Conference realignment has returned to Utah, with UVU joining Big West

Conference realignment has reared itself again in Utah. This time, it is Utah Valley University that is on the move.

The Big West Conference announced Wednesday morning that the Wolverines will officially join the conference in 2026-27, leaving behind the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). UVU will join the Big West as a full member. It is a reunion of sorts, as UVU was a member of the Big West from 1978 to 2005.

“We are thrilled to welcome Utah Valley University to The Big West,” Big West commissioner Dan Butterly said in a statement. “UVU brings a tradition of competitive excellence and a rapidly growing athletic program that aligns perfectly with our membership and vision for the future. Their addition expands our geographic footprint into a vibrant and strategically significant region, while elevating the level of competition across the board. We look forward to the energy and excitement the Wolverines will bring to The Big West.”

UVU, which sponsors 14 Division 1 sports, will compete in the Big West in:

• Baseball.
• Men’s basketball.
• Women’s basketball.
• Men’s cross country.
• Women’s cross country.
• Men’s golf.
• Women’s golf.
• Men’s soccer.
• Women’s soccer.
• Softball.
• Men’s track and field.
• Women’s track & field.
• Women’s volleyball.

Wrestling will continue to be a part of the Big 12 conference.

“Utah Valley University is proud to be part of The Big West. This marks an important milestone for the university, our 47,000 students, 125,000 alumni, and nearly 400 student-athletes,” UVU president Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez said in a statement “We look forward to competing and growing in a new and dynamic environment, and learning from our peers in The Big West.”

Added UVU athletic director Dr. Jared Sumsion: “The Big West is an outstanding conference with a proud history of success at the highest levels of Division I competition. We are excited to take on this new challenge and appreciate The Big West’s confidence in our university and athletic program.”

The addition of UVU brings Big West membership up to 11. UVU rejoining the league can be traced back directly to the decisions of Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 for the SEC.

Here’s the turn of the events that led to UVU’s return to the Big West:

• Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 for the SEC.
• USC and UCLA leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten.
• BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF join the Big 12 (the latter three defecting from the American Athletic Conference).
• Oregon and Washington leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten.
• Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah leave the Pac-12 and join the Big 12.
• Cal and Stanford leave the Pac-12 and join the ACC.
• Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State announce that they are leaving the Mountain West Conference to remake the Pac-12 alongside Oregon State and Washington State.
• The Mountain West adds Hawaii and UC-Davis (previously Big West Conference schools) as full-time members in wake of defections to the Pac-12.
• UVU joins the Big West.