DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference today announced that it
would be adding the sport of men's soccer beginning with the 2013 fall
season.
Next year's WAC membership includes three schools that
sponsor men's soccer; CSU Bakersfield, Grand Canyon and Seattle.
Joining these schools will be affiliate members Air Force, Houston
Baptist, UNLV and San Jose State giving the WAC seven teams in 2013.
Recent
NCAA tournament appearances include Air Force this past season and CSU
Bakersfield in 2011. Three of the schools won Division II national
championships during their history: Seattle (2004), CSU Bakersfield
(1997) and Grand Canyon (1996).
A complete conference schedule
and tournament information will be announced at a later date. As a
reclassifying institution, Grand Canyon will not be eligible for
postseason play until 2017.
"The addition of men's soccer is part
of the WAC's evolution," said Jeff Hurd, WAC Interim Commissioner. "We
look forward to working with these institutions to provide a solid,
competitive home for their men's soccer programs."
This will be
the second time that the WAC has sponsored men's soccer as the sport was
part of the conference from 1996-1999. Air Force and UNLV competed in
the WAC the first three years while San Jose State's team competed in
all four of those seasons.
The addition of the team sport
assures the WAC maintains its Division I status as it makes the
transition from an FBS conference to a Division I conference. The NCAA
requires a Division I conference to sponsor at least three men's and
women's team sports among other requirements. Men's soccer will join
basketball and baseball to give the WAC three men's team sports to go
along with volleyball, basketball and soccer as women's team sports.
-WAC-