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The Western Athletic Conference (known as the WAC) is a conference formed on July 27, 1962 and participating in the NCAA's Division I. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States, with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington, along with the "non-western" states of Illinois (traditionally associated with the Midwest) and Texas (traditionally associated with the South).
Due to most of the conference's football-playing members leaving the WAC for other affiliations, the conference discontinued football as a sponsored sport after the 2012-13 season and left the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A). The WAC thus became the first Division I conference to drop football since the Big West in 2000. The WAC then added men's soccer and became one of the NCAA's eleven Division I non-football conferences.
Current members
- California Baptist (joined in 2018)
- Chicago State (joined 2013)
- Dixie State (joined in 2020)
- Grand Canyon (joined 2013)
- New Mexico State (joined 2005)
- Seattle (joined 2013)
- Tarleton State (joined in 2020)
- UTRGV (joined 2013)
- UTRGV did not begin operation until 2015, following the merger of UT Pan American and UT Brownsville. The UTPA athletic program transferred to the new institution, inheriting UTPA's Division I and WAC memberships.
- Utah Valley (joined 2013)
Former members
- Air Force (joined 1980, withdrew 1999)
- Arizona (joined 1962, withdrew 1978)
- Arizona State (joined 1962, withdrew 1978)
- Boise State (joined 2001, withdrew 2011)
- BYU (joined 1962, withdrew 1999)
- Cal State Bakersfield (joined in 2013, left in 2020)
- Colorado State (joined 1967, withdrew 1999)
- Fresno State (joined 1992, withdrew 2012)
- Hawaii (joined 1979, withdrew 2012)
- Idaho (joined 2005, withdrew 2014)
- Kansas City (joined in 2013 under former athletic identity of UMKC Kangaroos; left in 2020, a year after changing athletic identity to Kansas City Roos)
- Louisiana Tech (joined 2001, withdrew 2013)
- Nevada (joined 2000, withdrew 2012)
- New Mexico (joined 1962, withdrew 1999)
- Rice (joined 1996, withdrew 2005)
- San Diego State (joined 1978, withdrew 1999)
- San José State (joined 1996, withdrew 2013)
- SMU (joined 1996, withdrew 2005)
- TCU (joined 1996, withdrew 2001)
- Texas State (joined 2012, withdrew 2013)
- Tulsa (joined 1996, withdrew 2005)
- UNLV (joined 1996, withdrew 1999)
- UT Arlington (joined 2012, withdrew 2013)
- Utah (joined 1962, withdrew 1999)
- Utah State (joined 2005, withdrew 2013)
- UTEP (joined 1967, withdrew 2005)
- UTSA (joined 2012, withdrew 2013)
- Wyoming (joined 1962, withdrew 1999)
