Utah Valley set to join Big West Conference for 2026-27 athletic year
Associated Press
OREM, Utah (AP) — Utah Valley is joining the Big West conference for the 2026-27 athletic year, giving the league a presence in that state for the first time since Utah State ended a 27-year run in 2005.
The conference said Wednesday it remained open to the possibility of adding a 12th member but anticipated being an 11-school league when Utah Valley and California Baptist officially join July 1, 2026.
The Big West doesn't have football, and Hawaii and UC Davis are leaving to join the Mountain West Conference in 2026-27. Hawaii has been a football-only member of the Mountain West since 2012. UC Davis has been a football-only member of the Big Sky Conference.
Utah Valley is leaving the Western Athletic Conference, and the Wolverines will compete in 13 Big West-sponsored sports, including men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball.
'Their addition expands our geographic footprint into a vibrant and strategically significant region, while elevating the level of competition across the board,' Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said.
Utah Valley will be the largest school in the Big West with an enrollment of 47,000. Barring further realignment, Utah Valley will replace Hawaii as the only school in the conference outside California.
___
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
recommended
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
12 hours ago
- USA Today
Future Nebraska quarterback Trae Taylor recruiting top tight end Ahmad Hudson
Future Nebraska quarterback Trae Taylor recruiting top tight end Ahmad Hudson A Nebraska quarterback commit is developing a relationship and actively peer recruiting the top tight end in the class of 2027. Ahmad Hudson teamed up with future Husker Trae Taylor at the Nebraska-sponsored 7 on 7 tournament, Battle of the Boneyard. Hudson measures in at 6 feet 7 inches, 220 pounds, and is the No. 1-ranked tight end in the 2027 class. As a sophomore, he caught 41 passes for 718 yards and six touchdowns. He's also an accomplished basketball player, averaging 21 points and 14 rebounds per game last season. Taylor is the third overall quarterback in the 2027 class and the third overall player in his class from the state of Illinois, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Last season, he threw for 3,061 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, per statistics from MaxPreps. He also carried the football 41 times for 342 yards and four touchdowns. This isn't the first time Taylor has connected with Hudson. Since committing to Nebraska, the future quarterback has been active in his recruitment of other top players in the 2027 recruiting class. It's good to see a future Husker taking active steps to load the class with as much talent as possible. Scroll below and look at some of the social media postings of Trae Taylor and his peer recruitment of Ahmad Hudson. The meeting Touchdown! Chemistry Now, imagine a sold-out stadium Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oʻahu racetrack gets the green light
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The City and County of Honolulu was given the green light for a racetrack in West Oʻahu. Plans in the works for 2 West Oahu racetracks The former Navy land near Kalaeloa Airport has been a discussion since the late 90s, and officials said the track will start small before eventually expanding. 'It feels like a dream, it's been 26 years,' said long-time race track supporter and enthusiast Li Cobian. Cobian said plans to acquire the land go back to Mayor Jeremy Harris back in 1998. 'If it wasn't for Rick Blangiardi and managing director Mike Formby, this would never have happened, I feel like crying,' Cobian added. On Thursday evening, Mayor Blangiardi told a crowd at his last Town Hall of the year that the Parks and Recreation director received an e-mail earlier in the day that said they had approval to use the land. 'This is something we made a commitment to because there is a big, big interest across the island in auto sports,' he told community members at the town hall. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Honolulu is the only county without a race track, which Mayor Blangiardi says results in more drivers speeding on roads and highways. Four-hundred acres were transferred to the city by the National Park Service in June 2024. 'The National Park Service has agreed to let us do an interim use for the 20-acre lot out at Kalaeloa for a motor sports recreation use,' explained Parks Director Laura Thielen. The plan for the track stretches from Coral Sea Road and Independence Road down to Kalaeloa Airport. For now, Thielen says they can build a dirt style track. 'And that can happen concurrent while we go through with a master plan for the overall area,' she explained during the town hall meeting. Cobian says the park service recognizing motor sports as recreation helped move the process along. The city said the racetrack is intended to be an interim facility while it works on developing a master plan for all 400-acres.'Phase 1 is this parcel area which is 22.9 acres,' Cobian showed KHON2 while pointing towards parcels on the Kalaeloa Airport side of the road. 'Phase 2 is this whole area down almost a mile and it's close to 200 acres,' he added while pointing to the opposite side of the road. Nearby residents said they are concerned about noise, traffic and safety as the city says there are many trespassers in the area. Cobian says most are homeless. City crews were seen putting in concrete barriers to block access into parts of the wooded area. 'We got a lot of homeless and they're constantly dumping trash,' Cobian said. 'So the sooner we get out here and break ground and clean everything up, put some fences up, we're going to deter all of that.' Cobian stated it will also prevent fires in the area. The City says it has requested funds in the upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget for the master plan which will include public input. The City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation said it has allocated $1.8 million in the upcoming budget for consultant services to help develop that Master Plan. DPR said it also appropriated $150,000 for on guard services to reduce illegal activity in the area, and $500,000 in CIP funds to renovate and reopen the bathrooms at the Kalaeloa Campgrounds. Check out more news from around Hawaii This half a million dollars with also assist with shoreline improvements to reduce illegal off-roading on White Sands Beach in collaboration with 808 Cleanups. The city adds the Master Plan will include robust public input, along with environmental and cultural assessments. The permanent racetrack location and layout will be determined through that Master Plan, and may be in another area near this interim location. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hawaii's Pono Davis aims for Postseason run in Major League Rugby
Kailua-Kona native, Pono Davis is in his 4th year of playing rugby, and currently suits up for the Houston SaberCats. Davis has helped the SaberCats clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference. 'We got a lot of guys returning from previous years, so a lot of us kind of had that bitter taste in our mouth from from last year,' said Davis. Houston only has 1 more game remaining before the 4-team Western Conference Playoffs begin. Houston could end up as the 2nd or 3rd seed in the bracket. This year, Davis has teamed up with his cousin Dom Akina on Houston. Akina plays the Center position while Davis is in the Prop position. the Duo coming together to try and win a MLR Championship this season. For Davis, he also has recently suited up for the Team USA Eagles Rugby squad. 'Being able to represent America, I felt like I'm representing Hawaii and it's just amazing. It's a great feeling to be able to put that jersey on, play for my brothers out there on the field and represent my family and my country,' Said Davis. The Kamehameha-Hawaii alum said it was a surreal feeling playing for Team USA, and he didn't expect it so soon as he just started playing the sport 4 years ago. Davis transitioned from football to rugby after he finished up his college career at SMU. Now, he hopes to continue to make a name for himself in the sport of Rugby while also proving to kids in Hawaii that anything can be accomplished as long as you train and believe in yourself. 'I just hope that, you know, kids back home can know that, you know, anything's possible and you can always compete at the highest level. You just got to apply yourself and do the best that you can,' said Davis. Houston will finish the regular season this week as they will take on Anthem RC on Sunday, June 8th at 2pm HT on ESPN+. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
