UTEP will leave WAC for Conference USA

Advertiser Staff

The University of Texas-El Paso, the senior member of the Western Athletic Conference, will leave for Conference USA beginning July 1, 2005, the school announced on its Web site today.

C-USA presidents met today and UTEP said it has accepted an invitation to change conferences.

UTEP, which joined the WAC in 1967, will become the 12th member of C-USA and the fourth to announce it is jumping there in the past six months.

The Miners' departure will leave Hawai'i as the senior member of the WAC and reduce the conference to eight teams for 2005-2006 unless the conference adds additional members.

Utah State and New Mexico State are scheduled to join the WAC in 2005-2006 and North Texas and Idaho have been under study as possible invitees.