PARK CITY, UTAH - The Western Athletic Conference announced today that an invitation for membership has been issued to and accepted by Seattle University to join the conference effective July 1, 2012. The announcement comes following
the conclusion of the Board of Directors meeting in which the Presidents of
both the current schools and the previously announced incoming schools for 2012
met to address several issues important to the present and future of the WAC.
With the addition, the WAC will consist of
nine full-time members for the 2012-13 season; Denver (non-football), Idaho, Louisiana
Tech, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Seattle (non-football), Texas State,
UTSA and Utah State.
"We are pleased to announce that Seattle
University is joining the WAC," said Commissioner Karl Benson. "Seattle's tradition and history along with a
strong commitment to academics, its athletics program and their facilities make
the university and its top-15 media market a great fit for the WAC. We look forward to a beneficial and
successful relationship."
Seattle U, currently an independent, is a private
institution founded in 1891 with an enrollment of 7,751. The Redhawks sponsor 19 sports, 17 of which
will compete in the WAC (men's and women's cross country, women's soccer,
women's volleyball, women's swimming and diving, men's and women's indoor and
outdoor track and field, men's and women's basketball, softball, baseball,
men's and women's golf, and men's and women's tennis). The Redhawks were a Division I team from
1950-80 and its men's basketball team advanced to the NCAA title game in 1958
led by Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor.
Seattle U returned to the NCAA's top division in 2009 and currently
plays its men's basketball games at KeyArena at Seattle Center. Academically, Seattle U received APR Public
Recognition Awards this past May for women's soccer, women's tennis, women's
outdoor track and field, men's golf and men's cross country as each of those
teams had perfect scores of 1000 in the NCAA's measurement of academic success. Also, its student-athletes have maintained a
3.1 GPA over the last four years.
In other action at the Board of Directors
meeting:
Utah
State president Dr. Stan Albrecht, the chair of the Board of the Directors, will
again serve in the same position for the 2011-12 academic year.
Determined
that the men's and women's basketball tournament will return to Las Vegas and
the Orleans Arena for the 2011-12 season.
The WAC's marquee postseason event made its first appearance at the
Orleans this past March, the first truly neutral site for the tournament in
league history.
Confirmed
the addition of three affiliates in various sports for the 2011-12 season: Brigham Young (softball), North Dakota
(women's swimming and diving) and Denver (gymnastics).
-WAC-