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RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is excited to welcome Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Southern Utah as new members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Texas members will join on July 1, 2021. Southern Utah will join on July 1, 2022.
 
Four of the new institutions are in Texas, giving the WAC six Texas-based members, including Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State and UTRGV. A seventh member, New Mexico State, is just across the Texas/New Mexico border in Las Cruces, but in the same media market as El Paso. The WAC is currently on track to have 13 full-time members in 2022-23 following the voluntary departure of Chicago State on June 30, 2022.
 
The WAC, which was established in 1962, has a proud history of having a strong presence in Texas, with past members including Rice (1996-2005), SMU (1996-2005), TCU (1996-2001), UT Arlington (2012-13), UTEP (1968-2005), UTSA (2012-13), and Texas State (2012-13).
 
That means that 13 of the Texas' 24 NCAA Division I institutions will either be or have been full-time members of the WAC.
 
Additionally, the WAC will have the most full-time Texas members of any NCAA Division I conference with six. The next closest conferences will be the Big 12 (four) and Conference USA (four). In total, the remaining 18 Texas institutions will be split up among seven conferences, including the Southland (three), the American (two), the Sun Belt (two), the SWAC (two), and the SEC (one).
 
"I cannot overstate my level of excitement in making this expansion announcement," WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd said. "The opportunity to bring five quality institutions into the conference, to significantly strengthen the WAC's national basketball brand and other championship sport profiles, and to bring football back under the WAC umbrella is one that made sense."  
 
"The end result could not have been accomplished without the collaboration and shared visions of the WAC's Board of Directors and the Presidents of the incoming institutions. It not only stabilizes the conference for the future; it also positions it for significant growth and success."
 
The large Texas footprint will have a significant impact on UTRGV's ability to recruit throughout the state by putting UTRGV teams into more Texas markets during conference play following non-conference schedules that can be full of other Texas opponents.
 
This will have a major impact on UTRGV's ability to brand itself throughout the state as well. Formed in 2015, UTRGV continues to expand its recruitment efforts and push enrollment numbers, including a record enrollment of 32,618 students this past fall following a record summer enrollment on 17,582. Most recently, UTRGV welcomed 30,147 students the first day of the spring 2021 semester.  
 
"I would like to personally applaud WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd for helping to secure the long-term stability of the WAC," UTRGV President Guy Bailey said. "The expansion of the WAC, particularly in Texas, will serve to strengthen our institution and our region. The strength of the conference gives us great stability for our athletic programs and provides UTRGV Athletics opportunities for growth. The visibility of our athletic teams as they compete around the state will allow our sphere of influence to grow, enhancing our recruiting efforts as we look to bring the best and the brightest students to UTRGV."
 
Travel will become much more efficient and there is now the potential to reduce the amount of missed class time for UTRGV student-athletes. Vaqueros fans will also have the ability to travel to road games on a more regular basis and create more natural rivalries within the state.
 
Additionally, the incorporation of Southern Utah adds to the conference's western footprint and puts more institutions within driving distance of each other, which will cut down on flights between road games.
 
The conference becomes more competitive with the addition of the new programs as well. Over the last three fully completed years, the average team ranking of the WAC's future structure would have improved by 20 spots in men's basketball, 45 spots in women's basketball and 24 spots in baseball.
 
"We are excited to say to the student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and supporters of Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Southern Utah, 'Welcome to the WAC,'" UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "The visions and values of these institutions' athletic departments align well with our own. This is a significant realignment that creates a strong future for our conference. The WAC and UTRGV won big with today's announcement, and we are thrilled to be part of such a strong conference with a very bright future."
 
All five of the new institutions play FCS football, as do Dixie State and Tarleton State, which are both in their first year of a four-year transition to the NCAA Division I level.
 
The addition of football to the WAC provides UTRGV with a path forward to revisit conversations regarding football with students and members of the campus and Rio Grande Valley communities.
 
UTRGV commissioned College Sports Solutions to conduct a football feasibility study in 2016. The study was completed in August 2017. Legendary University of Texas football coach Mack Brown, now the head coach at North Carolina, volunteered to chair the committee, while former NCAA Executive Vice President Oliver Luck agreed to serve as a special consultant.

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