Utah Valley University Statement on WAC Litigation

Up until this point, Utah Valley University (UVU) has refrained  from publicly commenting on its current dispute with the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), and instead presented its case in court. Recent public statements from the WAC, however, have compelled UVU to clarify through the following public statement:  
  
UVU and the WAC are involved in litigation over UVU’s impending exit from the WAC as of July 1, 2026, and the WAC’s failure to pay UVU approximately $2.3 million which amount includes NCAA distributions UVU student athletes have earned. These funds are vital to support and administer athletics at the university.  
  
Based on an agreement reached between the WAC and its members on June 21, 2024, UVU does not believe it is required to pay an exit fee in connection with its departure from the WAC; this is because the university fulfilled its obligation to remain in the conference through June 30, 2026. Nevertheless, the WAC sued UVU in Texas, seeking payment of a $1 million exit fee, and has attempted on multiple occasions to bar UVU from the WAC post-season tournaments until it is paid. UVU immediately and properly challenged the jurisdiction of a Texas court to decide these critical legal issues for Utah’s largest public university.   
  
UVU also counter-sued the WAC and successfully secured two injunction orders from Utah’s Fourth Judicial District Court (the “Court”). The first order was a temporary restraining order, issued on February  24, 2026, that lasted for 14 days. The second order, a preliminary injunction, was issued on March 6, 2026.  
  
Specifically, the March 6, 2026, ruling and order entering a preliminary injunction (“preliminary injunction order”) ordered the following:  
  
1. Defendant, Western Athletic Conference (“WAC”), is hereby ORDERED to immediately reinstate UVU to all WAC-sponsored media broadcasts;  
2. The WAC is further ORDERED to permit all UVU teams and student-athletes  participate in all upcoming WAC and NCAA post-season tournaments and/or  championships; and  
3. The WAC is further ORDERED to reinstate the eligibility of UVU teams, coaches, and student-athletes for post-season awards consideration.  
  
To be clear, UVU has not paid a settlement or an exit fee to the WAC. While litigation is pending, and as part of the legal proceedings, UVU has agreed to place $1 million in an escrow account overseen by the Court. If UVU prevails in the litigation, that $1 million will be returned to UVU.  
  
On March 10, 2026, the WAC published a unilateral declaration and self-imposed deadline concerning the aforementioned $1 million payment. The Court had not established a deadline. Moreover, in UVU’s interpretation, the action threatened by the WAC to bar UVU from the related basketball tournaments would have been an overt violation of the Court’s preliminary injunction order.  
  
In an order issued on March 11, 2026, the Court stated that ”The Utah 4th District Court is in receipt of the escrow funds referenced in this Court’s order granting preliminary injunction issued March 6, 2026. Upon issuance of the March 6th ruling, Utah Valley University was immediately in contact with the Court seeking direction as to how to place funds on account. Once the court properly instructed UVU as to the deposit mechanisms, escrow funds were deposited as soon as practicable.” Despite the WAC’s public misrepresentation, UVU has always been and will remain in compliance with any court’s orders.    
  
UVU will continue to defend its student-athletes’ rights to compete, and looks forward to a speedy resolution to the matter.