A little over three weeks after the rumors first surfaced, Hawaii has made it official.
They will leaving the their longtime home in the WAC and into some new conference digs.
During a press conference Friday evening, Hawaii announced that they will become football-only members of the Mountain West Conference. All of their other sports will move from the WAC to the Big West.
Hawaii will officially leave for the MWC in the summer of 2012, ending what will have been a 32-year relationship with the WAC.
“The Mountain West Conference is very pleased to gain the University of Hawai‘i as a football-only member beginning with the 2012 season,” said MWC commissioner Craig Thompson. “Hawai‘i’s outstanding football program and television value fit perfectly with the MWC’s strategic initiatives for the future direction of the conference. We look forward to adding the Warriors to the MWC family.”
“This is great news for our football program to be able to continue rivalries with Fresno State, Boise State, and Nevada along with the other great programs of the Mountain West Conference,” head coach Greg McMackin said in a statement. “Our fans will enjoy the high level of competition in the league and our players will be able to play on a national scale. This is an exciting day for our football program and we look forward to success in the Mountain West Conference.”
The Warriors become the fourth school to leave the WAC for the Mountain West in the past six months, joining Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State. The former will join in 2011, while the latter two will come on board in 2012.
The MWC, conversely, will lose Utah (Pac-10) and BYU (football independence) following the 2010-2011 school year, and TCU (Big East) July 1 of 2012.