COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference announced today that Washington State University will become an affiliate member for baseball and women’s swimming for two years, beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
The Cougars will be eligible for postseason MW championships and awards in both sports and the league’s automatic NCAA bid in baseball.
Washington State’s addition will increase the number of MW schools that sponsor baseball to eight, as the Cougars will join Air Force, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San José State and UNLV in representing the Conference on the diamond. Led by first-year head coach Nathan Choate, the Cougars entered the 2024 season with 2,801 all-time wins, the 13th-most in NCAA history.
The addition of Washington State, which does not sponsor diving, will give the Mountain West 10 women’s swimming programs. The Cougars will join Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San José State, UNLV, and Wyoming as league swimming programs. Washington State sent a pair of swimmers to the NCAA Championships this season, with sophomore Emily Lundgren earning the program’s first All-America citation since 2007.
Washington State becomes the third affiliate member of the Mountain West, joining Colorado College (women’s soccer) and Hawai‘i (football).
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