ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Venues and dates for the 2025-26 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships have officially been set for the upcoming academic year and UT Arlington once again will be the host site for three different sport championships.
 
The men’s and women’s cross country championships will be hosted by the Mavericks on October 31, 2025 from the Harold Patterson Complex in Arlington. This will be the first time UTA has hosted a conference championship for cross country since 1992 when they hosted the Southland Conference Championships at Vandergriff Park.
 
For the second year in a row, the Mavs will host the women’s tennis championships as well as the men’s and women’s outdoor track and field championships. 
 
The women’s tennis championships will take place at the Arlington Tennis Center starting on April 17, and running through April 18.
 
From May 14-16, the men’s and women’s outdoor track and field championships will return to Maverick Stadium.
 
Below is the entire 2025-26 WAC Championships schedule with dates and host sites:
 
2025 Women’s Tennis Invitational
Oct. 16-18
St. George, Utah/Utah Tech
Trailblazer Tennis Courts
 
2025 Cross Country (M/W)
Oct. 31
Arlington/UT Arlington
Harold Patterson Complex
 
2025 Women’s Soccer

Nov. 5 & 8
Orem, Utah/Utah Valley
UCCU Stadium
Four Teams
 
2025 Men’s Soccer

Nov. 9, 12 & 15
Riverside, California/California Baptist
Lancer Soccer Field
Six Teams
 
2025 Volleyball
Nov. 20-22
Abilene/Abilene Christian
Moody Coliseum
 
2026 Indoor Track & Field (M/W)
Feb. 27-28
Spokane, Washington/WAC
The Podium
 
2026 Basketball (M/W)
March 11-14
Las Vegas, Nevada/WAC
Orleans Arena
 
2026 Women’s Tennis
April 17-18
Arlington/UT Arlington
Arlington Tennis Center
Four Teams
 
2026 Women’s Golf
April 20-22
McKinney/WAC
The Clubs of Stonebridge Ranch
 
2026 Men’s Golf
April 27-29
McKinney/WAC
The Clubs of Stonebridge Ranch
 
2026 University Credit Union Softball
May 6-9
Stephenville/Tarleton State
Tarleton Softball Complex
Six Teams
 
2026 Outdoor Track & Field (M/W)
May 14-16
Arlington/UT Arlington
Maverick Stadium
 
2026 University Credit Union Baseball
May 19-23
Mesa, Arizona/WAC
Hohokam Stadium
Six Teams
 

— #BuckEm —

 
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Recently, Zion Chapel High School announced the hiring of alumnus Faith (Dewberry) Bates as the school’s new head volleyball coach. 

Bates played volleyball and softball and went on to graduate from Troy University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Athletic Training. During her time at Troy, Bates interned as an athletic trainer with Troy’s football, volleyball, soccer and basketball programs. 

“I went to Troy to be an athletic trainer and I’ve been around athletics since high school,” Bates said. “It’s just one of those things almost like a ministry, being around sports and seeing the coaching side of things made me want to pursue (coaching). Ethan Deal mentioned my name (to the principal) and they contacted me and it all sort of laid out in a way where it just felt right for me to come back to Zion Chapel.” 

Over the last several years, Zion Chapel has had a number of volleyball coaches and Bates said she wants to bring some consistency to the position. 

“I would love for these girls to just have some stability,” she said. “The last few years it’s been sort of a revolving door (of coaches) and I feel like they know I’m coming in with high expectations. The talent is there, I think the girls have more talent at Zion Chapel than they’ve had in a long time across all athletics right now.”

Bates is trying to develop a cohesive team as she takes over the program.

“My goal is to get them to play as a team and play to the ability they have,” she continued. “I want them to have the confidence and trust in themselves that they can be a winning team and play up to their highest potential.”

Bates said the Lady Rebels got a taste of their potential at a recent team camp.

“As soon as I started, the next week we started workouts and started practicing in July,” said Bates. “It’s been going really well. We went to a team camp at the beginning of July in Enterprise at Deep South Volleyball. It was really our first chance to play together and I think the girls surprised themselves.

“With the little practice we had had, they picked things up so quickly. It was a good place to see the potential they have and what we can be with some more tweaking.”

“After multiple conversations with my family, friends and director of athletics Jeramiah Dickey, I have decided to step away from my coaching role at Boise State to focus on my family,” Voigt said. “I’ve been blessed to work with the best student-athletes, coaches and staff members during my time with this program and am so grateful for all the relationships that I’ve developed here. I am extremely proud of all that we accomplished as a program in my time here and am looking forward to seeing what’s next for this program as its number one fan.”

The winningest coach in program history, Voigt has amassed a 119-63 career coaching record since taking over the program prior to the 2019 season, and guided the squad through conference play after joining the SLC before the 2023 year.

After finishing as a runner-up in the first two years as members of the Southland Conference, the reigning SLC Coach of the Year led the Broncos to their first regular season and conference tournament championship this past season. The tournament title earned the Broncos an automatic spot to the 16-team NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championship for the first time in program history.

Under her leadership, she has built the program to become one of the perennial powers in the West, having won 20+ games over the past four seasons. Boise State has recorded a 26-7 season record against conference foes under her tenure, including a 12-1 mark this past season. She has also maintained a dominance on the Broncos’ home sand, leading the squad to an 20-dual winning streak dating back to the 2021 season.

“Allison is a tremendous human, and we’re grateful for her leadership for the last seven years with our beach volleyball program and 10 years total at Boise State,” said Jeramiah Dickey, Boise State Director of Athletics. “When she let me know of her decision to step down, the conversation was incredibly emotional. It shows how much she cares about being a Bronco, and what this program means to her. But it also shows how much she loves being a mom to Hallie and Tobin and a wife to Brandon. I’m proud of her choosing what’s best for them, and know she is going to continue to be an elite mother. She was a Bar Raiser for us, setting up our program for future competitive excellence as highlighted by this past year’s trip to the NCAA Tournament and conference title.”

Since joining the SLC prior to the 2023 season, Voigt has coached 12 all-conference pairs, including nine first-team duos – the most in the conference in that time frame. Voigt helped Boise State become the first team in conference history to have its entire starting lineup earn all-conference recognition following the 2024 season. In three years of SLC play, Bronco duos have taken home SLC Pair of the Week honors 10 times. Additionally, Boise State has claimed back-to-back Newcomer of the Year honors, and claimed the league’s top pair in 2024.

Though success has been a staple of Voigt’s leadership, she is also well-known for her dedication to developing student-athletes off the sand as well. The Broncos’ have had back-to-back SLC Student-Athletes of the Year, and have earned the AVCA Team Academic award in every season she has been a head coach. She also helped one of her student-athletes, Makayla Dimond, become the first Boise State student-athlete to pursue a nursing degree while concurrently participating in a sport.

“I’m a full believer that collegiate athletics shouldn’t take people away from their passion or what they want to do career-wise,” Voigt said. “Yes, I’m a coach, and believe me I want to win as much as possible. But I also see this role as a mentor, someone that can make an impact on a young woman’s life. That’s really important to me.”

Voigt came to the Treasure Valley in 2016 to serve as an assistant coach on Boise State’s indoor team, before assuming the head coaching role of the Boise State beach team in 2019.

Voigt graduated in 2012 from New Mexico, where she was a decorated player on the Lobos’ indoor volleyball team. As a collegiate athlete, she earned a number of accolades during her junior and senior seasons including: AVCA All-America Honorable-Mention and first-team AVCA All-West Region honors, both in 2011; as well as being a two-time All-MW honoree in 2010 and 2011 as the MW Libero of the Year; and served as a team captain her senior year. The native of Camas, Wash., also excelled in the classroom where she was a four-time Academic All-MW award recipient.

To this day, Voigt still holds New Mexico’s career dig record (1,630), single-season dig record with 561 (in 2011), and single-game dig record (36, twice).

 

“We brought her up on varsity with that success and she even started several games when our starting center, Alexis Price was injured,” added Harris. “Amanda played an important complimentary role on that team in her sophomore year.”

With that important role on the 2022-’23 varsity team she earned the Rookie of the Year Award.

Velazquez became a full-time starter on varsity in her junior year on a senior heavy team.

She averaged 6.4 points per game along with 7.9 rebounds per game, 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Highlighting her year, she had a game with 14 points and 20 rebounds against Villa Park.

After that season, she was chosen as Varsity Most Improved Player and was also chosen as All-Tournament in the Downey Classic.

“Throughout the season Amanda showed great leadership on our team,” Harris added. “She worked hard, communicated with teammates, cheered them on, and really showed the younger girls what it means to be a Viking.”

Amanda averaged a double-double that season with 10.3 points and 11.3 rebounds.

Highlighting her season, Velazquez scored 16 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Vista Murrieta in the Sunny Hills Tournament and another double-double (14 pts., 20 RB) in a must-win Gateway League game in double overtime over Gahr. It was a game the Vikings needed to win to make the CIF playoffs.

In the playoffs, Velazquez continued her hot hand with another double-double (17-17) in a 55-47 3AA first round win over Arcadia and the team continued its run to the quarterfinals.

With her senior year completed, Velazquez racked up the awards which included, Downey Athlete of the Week, varsity Most Inspirational, MVP and Gateway All-League First Team selection.

Also in her senior year, a new sport was born – Flag Football – and she became an integral part of the defense for coach Chuck Lozano.

“Amanda was an amazing player for us,” Lozano said. “She was the anchor on our defense and demonstrated excellent leadership skills.”

She led the team with seven interceptions and even played some time at the quarterback position, throwing for 164 yards (12 for 20) and four TDs. For her efforts she was chosen as the team defensive MVP and was 2nd team in the Gateway League. The team finished 17-8 overall and was second to Warren with a 7-1 record in league.

“Honestly, I kind of walked into it not really knowing what we were getting into,” she said. “It was a new sport and everyone was excited and as soon as I started summer camp, I realized these coaches knew what they were doing and we kind of had a bond already. It was a cool experience and such a good feeling, and it was exciting.

“Every time we stepped on the field we meant business. We didn’t care that it was our first year and other schools already had experience with the sport. We played with heart and grit, and I loved every part of that season.”

Amanda tried a third sport in her junior year, joining the track and field team participating in the high jump.

What they said:

Chuck Lozano, Downey Flag Football coach: “Amanda had a competitive spirit at all times that fueled our team on game day. She started the season slow but the day she stepped on the field, she became our leader on defense. Amanda was extremely talented and a great player, but an even better person.”

Nate Harris, Downey Basketball coach: “Amanda kept working and in her senior year she was the only returning varsity player on a very young and inexperienced team,” Harris said. “She did an amazing job leading our team to the quarterfinals of CIF.”

Tyler Harris

Harris, who has been playing basketball and volleyball in the Downey gymnasium since he was a young child, culminated that long journey with the prestigious award.

“Winning Athlete of the Year is very well deserved,” said second-year Downey Boys Basketball coach Tyler Ellis. “It is a reflection of the countless hours and dedication that Tyler has put in over his four-year career at Downey, in both basketball and volleyball.

“Tyler has joined some elite company of basketball players here at Downey, with all his accomplishments, and it is very well deserved.

Harris became the second member of the Harris family to be named Athlete of the Year, as his sister Hailey received the honor in 2021, following a successful career at Downey playing softball, basketball and volleyball.

A huge accomplishment by the 6-ft. 5-in. senior wing was joining the 1,000-point club at the school this past season. He scored 489 points in his junior year and 596 this year for a total of 1,089 points. He also grabbed over 500 rebounds in his three years on varsity. (Point totals and rebounds were not available for his sophomore season).

“It (the award) was actually a surreal feeling,” Harris said. “It caught me by surprise there was so many great people that could have been selected. It was definitely crazy, especially my sister (Hailey) also won Athlete of the Year, so the fact that I could win it as well was kind of a family thing.

“Not many parents can say that and with all the great Downey athletes before me, I felt completely honored and extremely thankful. It was a time of my life that I will never forget here at Downey.

“Getting into the 1,000-point club was really crazy because it doesn’t happen often. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity that I could even make it to that point.”

Asked how he felt about winning, he added, “I definitely had some pressure (from sister Hailey winning the award) to get to that standard, but I wanted to make my own legacy at Downey. She had her turn but now it’s mine.”

He also played volleyball and was on the varsity his junior and senior seasons playing under Downey Boys Volleyball coach Matt Lostetter.

“Playing two sports at Downey was challenging at times because of all the early mornings and late nights,” Harris said. “But I knew it was building good habits for me and my future. It was an experience like no other and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

Lostetter said of Harris receiving the award: “I think (the award) is well deserved,” Lostetter said. “He’s been a Downey athlete for four years. It’s probably been longer than four years. I’ve seen him in and out of the gym since he was a kid. He’s been playing volleyball and basketball forever.

“Every time he would transition from basketball to volleyball, he always came at it with such a passion. His last two years (junior and senior years) he said ‘what I can I do more to prepare me more for basketball and indoor volleyball’, so he jumped on the sand (Beach Volleyball) with us. He would go from the sand, straight to the court for basketball and right back to indoor volleyball. He’s constantly hungry and to improve himself to be competitive.”

In a major deal, Fox Sports is linking up with the digital media company Barstool Sports and its founder Dave Portnoy, in what Portnoy calls a “wide-ranging” deal.

Portnoy hosted an “emergency press conference” Thursday (he usually hosts them when discussing news about himself or his company), revealing that Barstool would be teaming with Fox on the effort, while pushing his Michigan Wolverines.

“This is the 1st time in our illustrious and notorious history that we’ve got a Tv partner we believe in and believes in us,” Portnoy posted. “I can’t wait to see what we create together.”

The deal will see Portnoy and other Barstool personalities join Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff college football show, with Barstool also set to create a new two-hour studio show that will air on Fox Sports 1 Monday-Friday, per Fox.

In addition, the Barstool College Football Show will stream on Fox Sports digital channels and Tubi ahead of Fox’s own pre-game show, with a college basketball show to follow later this year. The company will also work together to produce digital content featuring Fox and Barstool personalities.

“We’re excited to welcome Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to the Fox Sports family,” said Eric Shanks, CEO & executive producer for Fox Sports. “Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans – authentic, bold, and original. Their unique voice and loyal fanbase makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy.”

“Everybody at Barstool is super excited to partner with the Fox Sports Family,” added Portnoy, Barstool Sports Owner and Founder. “In our two-decade history, we’ve never had the chance to work with so much talent and resources.  We can’t wait to collab and bring our voice to Fox Sports’ airwaves. See ya soon in Columbus.”

Portnoy, who founded Barstool in 2003, had sold the company to the gambling company Penn Entertainment for more than $550 million. But when Penn inked a deal with ESPN to launch ESPN bet, it sold the company back to Portnoy for $1.

Portnoy and Barstool signed with UTA for representation last year.

Barstool previously had a show on ESPN, though the program was canceled after one episode back in 2017 after the network received heat from the partnership.

IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference today announced the following hiring and promotion:

Nick Bowes has been named the Conference’s new Chief Financial Officer. He joins the Big 12 from the University of Louisville, where he served as Deputy Athletic Director and CFO. Bowes previously held senior leadership roles at USC as Senior Associate AD and COO, and at the University of Cincinnati as Senior Associate AD for Internal Affairs / CFO.

Current Big 12 CFO Catrina Gibson has elected to transition into a consulting role for the Big 12 Conference, effective August 1. Gibson’s eight years of service as CFO for the Big 12 saw her play a crucial role in multiple pivotal moments for the league, including the onboarding of eight new members over the last two years.

In addition to Bowes’ hiring, Sean Desmond has been promoted to Chief Revenue Officer. Desmond joined the Big 12 in 2023, and has since managed a variety of ticket and sponsorship endeavors for the league that has elevated the Conference in the commercial space. 

“I’m thrilled to welcome Nick to the Big 12 family. His experience across multiple Power Four athletic departments is a testament to his skill set and expertise, and I look forward to working with him,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “I’d also like to thank Catrina Gibson for eight years of dedicated service to the Big 12. She has played a crucial role in the league’s success, and I look forward to her continued contributions as a consultant. Additionally, I’m pleased to elevate Sean Desmond to Chief Revenue Officer, where he will play a central role in the Big 12’s continued prioritization of the commercial space.”