DENVER — At its annual June meeting, the Western Athletic Conference Board of Directors determined its 2021-22 Executive Committee and approved several items for the upcoming academic year and beyond.
“It was wonderful to bring our new Board of Directors together as one group moving towards one common goal,” said WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd. “Since we began our expansion conversations last year, everyone involved has wanted to work towards making the WAC one of the premier mid-major conferences in the country and we are certainly headed in the right direction.”
The current board welcomed the four newest members in Abilene Christian University, Lamar University, Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University as well as Southern Utah University, who will join on July 1, 2022.
New Mexico State University President John Floros was elected Chair, while Utah Valley University President Astrid S. Tuminez was elected as Vice Chair. The third member of the Executive Committee is Tarleton State University President James Hurley, who will take the spot of retiring Seattle University President Stephen Sundborg as Past Chair.
The Board approved scheduling formats for the 2021-22 seasons which will feature division-only play for baseball, women’s soccer, softball and women’s tennis. Men’s and women’s basketball will not be divided into divisions and all teams will play an 18-game league schedule. Volleyball will play double-round robin within division with a week of crossover play halfway through the league schedule. Men’s soccer and men’s tennis will not be divided into divisions due to the number of full members sponsoring the sports.
Also approved was a championship site rotation that will provide geographic distribution between each division. For the 2021-22 seasons, the championships for men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, men’s golf, outdoor track & field and baseball will be in the West footprint and women’s soccer, indoor track & field, women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis and softball will be in the Southwest footprint. The men’s and women’s basketball tournament will remain at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Due to a high number of affiliate members,
men’s soccer and men’s and women’s swimming & diving are not included in the geographic rotation.
Following the lead of the WAC Council in May, the Board eliminated the Intra-Conference Transfer Rule. The Board also discussed several NCAA Issues, including Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) developments, passed the conference budget for 2021-22 and provided its endorsement of the WAC Alliance on Community, Social Justice and Multicultural Education.
The sites and bracket formats for the 2021-22 WAC Championships will be announced when finalized.
