2021 WAC Expansion Announcement SALT LAKE CITY — As WAC commissioner Jeff Hurd walked away from a video conference call Thursday after his league had announced an expansion to 13 teams and reinstating football, he pumped his fist and — with the fervor only captured on a hot mic — shouted, "I think we hit a home run today." For the state of Utah, he certainly did. The presence of the Beehive State was felt when the Western Athletic Conference was founded 58 years ago as a six-team league comprising BYU, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, New Mexico and Wyoming. Nearly six decades later — and around 30 membership changes — those roots in the Beehive State run deeper than ever.