But the resulting eastward shift of the conference 's geographic center led Hawaii to reduce travel expenses by becoming a football-only member of the MW and joining the California-based Big West Conference for all other sports . Further invitations were then issued by the WAC to Seattle University and the University of Texas at Arlington . These changes meant that the conference would have 10 members for 2012 – 13 , seven of which sponsored football , and Benson announced that the WAC planned to add two additional football-playing members to begin competition in 2013 . A further boost came when Boise State decided to join the Big East in football , and return to the WAC in most other sports , as of the 2013 – 14 academic year . So by the end of 2011 , the WAC seemed to have weathered the latest round of conference changes , and once again reinvented itself for the future
Big East
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Western Athletic Conference