The Utah Valley men’s and women’s basketball teams will not be allowed to play in this week’s Western Athletic Conference tournaments, the league announced Tuesday, as part of a legal argument that could hinge on the word “then.” That lone word and a ticking timeline for a $1 million escrow payment threaten the NCAA Tournament hopes of Utah Valley’s top-seeded men’s team.
The dispute stems from separate lawsuits between Utah Valley and the WAC over exit fees as the Wolverines plan to leave for the Big West starting in the 2026-27 season.
A statement from the WAC Board of Directors pic.twitter.com/Rq2djx5Nqb
— The Western Athletic Conference (@WACsports) March 10, 2026
On Feb. 24, Utah’s Fourth District Court granted the school a 14-day temporary restraining order to allow the Wolverines to participate in the WAC’s indoor track and field championships and continue to broadcast their games on ESPN+, the WAC’s media partner. Judge Denise M. Porter wrote that Utah Valley “was and is being damaged by suffering harms” if the school can’t participate in conference championships. On Saturday, the court granted a preliminary injunction that effectively extended the TRO, allowing the Wolverines to keep playing in conference events during the litigation. It also directed — not ordered — the school to give $1 million for the court to hold during the dispute.
Here’s where semantics come in. In a court filing Tuesday, the WAC pointed to the court’s previous ruling. If Utah Valley gave the money for the court to hold, the court “then GRANTS UVU an injunction.”
If not? Then, according to the WAC’s filing, the injunction is not in effect; the 14-day TRO would be, and it expires Tuesday at 5 p.m. MT.
“Consequently,” the WAC’s filing said, “if UVU does not pay the $1,000,000 to the Court by 4:45 p.m. on March 10, 2026, the Temporary Restraining Order will expire, the Preliminary Injunction will not be in effect, and UVU will have no right to participate in the WAC’s awards or post-season tournaments and championships.”
Utah Valley responded in a court filing from the state’s attorney general. It said the WAC’s threatened action “would be an overt violation” of the court’s injunction. It also said the school was awaiting direction from the court on how to deposit the $1 million.
Neither the WAC nor Utah Valley immediately returned requests for comment.
The WAC basketball tournament starts Wednesday at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and runs through Saturday. Utah Valley’s men won the regular-season title, earning the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and a bye to the semifinals; the Wolverines are scheduled to play Friday at 7 p.m MT. The women are scheduled to play Thursday at 1 p.m.
The conference said if Utah Valley hadn’t paid the exit fee by 5 p.m. Tuesday, it would re-bracket the men’s and women’s tournaments.
The WAC has just seven basketball teams, which leads to an unbalanced conference tournament bracket. The first and second seeds receive byes to the semifinals, while the No. 3 seed has a bye to the quarterfinals, where it plays the winner of the 6-7 game; the No. 4 and 5 seeds play in the other quarterfinal, with the winner advancing to play the top seed.