WAC Celebrates 60th Anniversary
DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is celebrating its 60th anniversary as a collegiate conference today.
The conference was founded on July 27, 1962, with charter members Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Paul Brechler was appointed as the first commissioner of the WAC after being commissioner of the Skyline Conference. BYU, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming left the Skyline to join the WAC. Arizona and Arizona State both departed from the Border Conference.
Over the 60-year history of the WAC, 16 teams representing the conference have won NCAA team championships in eight different sports.
“The name the WAC is synonymous with success over the past 50, 60 years. We’ve certainly had different iterations over the course of time, but the name still means a lot,” said WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton. “It means excellence, it means success from an academic and athletic standpoint. We have a strong group of President’s who have banded together and are committed to making this an excellent league.”
The WAC currently has 13-members: Abilene Christian, California Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, Seattle University, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Utah Tech and Utah Valley. There are an additional 10 schools who compete in the WAC as affiliates in various sports. The WAC sponsors 20 sports (10 men’s and 10 women’s). Over the 60-year history of the conference, an additional 30 institutions have been full members.
NCAA National Champions
1965 – Arizona State Baseball
1969 – Arizona State Baseball
1969 – UTEP Men’s Cross Country
1974 – UTEP Men’s Indoor Track & Field
1975 – UTEP Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
1976 – Arizona Baseball
1977 – Arizona State Outdoor Track & Field
1981 – UTEP Men’s Cross Country
1982 – UTEP Men’s Indoor Track & Field
1982 – UTEP Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
1984 – BYU Football
1992 – Utah Women’s Gymnastics
1997 – BYU Women’s Cross Country
1998 – Fresno State Softball
1998 – UNLV Men’s Golf
2003 – Rice Baseball
WAC Commissioners
1962 – 1968 - Paul Brechler
1968 – 1971 – Wiles Hallcock
1971 – 1980 – Stan Bates
1980 – 1994 – Joe Kearney
1994 – 2012 – Karl Benson
2012 - 2021 – Jeff Hurd
2021 – Present – Brian Thornton
-WAC-