More conference realignment: Utah Valley to join Big West in 2026

OREM — Utah Valley is taking the advice of Horace Greeley and going west.

The Wolverines are headed west — to the Big West, that is — as a full member beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, the university announced Wednesday morning.

Utah Valley and its 13 Big West-sponsored sports, including flagship sports like men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer and baseball, will join a league otherwise comprised entirely of schools in California.

It will be the Big West's first move to the Wasatch Front since Utah State became the first university outside the Golden State to join the league in 1978 and remained until joining the Western Athletic Conference in 2005.

Just over 20 years later, the Wolverines are headed in reverse in all sports but wrestling, which will remain in the Big 12. The current league includes Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, CSU Northridge, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and California Baptist, which is joining with Utah Valley in 2026.

"This is a transformative opportunity for our department," said athletic director Jared Sumsion in a statement. "The invitation to join the Big West is a culmination of UVU's expansive growth and athletic success. As a young NCAA Division I program, we are proud to partner with well-established institutions with significant histories of success.

"The Big West is an elite conference that reflects the academic, athletic, and geographic profile we've worked hard to build. We are thrilled to align with its membership and to bring the Big West to the Utah mountains."

The Big West will be Utah Valley's third conference since moving from the junior college ranks to NCAA Division I in 2003. After moving up from provisional status as an independent, the Wolverines joined the non-postseason qualifying Great West Conference from 2008-13 before accepting an invitation to the WAC in 2013.

In the past decade-plus, the Wolverines have won WAC titles in 12 total sports, including two in baseball, two in women's volleyball and four in women's soccer. The success peaked in 2020, when Utah Valley won the WAC Commissioner's Cup for top all-around athletic department.

But the conference has been hit by massive waves of realignment, which in recent years have included Sam Houston State and New Mexico State leaving for Conference USA; Stephen F. Austin, Lamar and UT Rio Grande Valley departing for the Southland; and Grand Canyon and Seattle leaving for the West Coast Conference (before GCU reversed course and accept an invitation to join the Mountain West).

Most recently in March, California Baptist accepted an invitation to the Big West beginning 2026, paving the way for Utah Valley's own exit Wednesday morning. With the departure, the WAC — which was founded in 1962 and was once home to Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, TCU, Utah and Utah State, among others — will be down to five full-time members in 2026: Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, UT Arlington and Utah Tech.

That left Utah Valley as a key domino in the western realignment race, a domino that tipped this week.

"We are thrilled to welcome Utah Valley University to the 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."

Utah Valley president Astrid S. Tuminez echoed her approval of the move by the largest public university in the state.

"We are honored to join the Big West and begin an exciting new chapter in UVU Athletics," she said. "This move reflects the progress we've made across our programs and the growing reputation of our university. One of the most enjoyable parts of my presidency has been watching our student-athletes compete, learn, and grow, often punching above their weight. I am confident that we will continue to thrive in the Big West. The future looks bright."

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