Finally: a win for swimming in the murky world of college athletics.

Today, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) announced that they would resume sponsorship of men’s swimming beginning with the 2013-2014 season, meaning that 2014 will see a WAC men’s team crowned as champions for the first time since 2000.

After all of the realignment dust settles, three full-time WAC member schools will sponsor men’s swimming: CSU-Bakersfield, Seattle, and Grand Canyon in their first season of Division I swimming.

The conference will also include four affiliate members: Air Force, UNLV, North Dakota, and Wyoming, making a sturdy 7-member conference.

“We are excited about the reinstatement of men’s swimming and diving to the Western Athletic Conference,” said Jeff Hurd, WAC Interim Commissioner. “We look forward to one of our original sports returning to the WAC and watching these teams work toward winning a conference championship.”

The championship will be reborn in late February at the Palo Alto College Aquatic Center in San Antonio.

The addition of two new full-time mebers next year who sponsor the sport is likely what spurred the move, as CSU-Bakersfield and Grand Canyon will join Seattle. All of the members of the conference, aside from Grand Canyon, had been in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. That conference, barring other moves, will still be left with three members: BYU, Hawaii, and Pacific. Denver will join the Summit League.

The all-time WAC team championship record book doesn’t include any members of the reformed group of 7, though Wyoming, Air Force, and UNLV all competed in the conference at one point.

All time WAC Team Champions:

Utah – 22

Arizona – 4

SMU – 4

BYU – 3

Hawaii – 2

New Mexico – 2

Colorado State – 1

1962-63: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1963-64: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1964-65: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1965-66: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1966-67: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1967-68: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1968-69: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1969-70: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1970-71: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1971-72: Colorado State-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1972-73: New Mexico-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1973-74: Brigham Young-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1974-75: Arizona-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1975-76: Arizona-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1976-77: Arizona-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1977-78: Arizona-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1978-79: Brigham Young-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1979-80: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1980-81: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1981-82: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1982-83: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1983-84: Hawaii-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1984-85: Hawaii-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1985-86: New Mexico-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1986-87: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1987-88: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1988-89: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1989-90: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1990-91: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1991-92: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1992-93: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1993-94: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1994-95: Utah-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1995-96: Brigham Young-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1996-97: SMU-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1997-98: SMU-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1998-99: SMU-Men’s Swimming & Diving

1999-00: SMU-Men’s Swimming & Diving