Photo by: Andrew Fielding
In response to several reports released yesterday, the University of Denver has announced a news conference today that is being labeled as a “Special Announcement Regarding Conference Affiliation.”
During the announcement, it is expected that DU will accept an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference in the 2012-2013 season.
The conference is to be held in the Ritchie Center at 3:30 p.m., scheduled only 30 minutes after WAC Commissioner Karl Benson’s teleconference, which will begin at 3 p.m. and pertain to the conferences plan for expansion.
Denver is joining the WAC as a non-football member, while other additions include Texas-San Antonio and Texas State. Both schools enter as football members.
Of the 17 teams participating at the Division I level currently, 10 will make the move to the WAC from the Sun Belt Conference, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf and tennis, volleyball, gymnastics, women’s swimming and women’s soccer.
As for the men’s swimming team, the team will need to find another conference, because the WAC does not include the sport.
If Denver accepts the invitation, then it will be leaving the Sun Belt after the 2011-2012 academic year.
The acceptance is almost guaranteed as the school’s athletic department has been looking to switch conference affiliation for over a year now.
Benson has not confirmed the details, according to reports in The Denver Post and ESPN.
However, his teleconference set for later in the day should address the details of the conference’s expansion.
The move looks to help all DU athletics; most importantly the men and women’s basketball teams that are looking to improve on 19 and 18 win seasons, respectively.
However, if it weren’t for DU’s established dominance in the Sun Belt Conference in such sports as women’s soccer, women’s swimming, gymnastics and men’s and women’s golf, then the move may not have been as easy.
The SBC is composed of schools located in the southeastern part of the country, while the WAC has schools that are in the southwest, including teams as far west as Fresno State in Fresno, Calif.
Over the last several months, the WAC has lost three schools – Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State – to the Mountain West Conference.
With the additions of DU, UTSA and Texas State, the WAC will have at least eight football teams and 10 basketball teams.
Benson and WAC officials have been courting the University of Montana as well, according to reports.
The Grizzlies are currently undecided on accepting the conference’s invitation.
