Report: Denver, Texas San Antonio, Texas State to join Western Athletic Conference

The University of Denver, Texas San Antonio and Texas State will join the Western Athletic Conference in 2012-13 to offset the departures of Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada to the Mountain West, ESPN.com reported on Wednesday.

Texas San Antonio, which needs official approval from the board of regents, and Texas State will join in all sports. Denver will join for all sports except for football because the Pioneers don’t play at the FBS level. ESPN.com based its report on multiple sources.

The WAC will have eight schools for football and nine for men’s and women’s basketball. The new schools will join Hawaii, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, New Mexico State, Utah State and San Jose State.

An announcement is expected Thursday from the WAC.

The ESPN.com report also said Montana could also join the WAC in all sports, especially if the Grizzlies decide to move up from FCS to FBS in football.

Another bowl game for Pac-12

The expanded Pacific 12 Conference has agreed to send a team to the New Mexico Bowl in 2012 and 2013, pending approval by the NCAA’s licensing committee, to play a Mountain West opponent.

The Pac-10 is expanding its membership next season from 10 schools to 12, picking up Colorado and Utah.

The fifth annual New Mexico Bowl, featuring teams from the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conference, is scheduled for Dec. 18 in Albuquerque.