The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is set to leave the Western Athletic Conference to join the Southland Conference, ESPN reported. The change will take place for the 2024-25 season and will cost UTRGV a $2 million exit fee to the WAC, per Wednesday's report. However, the UTRGV said in a statement that there was "nothing definitive to announce" at this time. "As you know this is a dynamic time in college athletics with exciting opportunities for our university," the UTRGV athletics department told ESPN in a statement. "We are always evaluating ways we can enhance the competitive experience for our student-athletes and improve their overall well-being." UTRGV joined the WAC in 2013 when the school was still known as UT Pan American. The new name came about in 2015 after a merger between UT Pan-American and UT Brownsville. Switching to the Southland makes geographic sense with its members including Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Texas A&M Commerce and Lamar. The Vaqueros finished last in the WAC in both men's and women's basketball in 2023-24. The university's football program is slated to debut in 2025. --Field Level Media
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