah State University is a Public university land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H....
 applied for charter membership and were turned down; they would eventually become WAC members 43 years later.

Charter members
  • University of Arizona
    University of Arizona

    The University of Arizona is a land-grant and Space grant colleges Public university institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States....
     (withdrew June 30, 1978 to join the Pacific-10 Conference)
  • Arizona State University
    Arizona State University

    Arizona State University is the largest public university research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of 67,082 as of fall 2008....
     (withdrew June 30, 1978 to join the Pacific-10 Conference)
  • Brigham Young University
    Brigham Young University

    Brigham Young University , located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a Private education, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
     (withdrew June 30, 1999 to form the Mountain West Conference
    Mountain West Conference

    The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
    )
  • University of New Mexico
    University of New Mexico

    The University of New Mexico is a public university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico, USA. It was founded in 1889. It offers multiple bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs in all areas of the arts, sciences, and engineering....
     (withdrew June 30, 1999 to form the Mountain West Conference
    Mountain West Conference

    The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
    )
  • University of Utah
    University of Utah

    The University of Utah is a public university research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of ten institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education and Utah's premier research school currently enrolls 21,526 undergraduate and 6,684 graduate student students and has 1,419 regular Faculty members....
     (withdrew June 30, 1999 to form the Mountain West Conference
    Mountain West Conference

    The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
    )
  • University of Wyoming
    University of Wyoming

    The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie Mountains and Snowy Range mountains....
     (withdrew June 30, 1999 to form the Mountain West Conference
    Mountain West Conference

    The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
    )


Success and first expansion

The conference proved to be an almost perfect fit for the six schools from both a competitive and financial standpoint. Arizona
University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is a land-grant and Space grant colleges Public university institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States....
 and Arizona State
Arizona State University

Arizona State University is the largest public university research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of 67,082 as of fall 2008....
, in particular, experienced success in baseball
Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport of nine players each. The goal of baseball is to score run by hitting a thrown Baseball with a baseball bat and touching a series of four markers called base arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team take turns hitting against...
 with Arizona
University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is a land-grant and Space grant colleges Public university institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States....
 garnering the 1963 College World Series
College World Series

The College World Series or CWS is a baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion....
 runner-up trophy and ASU
Arizona State University

Arizona State University is the largest public university research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of 67,082 as of fall 2008....
 winning the CWS
College World Series

The College World Series or CWS is a baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion....
 in 1965, 1967, and 1969. UTEP
University of Texas at El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso, popularly known as UTEP, is a state university , co-education university, and it is a member of the University of Texas System....
, recently renamed from Texas Western College, and Colorado State
Colorado State University

Colorado State University is a public institution of higher learning located in Fort Collins, Colorado, Colorado in the United States. Colorado State University is the state's Morrill Act university and the flagship campus university of the Colorado State University System....
 joined in 1967 to bring membership up to eight.

With massive growth in the state of Arizona
Arizona

The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
, the balance of WAC play in the 1970s became increasingly skewed in favor of the Arizona schools, who won or tied for all but two WAC football titles from 1969 onward. In the summer of 1978, the two schools left the WAC for the Pac-8, which became the Pac-10, and were replaced in the WAC by San Diego State
San Diego State University

San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system....
 and, one year later, Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii. The school is located in Manoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, approximately three miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu and one mile from Ala Moana and Waik...
. The WAC further expanded by adding Air Force
United States Air Force Academy

The United States Air Force Academy , is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado in El Paso County, Colorado, Colorado, United States....
 in the summer of 1980. A college football national championship won by BYU
Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University , located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a Private education, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
 in 1984 added to the WAC's reputation as the best of the so-called mid-major
Mid-major

Mid-major is a term mainly used in United States college basketball and college football, to describe schools not affiliated with a conference whose football teams possess automatic bids to the Bowl Championship Series....
 conferences. The nine-team lineup of the WAC defined the conference for nearly 15 years.

Second wave of expansion and turbulence

Fresno State
California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, California, United States....
 expanded its athletic program in the early 1990s and was granted membership in 1992 as the nationwide trend against major college programs independent of conferences accelerated. The WAC merged with the High Country Athletic Conference, a parallel organization to the WAC for women's athletics, in 1990 to unify both men's and women's athletics under one administrative structure.

In 1996, the demise of the scandal-plagued Southwest Conference
Southwest Athletic Conference

The Southwest Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States from 1914 to 1996. It consisted of schools in the states of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas....
 set off a chain reaction that affected conferences nationwide and the WAC was no exception. Rice
Rice University

William Marsh Rice University is a private university research university located in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. The campus is located near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center....
, TCU
Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University is a private university, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, Texas. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Christian Church ....
, and SMU
Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University is a private university, coeducational university in University Park, Texas, Texas . Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU currently operates campuses in University Park, Plano, Texas, and Taos, New Mexico....
 from the disbanded SWC were admitted into the WAC, along with San José State
San José State University

San Jos? State University is the founding campus of what became the California State University system. The sprawling 154-acre campus in the center of Silicon Valley has an enrollment of about 30,000 students and provides more graduates working in the high tech region than any other college or university....
 and UNLV
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a state university , co-education university located in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America, known for its programs in History, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Hotel administration, Fine Arts, and Management Information Systems....
 from the Big West Conference
Big West Conference

The Big West Conference is an National Collegiate Athletic Association-affiliated Division I major college athletic conference that formerly sponsored Division I-A college football, through the 2000 season....
 as well as Tulsa
University of Tulsa

The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is currently ranked 83rd among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by the Princeton Review....
 from the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference

The Missouri Valley Conference is a list of college athletic conferences whose members are located in the midwestern United States. The conference participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I....
 to bring WAC membership to sixteen universities in two divisions.

To help in organizing schedules and travel for the farflung league, the members were divided into four quadrants of four teams each, as follows:
Quadrant 1 Quadrant 2 Quadrant 3 Quadrant 4
Hawaii UNLV BYU Tulsa
Fresno State Air Force Utah TCU
San Diego State Colorado State New Mexico SMU
San José State Wyoming UTEP Rice


Quadrant one was always part of the Pacific Division, and quadrant four was always part of the Mountain Division. Quadrant two was part of the Pacific Division for 1996 and 1997 before switching to the Mountain Division in 1998, while the reverse was true for quadrant three. The scheduled fourth year of the alignment was abandoned after eight schools left to form the Mountain West Conference.

The division champions in football met from 1996 to 1998 in a championship game at Sam Boyd Stadium
Sam Boyd Stadium

Sam Boyd Stadium is a American football stadium located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The stadium is named after Sam Boyd, a major figure in the hotel/casino industry in Las Vegas....
 (also known as the Silver Bowl) in Henderson, Nevada
Henderson, Nevada

Henderson is a city in Clark County, Nevada, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area; it is located mainly to the southeast. The population was estimated at 249,386 by the 2007 United States Census Bureau....
. ABC televised all three games.

Increasingly, this arrangement was not satisfactory to most of the older, pre-1990 members. Five members in particular (Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Utah and Wyoming) felt that WAC expansion had compromised the athletic and academic excellence of the membership. Additional concerns centered around finances, as the new league stretched from Hawaii to Oklahoma and travel costs became a concern. In 1999, those five schools, along with old line WAC schools New Mexico and San Diego State, as well as newcomer UNLV, would split off and form the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference

The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
, depriving the WAC of most of its competitive strength and almost all of its history (in addition to its 4 remaining charter members). Only UTEP and Hawaii would remain from the WAC's "golden age," and UTEP ultimately ended up leaving the WAC as well.

Today's WAC


Since 1999, WAC membership has been in a state of flux. Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno

The University of Nevada, Reno is a university located in Reno, Nevada, USA, and includes programs in agricultural research, journalism, animal biotechnology, mining-related engineering, and natural sciences, such as Seismology....
 of the Big West
Big West Conference

The Big West Conference is an National Collegiate Athletic Association-affiliated Division I major college athletic conference that formerly sponsored Division I-A college football, through the 2000 season....
 joined in its plan to upgrade its athletic program in 2000. TCU left for Conference USA
Conference USA

Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a list of college athletic conferences whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States....
 in 2001 (then rejoined eight former WAC opponents as the ninth member of the Mountain West
Mountain West Conference

The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
 in 2005), while Boise State
Boise State University

Boise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, Idaho, the capital city of the U.S. state of Idaho.Boise State was originally founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
 of the Big West
Big West Conference

The Big West Conference is an National Collegiate Athletic Association-affiliated Division I major college athletic conference that formerly sponsored Division I-A college football, through the 2000 season....
 and independent Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana is a coeducational public institution of higher learning with an enrollment of 10,950 students in the 08-09 year....
 joined the WAC in 2001.

Another large change of membership came in 2005, with the departure of four members to Conference USA
Conference USA

Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a list of college athletic conferences whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States....
: Rice, SMU, Tulsa, and UTEP. Joining the conference were three more universities (all land-grant schools) from the Big West
Big West Conference

The Big West Conference is an National Collegiate Athletic Association-affiliated Division I major college athletic conference that formerly sponsored Division I-A college football, through the 2000 season....
 — Idaho
University of Idaho

The University of Idaho is Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow, Idaho in Latah County, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant university and primary research university....
, Utah State
Utah State University

Utah State University is a Public university land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H....
, and New Mexico State (ex-Big West). When the Big West announced that it would drop football after the 2000 season, there were four members that wanted to continue their football programs. Boise State was invited to join the WAC and promptly departed, but UI, NMSU, and USU were left without a football conference in 2001. NMSU joined the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference

The Sun Belt Conference is a list of college athletic conferences that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I since 1976 in sports....
 as a full-time member, but UI and USU remained in the Big West. Idaho joined the distant Sun Belt as a "football only" member in 2001 while Utah State operated as a football independent for two seasons. USU found scheduling extremely difficult, and it joined Idaho as a "football only" member of the Sun Belt in 2003.

Membership timeline


Current members (and year joined)

InstitutionNicknameLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentJoinedEndowment
Boise State University
Boise State University

Boise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, Idaho, the capital city of the U.S. state of Idaho.Boise State was originally founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
Broncos
Boise State Broncos

The Boise State Broncos are the official athletic program of Boise State University. The Broncos compete in a wide variety of sports. Perhaps the most well-known of these sports is the football program....
Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho

Boise is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Idaho. Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho as well as the county seat of Ada County, Idaho....
1932Public19,5002001$61 million
Fresno State University
California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, California, United States....
Bulldogs
Fresno State Bulldogs

The Fresno State Bulldogs represent California State University, Fresno in 16 NCAA Division I sports. The teams have been members of the Western Athletic Conference since 1992....
Fresno, California
Fresno, California

Fresno is a city in California, USA, the county seat of Fresno County, California, and the second largest inland city in the state, after San Jose, California....
1911Public (California State University
California State University

The California State University is one of three public higher education systems in the U.S. state of California, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system....
 system)		21,0001992$86.6 million
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii. The school is located in Manoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, approximately three miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu and one mile from Ala Moana and Waik...
Warriors
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

The University of Hawaii Warriors, University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, or University of Hawaii Rainbows are the team names of the men's sports programs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa....
/Rainbow Wahine		Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
1907Public (University of Hawaii System
University of Hawaii

The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, doctoral and post-doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment training center, th...
)		20,5491979$3 billion (UH System)
University of Idaho
University of Idaho

The University of Idaho is Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow, Idaho in Latah County, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant university and primary research university....
Vandals
Idaho Vandals

The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Idaho. The Vandals participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I FBS in the Western Athletic Conference ....
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the county seat of Latah County, Idaho and the home of the University of Idaho, the Land-grant university institution and primary research university for the state....
1889Public13,0002005$143.5 million
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana is a coeducational public institution of higher learning with an enrollment of 10,950 students in the 08-09 year....
Bulldogs/Lady Techsters
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs is the name given to Louisiana Tech University men's athletic teams, and the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters is the name given to the women's athletic teams....
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston, Louisiana

Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 United States Census....
1894Public (University of Louisiana System
University of Louisiana System

The University of Louisiana System is one of four public University systems in the U.S. state of Louisiana.Since its formation in 1974, the University of Louisiana System, one of the nation's twenty largest public systems of higher education, has provided access to higher education through its eight universities located throughout the state...
)		11,7102001$39.1 million
University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada, Reno

The University of Nevada, Reno is a university located in Reno, Nevada, USA, and includes programs in agricultural research, journalism, animal biotechnology, mining-related engineering, and natural sciences, such as Seismology....
Wolf PackReno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada

Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, Nevada, United States. A 2006 estimate indicated that the city's population had increased to 214,853, but ranked Reno as the third largest city in the state following Las Vegas, Nevada, and Henderson, Nevada....
1874Public (Nevada System of Higher Education
Nevada System of Higher Education

The Nevada System of Higher Education was formed in 1968 to oversee all state-supported higher education in the United States state of Nevada....
)		15,5882000$240 million
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University

New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as the Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became "New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts." It received its present name, New Mexico State...
Aggies
New Mexico State Aggies

New Mexico State University's teams are called the Aggies, a nickname derived from the university's agricultural beginnings. Since 2005, they have competed in the Western Athletic Conference....
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Las Cruces is a city in Do?a Ana County, New Mexico, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city had a total population of 74,267....
1888Public16,4152005$74.3 million
San José State University
San José State University

San Jos? State University is the founding campus of what became the California State University system. The sprawling 154-acre campus in the center of Silicon Valley has an enrollment of about 30,000 students and provides more graduates working in the high tech region than any other college or university....
Spartans
San José State Spartans

The San Jos? State Spartans are the names of the athletic teams representing San Jos? State University. SJSU sports teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference or WAC in National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I level....
San José, California
San Jose, California

San Jose or San Jos? is the List of cities in California city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States....
1857Public (California State University
California State University

The California State University is one of three public higher education systems in the U.S. state of California, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system....
 system)		28,9321996$50.1 million
Utah State University
Utah State University

Utah State University is a Public university land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H....
AggiesLogan, Utah
Logan, Utah

Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, Utah, in the United States. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city population was 42,670, a substantial increase over the 1990 figure of 32,771....
1888Public (Utah System of Higher Education
Utah System of Higher Education

The Utah State Board of Regents was formed in 1969 as a governing body for the Utah System of Higher Education. It is made up of the College of Eastern Utah, Dixie State College of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, Snow College, Southern Utah University, the University of Utah, Utah College of Applied Technology, Utah State University, Utah...
)		23,1282005$110.3 million


Associate members

  • Sacramento State Hornets (baseball/women's gymnastics)
    California State University, Sacramento

    California State University, Sacramento is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California, California. It is part of the California State University system....
  • Cal State Fullerton Titans (women's gymnastics)
    California State University, Fullerton

    California State University, Fullerton, commonly known as CSUF, CSU Fullerton, or Cal State Fullerton, is currently the second largest California State University campus....
  • Cal State Northridge Matadors (indoor/outdoor track and field)
    California State University, Northridge

    California State University, Northridge is a public university in the San Fernando Valley, within the city limits of Los Angeles, California, United States....
  • Southern Utah Lady Thunderbirds (women's gymnastics)
    Southern Utah University

    Southern Utah University, or SUU, is located in Cedar City, Utah. It was founded in 1897 as an extension of the Utah teacher training school by the citizens of Cedar City....
  • Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (women's swimming & diving)
    Northern Arizona University

    Northern Arizona University is a public university in Flagstaff, Arizona in the United States.The university's mission is to provide an outstanding undergraduate residential education strengthened by research, graduate and professional programs, and sophisticated methods of distance delivery....
  • San Diego Toreros (women's swimming & diving)
    University of San Diego

    The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic Church university in San Diego, California, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor?s degree, master's degree, and doctorate programs....


Sports

The WAC crowns team and individual champions in 19 sports – 8 men’s and 11 women’s.

Men's sports
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • Indoor track and field
  • Outdoor track and field


Women's sports
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Golf
  • Gymnastics
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
  • Indoor track and field
  • Outdoor track and field
  • Volleyball


Former members


1978
  • Arizona
    University of Arizona

    The University of Arizona is a land-grant and Space grant colleges Public university institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States....
     (1962-78)
  • Arizona State
    Arizona State University

    Arizona State University is the largest public university research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of 67,082 as of fall 2008....
     (1962-78)


1999
  • BYU
    Brigham Young University

    Brigham Young University , located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a Private education, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
     (1962-99)
  • New Mexico
    University of New Mexico

    The University of New Mexico is a public university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico, USA. It was founded in 1889. It offers multiple bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs in all areas of the arts, sciences, and engineering....
     (1962-99)
  • Utah
    University of Utah

    The University of Utah is a public university research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of ten institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education and Utah's premier research school currently enrolls 21,526 undergraduate and 6,684 graduate student students and has 1,419 regular Faculty members....
     (1962-99)
  • Wyoming
    University of Wyoming

    The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie Mountains and Snowy Range mountains....
     (1962-99)
  • Colorado State
    Colorado State University

    Colorado State University is a public institution of higher learning located in Fort Collins, Colorado, Colorado in the United States. Colorado State University is the state's Morrill Act university and the flagship campus university of the Colorado State University System....
     (1967-99)
  • San Diego State
    San Diego State University

    San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system....
     (1978-99)
  • Air Force
    United States Air Force Academy

    The United States Air Force Academy , is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado in El Paso County, Colorado, Colorado, United States....
     (1980-99)
  • UNLV
    University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a state university , co-education university located in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America, known for its programs in History, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Hotel administration, Fine Arts, and Management Information Systems....
     (1996-99)


2001
  • TCU
    Texas Christian University

    Texas Christian University is a private university, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, Texas. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Christian Church ....
     (1996-2001)


2005
  • UTEP
    University of Texas at El Paso

    The University of Texas at El Paso, popularly known as UTEP, is a state university , co-education university, and it is a member of the University of Texas System....
     (1967-2005)
  • Rice
    Rice University

    William Marsh Rice University is a private university research university located in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. The campus is located near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center....
     (1996-2005)
  • SMU
    Southern Methodist University

    Southern Methodist University is a private university, coeducational university in University Park, Texas, Texas . Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU currently operates campuses in University Park, Plano, Texas, and Taos, New Mexico....
     (1996-2005)
  • Tulsa
    University of Tulsa

    The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is currently ranked 83rd among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by the Princeton Review....
     (1996-2005)


Of the former members:
  • Two (Arizona and Arizona State) are currently members of the Pac-10.
  • Four (Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UTEP) are in Conference USA
    Conference USA

    Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a list of college athletic conferences whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States....
    .
  • The remaining nine make up the current membership of the Mountain West Conference
    Mountain West Conference

    The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
     (TCU was in Conference USA from July 2001 through June 2005 before joining the Mountain West).


Conference facilities

SchoolFootball stadiumCapacityBasketball arenaCapacityBaseball stadiumCapacity
Full Members
Boise StateBronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium

Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the Boise State Broncos football of the Western Athletic Conference....
32,000Taco Bell Arena
Taco Bell Arena

Taco Bell Arena is a multi-purpose/multi-color indoor arena on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. It is the home of the Boise State Broncos of the Western Athletic Conference and its current seating capacity is 12,820 for basketball....
12,380N/A
Fresno StateBulldog Stadium
Bulldog Stadium

Bulldog Stadium is an outdoor American football stadium on the campus of California State University, Fresno in Fresno, California. It is the home field of the California State University, Fresno Bulldogs of the Western Athletic Conference....
41,031Save Mart Center
Save Mart Center

The Save Mart Center at Fresno State is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of the California State University, Fresno, located in Fresno, California....
15,544Beiden Field5,422
HawaiiAloha Stadium
Aloha Stadium

Aloha Stadium is a stadium located in the ?Aiea, Hawaii community of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Currently Aloha Stadium is home to the University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii Warriors football American football team ....
50,000Stan Sheriff Center
Stan Sheriff Center

The Stan Sheriff Center is a 10,300-seat multi-purpose arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Initially named the Special Events Arena in when it opened in 1994, the arena was later named after the late Stan Sheriff, a former UH athletic director who lobbied for its construction....
10,300Les Murakami Stadium
Les Murakami Stadium

Les Murakami Stadium is the baseball stadium at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawaii, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States....
4,312
IdahoKibbie Dome
Kibbie Dome

The ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center is a multi-purpose indoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. It is the home of the Idaho Vandals of the Western Athletic Conference and is used for intercollegiate competition in four sports: American football, basketball, tennis, and athletics ....
16,000Cowan Spectrum
Kibbie Dome

The ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center is a multi-purpose indoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. It is the home of the Idaho Vandals of the Western Athletic Conference and is used for intercollegiate competition in four sports: American football, basketball, tennis, and athletics ....
7,000N/A
Louisiana TechJoe Aillet Stadium
Joe Aillet Stadium

Joe Aillet Stadium is a stadium in Ruston, Louisiana, USA. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech Bulldogs....
30,600Thomas Assembly Center
Thomas Assembly Center

Thomas Assembly Center is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Ruston, Louisiana. It is home to the Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball teams....
8,000J.C. Love Field2,000
NevadaMackay Stadium
Mackay Stadium

Mackay Stadium is an outdoor American football stadium on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno in Reno, Nevada. It is the home field of the Nevada Wolf Pack football of the Western Athletic Conference....
29,993Lawlor Events Center
Lawlor Events Center

Lawlor Events Center is an 11,784-seat multi-purpose arena in Reno, Nevada, located at the intersection of North Virginia Street and 15th Street on the University of Nevada, Reno campus....
11,784William Peccole Park
William Peccole Park

William Peccole Park is a stadium in Reno, Nevada. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Reno Silver Sox minor league baseball team of the independent Golden Baseball League and University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack baseball team....
3,000
New Mexico StateAggie Memorial Stadium
Aggie Memorial Stadium

Aggie Memorial Stadium is an outdoor American football stadium on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It is the home field of the New Mexico State University Aggies of the Western Athletic Conference....
30,343Pan American Center
Pan American Center

The Pan American Center is a multi-purpose arena in Las Cruces, New Mexico, located on the campus of New Mexico State University. The arena has a current seating capacity of 12,482 and serves as home of the New Mexico State Aggies Men?s and Women?s Basketball and Women?s Volleyball teams....
13,071Presley Askew Field750
San José StateSpartan Stadium
Spartan Stadium (San Jose)

Spartan Stadium, located in San Jose, California, is the American football stadium of the San Jos? State University San Jose State Spartans. It is currently the home of the Spartan football and soccer teams....
30,578The Event Center Arena
The Event Center Arena

The Event Center Arena is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena on the main campus of San Jos? State University in downtown San Jose, California. The Event Center was built in 1989 and is home to the SJSU Spartans men's and women's basketball teams....
5,000San Jose Municipal Stadium
San Jose Municipal Stadium

The San Jose Municipal Stadium, or Muni Stadium in common usage, is the home of the minor league baseball San Jose Giants, the Advanced A league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants located in San Jose, California....
5,200
Utah StateRomney Stadium
Romney Stadium

Romney Stadium is an outdoor American football stadium on the campus of Utah State University in Logan, Utah. It is the home field of the Utah State Aggies of the Western Athletic Conference....
30,257Dee Glen Smith Spectrum10,270LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field500
Associate Members
Sacramento State Hornet Field1,200


Note:
  • Idaho uses the same structure for both its home football and basketball games, although it uses a different name for the venue's basketball configuration. Also, Idaho has occasionally used Martin Stadium
    Martin Stadium

    Martin Stadium is an outdoor American football stadium on the campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It is the home of the Washington State Cougars of the Pacific-10 Conference....
     at Washington State University
    Washington State University

    Washington State University is an American public school research university in Pullman, Washington, Washington. WSU is the state's largest Land-grant university university and offers more than 200 fields of study....
    , only 8 miles (13 km) west, for a home football game. In 1999, while a member of the Big West Conference
    Big West Conference

    The Big West Conference is an National Collegiate Athletic Association-affiliated Division I major college athletic conference that formerly sponsored Division I-A college football, through the 2000 season....
    , Idaho played all of their home games at Martin Stadium and did not play a single game in the state of Idaho. This was due to the requirements by the Big West, and due to remodeling of the Kibbie Dome per the NCAA
    National Collegiate Athletic Association

    The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
     for Idaho to be a Division I-A, now FBS, school.


Rivalries

  • Conference
    • Boise State
      Boise State University

      Boise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, Idaho, the capital city of the U.S. state of Idaho.Boise State was originally founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
      -Fresno State
      California State University, Fresno

      California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, California, United States....
       - Mostly in football; the two schools have a milk can trophy
      Milk Can (College Football)

      The Milk Can is awarded to each season's winner of the Battle of the Milk Can, a college football game between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Boise State Broncos....
       given to the winner of the game, started in 2005
    • Boise State
      Boise State University

      Boise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, Idaho, the capital city of the U.S. state of Idaho.Boise State was originally founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
      -Hawaii
      University of Hawaii at Manoa

      The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii. The school is located in Manoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, approximately three miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu and one mile from Ala Moana and Waik...
       – An emerging football rivalry featuring two of the three non-BCS schools to participate in a BCS bowl game.
    • Boise State
      Boise State University

      Boise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, Idaho, the capital city of the U.S. state of Idaho.Boise State was originally founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
      -Idaho
      University of Idaho

      The University of Idaho is Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow, Idaho in Latah County, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant university and primary research university....
       - A heated in-state rivalry in basketball and football since the 1970's. In football, the two teams play for the annual "Governor's Cup".
    • Hawaii
      University of Hawaii at Manoa

      The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii. The school is located in Manoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, approximately three miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu and one mile from Ala Moana and Waik...
      -Fresno State
      California State University, Fresno

      California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, California, United States....
       - "The Battle of the Screwdriver"
    • Hawaii
      University of Hawaii at Manoa

      The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii. The school is located in Manoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, approximately three miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu and one mile from Ala Moana and Waik...
      -New Mexico State
      New Mexico State University

      New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as the Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became "New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts." It received its present name, New Mexico State...
       - Women's volleyball; both teams are consistently rated to be at the top of the WAC.
    • Nevada-Boise State
      Boise State University

      Boise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, Idaho, the capital city of the U.S. state of Idaho.Boise State was originally founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
      -Both former members of the Big Sky Conference and the Big West Conference and have been rivals in all three conferences.
    • Louisiana Tech
      Louisiana Tech University

      Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana is a coeducational public institution of higher learning with an enrollment of 10,950 students in the 08-09 year....
      -Fresno State
      California State University, Fresno

      California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, California, United States....
       - Battle for the Bone; so named because both universities use Bulldogs as their mascots
    • San José State
      San José State University

      San Jos? State University is the founding campus of what became the California State University system. The sprawling 154-acre campus in the center of Silicon Valley has an enrollment of about 30,000 students and provides more graduates working in the high tech region than any other college or university....
      -Fresno State
      California State University, Fresno

      California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, California, United States....


  • Non-Conference
    • Hawaii
      University of Hawaii at Manoa

      The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii. The school is located in Manoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, approximately three miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu and one mile from Ala Moana and Waik...
      -BYU
      Brigham Young University

      Brigham Young University , located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a Private education, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
       (Mountain West)
      Mountain West Conference

      The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
       - This rivalry is a leftover from the "golden age" of the WAC, and is dwindling; Hawaii and BYU haven't played each other in football since 2002.
    • Hawaii
      University of Hawaii at Manoa

      The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii. The school is located in Manoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, approximately three miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu and one mile from Ala Moana and Waik...
      -UCLA
      University of California, Los Angeles

      The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, California, United States....
       (PAC-10) - A rivalry in women's volleyball. The two teams have played each other every season since 1980.
    • Idaho
      University of Idaho

      The University of Idaho is Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow, Idaho in Latah County, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant university and primary research university....
      -Montana (Big Sky)
      Big Sky Conference

      The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I, with college football competing in the division I Football Championship Subdivision....
       This is a remnant of the PCC when Idaho and Montana were members.
    • Idaho
      University of Idaho

      The University of Idaho is Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow, Idaho in Latah County, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant university and primary research university....
      -Washington State
      Washington State University

      Washington State University is an American public school research university in Pullman, Washington, Washington. WSU is the state's largest Land-grant university university and offers more than 200 fields of study....
       (Pac 10) - Battle of the Palouse
      Battle of the Palouse

      The Battle of the Palouse is the cross-border college football game between the Washington State University Washington State Cougars football and the University of Idaho Idaho Vandals....
    • Nevada
      University of Nevada, Reno

      The University of Nevada, Reno is a university located in Reno, Nevada, USA, and includes programs in agricultural research, journalism, animal biotechnology, mining-related engineering, and natural sciences, such as Seismology....
      -UNLV
      University of Nevada, Las Vegas

      The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a state university , co-education university located in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America, known for its programs in History, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Hotel administration, Fine Arts, and Management Information Systems....
       (Mountain West)
      Mountain West Conference

      The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
       - The Battle for Nevada and the Fremont Cannon
      Fremont Cannon

      The Fremont Cannon is awarded to each season's winner of the Battle for Nevada, a college football game between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of Nevada, Reno ....
    • New Mexico State
      New Mexico State University

      New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as the Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became "New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts." It received its present name, New Mexico State...
      -New Mexico
      University of New Mexico

      The University of New Mexico is a public university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico, USA. It was founded in 1889. It offers multiple bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs in all areas of the arts, sciences, and engineering....
       (Mountain West)
      Mountain West Conference

      The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
       - The Rio Grande Rivalry
      Rio Grande Rivalry

      The Rio Grande Rivalry is an annual points-based intercollegiate athletics competition between the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University....
    • New Mexico State
      New Mexico State University

      New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as the Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became "New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts." It received its present name, New Mexico State...
      -UTEP (Conference USA)
      Conference USA

      Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a list of college athletic conferences whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States....
       - The Silver Spade
    • San José State
      San José State University

      San Jos? State University is the founding campus of what became the California State University system. The sprawling 154-acre campus in the center of Silicon Valley has an enrollment of about 30,000 students and provides more graduates working in the high tech region than any other college or university....
      -San Diego State
      San Diego State University

      San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system....
       (Mountain West)
      Mountain West Conference

      The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
    • San José State
      San José State University

      San Jos? State University is the founding campus of what became the California State University system. The sprawling 154-acre campus in the center of Silicon Valley has an enrollment of about 30,000 students and provides more graduates working in the high tech region than any other college or university....
      -Stanford
      Stanford University

      Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private university research university located in Stanford, California, California, United States....
       (Pac 10) - The Bill Walsh Legacy Game
    • Utah State
      Utah State University

      Utah State University is a Public university land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H....
      -BYU
      Brigham Young University

      Brigham Young University , located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a Private education, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
       (Mountain West)
      Mountain West Conference

      The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
    • Utah State
      Utah State University

      Utah State University is a Public university land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H....
      -Utah
      University of Utah

      The University of Utah is a public university research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of ten institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education and Utah's premier research school currently enrolls 21,526 undergraduate and 6,684 graduate student students and has 1,419 regular Faculty members....
       (Mountain West)
      Mountain West Conference

      The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
       - The Beehive Boot
      Beehive Boot

      The Beehive Boot, which signifies instate American football supremacy among Division I universities from the state of Utah, was conceived in 1971....


Commissioners

  • Paul Brechler (1962-1968)
  • Wiles Hallock (1968-1971)
  • Stan Bates (1971-1980)
  • Dr. Joseph Kearney
    Joseph Kearney

    Dr. Joseph L. ?Joe? Kearney is a renowned coach and sports administrator in university athletics....
     (1980-1994)
  • Karl Benson (1994-present)


Awards

Commissioner's Cup: The WAC awards its Commissioner's Cup to the school that performs the best in each of the conference's 19 men's and women's championships.

Stan Bates Award: The award is named in honor of former WAC Commissioner Stan Bates and honors the WAC's top male and female scholar-athletes, recognizing the recipients’ athletic and academic accomplishments. In addition, the awards carry a $2,000 postgraduate scholarship.

Joe Kearney Award: Named in honor of former WAC commissioner Dr. Joseph Kearney
Joseph Kearney

Dr. Joseph L. ?Joe? Kearney is a renowned coach and sports administrator in university athletics....
, the awards are given annually to the top male and female WAC athlete. The WAC Athletics Directors select the male award winner, while the WAC Senior Woman Administrators choose the female honoree.

National championships

The following teams have won NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
 national championships while being a member of the WAC:

  • Arizona
    University of Arizona

    The University of Arizona is a land-grant and Space grant colleges Public university institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States....
     - baseball
    College World Series

    The College World Series or CWS is a baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion....
     (1976
    1976 College World Series

    The 1976 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 11 to June 19. The thirtieth tournament's champion was the University of Arizona, coached by Jerry Kindall....
    )
  • Arizona State
    Arizona State University

    Arizona State University is the largest public university research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of 67,082 as of fall 2008....
     - baseball (1965
    1965 College World Series

    The 1965 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 7 to June 12. The nineteenth tournament's champion was Arizona State University, coached by Bobby Winkles....
    , 1967
    1967 College World Series

    The 1967 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 12 to June 18. The twenty-first tournament's champion was Arizona State University, coached by Bobby Winkles....
    , 1969
    1969 College World Series

    The 1969 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 13 to June 20. The twenty-third tournament's champion was Arizona State University, coached by Bobby Winkles....
    , 1977
    1977 College World Series

    The 1977 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, Nebraska, United States from June 10 to June 18. The Thirty-first tournament's champion was Arizona State University, coached by Jim Brock....
    )
  • BYU
    Brigham Young University

    Brigham Young University , located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a Private education, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
     - women's cross country
    NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship

    National Collegiate Athletic Association team and individual champions for Women's cross country running....
     (1997)
  • Fresno State
    California State University, Fresno

    California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, California, United States....
     - softball
    NCAA Division I Softball Championship

    The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Softball Championship tournament is held each year in June and features 64 college softball teams in the United States, culminating in the Women's College World Series , which is played in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma....
     (1998), baseball (2008
    2008 College World Series

    The 2008 College World Series was held June 14th through June 25th, in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament to play at historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium....
    )
  • Rice
    Rice University

    William Marsh Rice University is a private university research university located in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. The campus is located near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center....
     - baseball (2003
    2003 College World Series

    The 2003 College World Series was held June 13 through June 23, 2003 in sports in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team 2003 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament to play at historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium....
    )
  • UNLV
    University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a state university , co-education university located in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America, known for its programs in History, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Hotel administration, Fine Arts, and Management Information Systems....
     - men's golf
    NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships

    The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S....
     (1998)
The WAC has also produced one AP
AP Poll

The Associated Press Poll typically refers to a weekly ranking of the top 25 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college football and Division I college basketball teams, though other AP polls exist as well....
 national champion in football:

  • BYU (1984)


Football Bowl Games


The WAC regularly sends teams to three different bowl games: the Hawaii Bowl
Hawaii Bowl

The Hawaii Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Aloha Stadium in 'Aiea, Hawai'i, a suburb of Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of O'ahu since 2002....
, the Humanitarian Bowl, and the New Mexico Bowl
New Mexico Bowl

The New Mexico Bowl is a NCAA sanctioned post-season bowl game played at University Stadium, Albuquerque on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico....
. The WAC will also send a team to the Poinsettia Bowl
Poinsettia Bowl

The Poinsettia Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was created in 2005....
 if the Pac-10 conference cannot provide a team. The conference even has the opportunity to send a team to a BCS game, and did so in 2006 with Boise State
2006 Boise State Broncos football team

The 2006 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Broncos won the Western Athletic Conference championship with an undefeated 12-0 regular-season record , their second unbeaten regular season in the past three years....
 and 2007
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I American football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and NCAA football bowl games, 2007-08, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series BCS National Championship Game 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana on January...
 with Hawaii
2007 Hawaii Warriors football team

The 2007 Hawaii Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season.The 2007 Warriors, led by record-setting senior quarterback Colt Brennan, carried a school-record 13-game winning streak, dating back to the end of the 2006 season, into the 2008 Sugar Bowl....
.

Bowl Championship Series

The WAC champion will receive an automatic berth in one of the five BCS bowl games if:
  • ranked in the top 12 of the BCS Standings. (Both Boise State in 2006 and Hawaii in 2007 qualified under this criterion.)
  • Or if ranked in the top 16 of the BCS Standings and its ranking is higher than that of a champion of a conference that has an annual automatic berth in one of the BCS bowls.


Hawaii Bowl The bowl will select a WAC team and will match it against a Pac-10 opponent. If Hawaii is bowl-eligible, and not selected to a BCS bowl, it will be the WAC representative.

Humanitarian Bowl The bowl will select a WAC team and will match it against a Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference

The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
 opponent.

New Mexico Bowl The bowl will select a WAC team and will match it against a Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference

The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
  opponent.

Poinsettia Bowl The bowl will select a WAC team, provided that the Pac-10 conference cannot supply an eligible team. The opponent will be a team from the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference

The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999 in sports....
.

Conference championships


Football

  • WAC Football Championship


Basketball

  • WAC Men's Basketball Tournament
    WAC Men's Basketball Tournament

    The Western Athletic Conference has held a postseason tournament to crown a men's basketball champion every year since 1984. At first the regular season champion hosted it but at its height, the tournament was held at larger urban venues....
  • WAC Women's Basketball Tournament
    WAC Women's Basketball Tournament

    The Western Athletic Conference has held a postseason tournament to crown a women's basketball champion every year since 1991. At first the regular season champion hosted it but at its height, the tournament was held at larger urban venues....


Baseball

  • WAC Baseball Tournament
    WAC Baseball Tournament

    The WAC Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Western Athletic Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship....


Tennis

  • WAC Tennis Tournament


External links