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WAC threatens basketball tournament ban if Utah Valley doesn't pay $1 million by 5 pm

Byington mugby: Alex Byington03/10/26_AlexByington

The Western Athletic Conference has threatened to bar Utah Valley from this week’s WAC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Las Vegas if the program doesn’t pay a court-ordered $1 million exit fee for leaving the conference. The WAC has placed a deadline of 5 pm MT for Utah Valley University to comply.

The WAC sued Utah Valley in Texas on Feb. 2 to recoup a $1 million conference exit fee after the Wolverines opted to join the Big West Conference later this summer. Utah Valley accepted a bid to join the Big West in June 2025 and will make the formal move at the end of the current academic year.

“As of this time, Utah Valley University has not complied with a Utah judge’s order that directs Utah Valley University to place $1 million in escrow with the court — the amount of their agreed-upon exit fee from the Western Athletic Conference,” the league statement read on X/Twitter. “As the court ordered preliminary injunction is contingent upon that directive, the WAC Board of Directors has instructed the commissioner to plan for the men’s and women’s WAC basketball tournaments without Utah Valley University, as it would be a member not in good standing.

“The conference will release new brackets if the university does not comply with the court’s directive within the order by 5 pm MT on Tuesday, March 10,” the statement continued. “The conference regrets that the intentional actions of Utah Valley University have caused uncertainty and harm for institutions, student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans across the WAC — including at Utah Valley University.”

Two weeks ago, a local Utah judge granted Utah Valley a 14-day temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on Feb. 25 that allowed Wolverines student athletes to continue participating in WAC athletic competition — including postseason tournaments — according to KSL.com. It also allowed all UVU teams to be eligible for postseason league honors. The same Orem (Utah) court then granted the university’s request for an extended injunction on Friday that would allow the men’s and women’s basketball teams to play in this week’s WAC tournaments, per KSL.com. But the conference alleges in its statement Tuesday that part of that Utah court order required UVU to place $1 million into escrow to be held by the court, something the WAC claims hasn’t happened as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Utah Valley men’s basketball team claimed the No. 1 overall seed and was set to tip off against Utah Tech at 6 pm PT Thursday in the tournament quarterfinals after the Wolverines won a second consecutive regular-season conference championship at 24-7 overall and 14-4 in conference play. The Utah Valley women’s team is the No. 4 seed and scheduled to tip off against Tarleton State at 12 pm PT Thursday in the WAC women’s tournament quarterfinals. Both tournaments are being held inside the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.