What is Western Athletic Conference?
The '''Western Athletic Conference''' (WAC) is a group of [[college]]s and [[university|universities]], mostly in the Western United States, that play [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Division I [[sport]]s against one another each season. The WAC currently has 10 member schools: * [[University of Denver]] * [[University of Idaho]] * [[Louisiana Tech University]] * [[New Mexico State University]] * [[San José State University]] * [[Seattle University]] * [[Texas State University–San Marcos]] (Texas State) * [[University of Texas at Arlington]] (UT Arlington) * [[Utah State University]] * [[University of Texas at San Antonio]] (UTSA) Its future is now in serious question due to a wave of departures set for July 2013. ==History== ===Creation=== The WAC was formed in 1962 by six western schools—the [[University of Arizona]], [[Arizona State University]], [[Brigham Young University]] (BYU), the [[University of New Mexico]], the [[University of Utah]], and the [[University of Wyoming]]. Three other schools, the [[University of Oregon]], [[Oregon State University]], and [[Washington State University]], were part of the original discussions, but chose to join what is now the [[Pacific-12 Conference]]. New Mexico State and Utah State applied for charter membership, but were turned down, and would not join until 2005. ===First expansion=== The WAC grew to eight members in 1967, when [[Colorado State University]] and the [[University of Texas at El Paso]] (UTEP) joined. However, in the 1970s, massive population growth in [[Arizona]] led to the two Arizona schools dominating the conference, especially in [[American football|football]]. Arizona and Arizona State left for the Pacific-8 Conference in 1978, which then became the Pacific-10 (now the Pacific-12). The WAC reloaded by adding [[San Diego State University]] in 1978, the [[University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa]] (Hawaiʻi) in 1979, and the [[United States Air Force Academy]] (Air Force) in 1980. This nine-team lineup defined the WAC for the next 15 years.