The Western Athletic Conference is poised for expansion after securing commitments from its remaining member schools to stay put. With a strong foundation in place, the conference is now eyeing potential additions, including Texas State, which would bring its entire athletic program to the table. Another school, Northern Illinois, is also being considered as a football-only member.
Earlier this week, the conference announced that seven member schools – Air Force, UNLV, New Mexico, Nevada, San José State, Wyoming, and Hawai’i – had signed a memorandum of understanding to remain in the league, solidifying their commitment through 2032.
“This marks a significant milestone for our conference,” said Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “With our membership secured, we can now focus on building a stronger, more competitive league that benefits our student-athletes. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead and are already exploring ways to expand our conference.”
As part of the agreement, the conference will distribute exit fees from departing schools, with Air Force and UNLV set to receive the largest shares. The exact amounts will be determined through negotiations, but UNLV expects to receive a lump sum of $10-14 million in 2025, followed by additional payments over the next six years.
UNLV’s decision to stay in the conference was influenced by the financial package offered, which includes increased revenue and flexibility to pursue its long-term goal of joining a Power Four conference.
With its current membership structure, the Western Athletic Conference still needs to add two full-time football-playing schools to meet NCAA requirements, but has until 2028 to do so. Meanwhile, the Pac-12 Conference, which has lost several members to the Big 12, is also seeking to expand its membership to meet NCAA minimums.
Leave a Reply