STEPHENVILLE – For the first time in program history, Tarleton State Athletics earned fifth place in the WAC Commissioner’s Cup, posting 92.7 points in 2023-24, their final year of NCAA Division I reclassification.
Tarleton State had five sports earn at least fifth place and the Texan baseball program earned the university’s first WAC Tournament Championship. The fifth-place finish is the highest by the Texans during their four years of reclassification. The Texans had surpassed their previous best mark by over 70 points. The Purple and White had 14 of their 15 possible sports compete in the WAC postseason, the most in the past four seasons.
Tarleton Baseball finished just one game back behind second place, earning the fifth seed in the WAC Tournament at Hohokam Stadium. In a run for the ages, the Texans reached the championship after knocking off the top seeds in the second and third round before securing the title against California Baptist. The squad won its first three games and won the WAC Championship with a 5-1 record.
Texan Men’s Basketball earned the tied-highest regular season finish of all Tarleton sports this season. This year’s squad earned the program’s first trip to the WAC Semifinals and the most conference wins in program history finishing the regular season 23-8 overall and 16-4 in the WAC. Women’s Tennis also took second in the WAC regular season and earned their second consecutive trip to the WAC title match to finish WAC runners-up in back-to-back seasons.
In the first year of the United Athletic Conference, a football conference combining the Atlantic Sun and the WAC, the Texans tied for second. Tarleton posted an 8-3 overall record and a 4-2 conference record, both the best in the Texans’ D1 era. Nationally, the Texans ranked in the top-28 in seven polls at the end of the year, including 16th in the College Football Poll.
Men’s Golf carded a fourth-place performance in their second WAC Championship since the revival of the program last season. The Texans improved from a 10th place finish In 2023. Women’s Golf also posted an impressive score at the WAC Championships finishing fifth, the highest finish in program history.
A pair of programs earned their first WAC Tournament appearances. Texan Volleyball earned the sixth seed in the WAC Tournament after posting seven wins in WAC play, their most in the first four seasons since joining the league. In the first season of the Bill Brock era, Tarleton Women’s Basketball earned its first bid to the postseason. The Texans earned a victory over ACU in the first round for their first D1 conference tournament win.
Grand Canyon earned its fourth straight Commissioner’s Cup title, and its sixth in past seven years. GCU posted 159.9 points, 30 more than second-place California Baptist (129.4 points). Utah Valley earned third place posting 116.5 total points. The only other reclassifying institution, Utah Tech finished in ninth, 15 points behind the Texans.
The WAC Commissioner’s Cup is awarded to the institution with the most points scored at the end of the academic year. Schools count their top 14 finishes out of a possible 20 WAC-sponsored sports (including members who compete in the United Athletic Conference for football). Points are awarded in order of finish in each sport. An institution that does not sponsor a specific sport does not receive any points. Only the regular season is counted for the sports of soccer, volleyball, football, basketball, tennis, softball and baseball. For the sports of cross country, indoor track and field, swimming and diving, golf and outdoor track and field, points are determined using the WAC’s championship results. Affiliates are used as a placeholder in the standings or championship results but are not scored in the overall Commissioner’s Cup standings.
Any team (except for golf) that earns an NCAA AQ from a WAC Championship is also awarded two points. Teams advancing in the NCAA tournament receive an additional two points per round advanced. An individual national champion will earn their program two additional points, while an individual runner-up or third-place finisher will earn their program one additional point.
2023-24 WAC Commissioner’s Cup Final Standings (Adjusted to top 14 countable sports)
1. Grand Canyon –159.9 points
2. California Baptist – 129.4 points
3. Utah Valley – 116.5 points
4. UT Arlington – 113.1 points
5. Tarleton State – 92.7 points
6. Seattle U – 91.0 points
7. Abilene Christian – 86.9 points
8. Southern Utah – 78.2 points
9. Utah Tech – 77.6 points
10. Stephen F. Austin – 68.7 points
11. UTRGV – 60.5 points
Past Champions
2022-23: Grand Canyon
2021-22: Grand Canyon
2020-21: Grand Canyon
2019-20: Utah Valley
2018-19: Grand Canyon
2017-18: Grand Canyon
2016-17: NM State
2015-16: NM State
2014-15: NM State
2013-14: Idaho
2012-13: UTSA
2011-12: Fresno State
2010-11: Boise State
2009-10: Boise State
2008-09: Fresno State
2007-08: Fresno State
2006-07: Nevada
2005-06: Boise State
2004-05: Rice
2003-04: Rice
2002-03: SMU
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