In its 48th year, the Western Athletic Conference continues to evolve and feature some of the nation's best intercollegiate competition. One thing that remains unchanged is the persistent nature of the nine schools in the WAC to advance their programs to contend at the top levels of the NCAA.
The WAC provides its student-athletes the chance to travel to scenic destinations and gain exposure in some of the nation's most diverse markets. In addition, the WAC's student-athletes work to achieve the highest levels of success with the academic support of their respective institutions.
The WAC has experienced tremendous success. The WAC has sent a total of 27 teams to bowl games since 2001, including more than half of its teams in 2008 with a record-tying five teams. Boise State has won 88 football games since joining the conference, the second most in the nation during that time span (2001-08). The conference sent teams to back-to-back BCS games as Hawai'i earned a bid to the 2008 Sugar Bowl following Boise State's unforgettable victory in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. In men's basketball, the WAC has sent at least two teams to the NCAA Tournament in 23 of the past 26 seasons. Every current school in the WAC has competed in the NCAA Tournament since 1990. In baseball, the WAC has boasted two national champions since 2003 including Fresno State's College World Series victory in 2008. In women's sports, Fresno State softball has competed in every NCAA Tournament ever held while Louisiana Tech basketball has played in all but three.
Current WAC alums have made their presence felt as well. David Carr (Fresno State) was the first player selected in the 2002 NFL Draft. Cheryl Ford (Louisiana Tech) was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year and helped the Detroit Shock win the league's championship in 2003. In 2004, the United States' softball team won the Olympic gold medal with former Fresno State players Laura Berg and Lovie Jung. Jeff Weaver (Fresno State) earned the win in the St. Louis Cardinals' World Series clinching victory in 2006. Quarterback Colt Brennan (Hawai'i) finished third in the 2007 Heisman Trophy voting, and in 2008, Natasha Kai (Hawai'i) helped the United States to a gold medal in soccer at the Olympics in Beijing.
In 2001, the WAC partnered with ESPN for coverage of football and basketball giving the conference national exposure from one of the most respected broadcast entities in the country. An extension was signed in 2008 that guarantees over 300 regular season WAC contests and 45 championship events will be aired on the ESPN networks through the spring of 2017. The WAC also officially added WAC.tv in 2006 to give fans streaming internet access to many of its postseason championships including volleyball, soccer, swimming and diving, basketball, gymnastics, softball and baseball.
The WAC is the sixth oldest among the nation's 11 Division I-A conferences. Its history traces back to July 27, 1962, when the original six-team league of Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming began competition.
The first championship was held in November 1962, when Arizona won the men's cross country title and New Mexico followed with the first WAC football title. Arizona finished second in the NCAA College World Series and, less than three years later, Arizona State claimed the league's first NCAA title when the Sun Devils won the College World Series trophy. Fresno State was the last WAC school to earn an NCAA team title when it won the College World Series in 2008.
Since 1962, several changes have occurred. UTEP and Colorado State became members in September 1967, while Arizona and Arizona State withdrew on June 30, 1978. The WAC then added San Diego State (1978), Hawai'i (1979) and Air Force (1980). Before 1990, the WAC sponsored championships only in men's sports. However, a merger with the High Country Athletic Conference formed a single conference under one administrative structure, and the 1990-91 athletic year was the first in which both men and women competed under the WAC name. Fresno State was added in 1992, and then in 1996, the women's programs from Air Force and Hawai'i along with six new schools (UNLV, Rice, San Jose State, SMU, TCU and Tulsa) came into the WAC. Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming withdrew on June 30, 1999. Nevada (2000), Boise State (2001) and Louisiana Tech (2001) were added while TCU withdrew following the 2000-01 season. The current membership was established on July 1, 2005, when Idaho, New Mexico State and Utah State joined the WAC after Rice, SMU, UTEP and Tulsa withdrew.
The WAC has had just five commissioners in its history. Paul Brechler was named the first leader of the conference and held the position from 1962-1968. He was followed by Wiles Hallock (1968-71), Stan Bates (1971-80), Dr. Joe Kearney (1980-94) and Karl Benson (1994-present).
Presently, the WAC crowns team and individual champions in 19 sports - eight men's and 11 women's. For the men, there are championships in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. Championships for women are held in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball.
The WAC office has been located in the Denver area since the conference's inception with the exception of a two-year stay in Phoenix from 1964-66.
