RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has lived up to the promise to #RallyTheValley in countless ways, from community service and engagement efforts to bringing high-profile events such as Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships to cities across the Rio Grande Valley. 
 
UTRGV has hosted eight championship events in four cities since 2014, and those numbers will soon grow to 10 championships and five cities by the end of the 2023-24 athletic year. 
 
The WAC Swimming & Diving Championships will return to the City of Pharr Natatorium Wednesday through Saturday as UTRGV Athletics and the City of Pharr co-host the event for the second consecutive year. The 2024 WAC Men's and Women's Tennis Tournaments will run April 18-20 at the HEB Tennis Center at Pendleton Park in Harlingen. 
 
"One of the best ways we practice our commitment to #RallyTheValley is by making a consistent effort to host events across the Valley, including high-profile events such as WAC Championships," UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "We have successfully brought championship-level events to Brownsville, Edinburg, Harlingen, McAllen and Pharr, bringing people from across the nation to our area of Texas and impacting the communities that support us. We will continue to emphasize hosting athletic events across the region to thank the entire Valley for the support they show to UTRGV Athletics."
 
These championship events have driven thousands of people from across the country to the Valley, positively impacting the host cities and beyond economically, while showcasing the hospitality for which the region is renowned. 
 
During the 2022-23 athletic year, the WAC Swimming & Diving Championships in Pharr and the WAC Volleyball Tournament held at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg combined to draw roughly 6,500 spectators. Schools from across Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming brought large travel parties to the area and saw their fans follow. 
 
"We are proud of the phenomenal job our City of Pharr and UTRGV Athletics did while hosting the 2023 WAC Swimming & Diving Championships here in Pharr," Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. said. "Our city benefited greatly from the economic activity as a result of hosting the competition and we are thrilled to partner with UTRGV Athletics again to host the event in 2024 and beyond." 
 
April's tennis event will mark the fourth conference tennis tournament UTRGV has hosted in Cameron County. Previously, UTRGV hosted the 2016 and 2019 WAC Tennis Tournaments at the Brownsville Tennis Center. Legacy institution UTPA hosted the Great West Conference Women's Tennis Tournament at Harlingen's HEB Tennis Center at Pendleton Park in 2012. 
 
The HEB Tennis Center has seen incredible upgrades in 12 years, including the resurfacing of all 14 courts and the building of a new pro shop which includes offices and new restrooms. The staff at the HEB Tennis Center has been extremely accommodating and proactive in the months leading up to the event to ensure a first-class experience for the student-athletes, coaches, fans, and WAC staff. 
 
"Harlingen is thrilled to welcome UTRGV along with the 2024 Western Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Tennis Tournaments to our HEB Tennis Center at Pendleton Park," Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda said. "It's a matter of pride for us to be recognized as a premier tennis destination in the Rio Grande Valley. Our city has dedicated considerable resources towards enhancing our parks and sports facilities, and we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to host the Western Athletic Conference." 
 
UTRGV's commitment to bringing major events to the Rio Grande Valley has resulted in historic days and record attendance in recent years. UTRGV Athletics welcomed about 100,000 fans across all sports in the 2022-23 athletic year and is on pace to top that number in 2023-24. 
 
The 2023 baseball season drew a program-record 45,461 fans, ranking the Vaqueros eighth of 22 Texas teams in total and average attendance. The 2023 volleyball season saw UTRGV rank sixth of 25 Texas teams in average attendance and ninth in total attendance as the Vaqueros welcomed 12,336 fans through 10 matches. 
 
UTRGV men's basketball enjoyed a sellout crowd Feb. 17 and saw over 4,800 fans in the stands through their last two home games. The women's basketball team leads the WAC in average attendance and is second in total attendance with 16,042 fans through 12 games. 
 
UTRGV Athletics is currently in the midst of over $85 million in construction projects being completed to benefit all athletics facilities over the next two and a half years. These projects are funded by revenue generated by the athletics department and represent a commitment to providing a premier experience for student-athletes and fans. 
 
These facility enhancements will benefit all current and future sports and aid UTRGV Athletics in bringing more WAC Championships to the Valley, consistently providing the region with ample opportunities to enjoy elite NCAA Division I athletics close to home. 

Support UTRGV Athletics | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube