The 2012 Western Athletic Conference football season was the 51st and final college football season for the Western Athletic Conference in the top level of NCAA football, known since 2006 as Division I FBS. Seven teams competed in the 2012 season: Idaho, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Texas State, Utah State, and UTSA. Utah State went undefeated against its conference opponents to become, at the time, the final WAC conference champion. It was also chosen to represent the WAC in one of its two bowl berths; conference runner-up San Jose State was chosen to fill the conference's other bowl berth.
Due to a major wave of departures that hit the WAC hard over the previous three seasons, the 2012 WAC football season marked what was at that time the conference's final season sponsoring football. Before the season began, San Jose State and Utah State announced they would be leaving to join several other former WAC schools in the Mountain West Conference. Louisiana Tech and UTSA joined several other schools in moving to Conference USA after the season, which also contains several former WAC members. Texas State moved to the Sun Belt Conference. Idaho and New Mexico State joined Notre Dame, Army, Navy, and BYU as FBS independents for 2013 before becoming Sun Belt football-only members in 2014 (Idaho left the WAC entirely as part of the realignment; while electing to keep their football team as a Bowl Subdivision member, the Vandals returned to the Big Sky Conference for other sports).
The WAC will reinstate football in the fall 2021 season, but at the second level of NCAA football, Division I FCS. For more information on the revival of WAC football, see the section of the main conference page that discusses this development.
Rankings
Regular season
Week One
Week Two
All-WAC Teams
First Team
Offense
QB Colby CameronâÂÂLouisiana Tech
RB Kenneth DixonâÂÂLouisiana Tech
RB Kerwynn WilliamsâÂÂUtah State
WR Quinton PattonâÂÂLouisiana Tech
WR Austin FranklinâÂÂNew Mexico State
TE Ryan OttenâÂÂSan Jose State
OL Steven WarnerâÂÂLouisiana Tech
OL David QuessenberryâÂÂSan Jose State
OL Tyler LarsenâÂÂUtah State
OL Davonte WallaceâÂÂNew Mexico State
OL Eric SchultzâÂÂUtah State
Defense
DL Travis JohnsonâÂÂSan Jose State
DL Travis RacitiâÂÂSan Jose State
DL Anthony LarcevalâÂÂSan Jose State
DL IK EnemkpaliâÂÂLouisiana Tech
LB Trashaun NixonâÂÂNew Mexico State
LB Keith SmithâÂÂSan Jose State
LB Kyler FackrellâÂÂUtah State
DB Bené BenwikereâÂÂSan Jose State
DB Will DavisâÂÂUtah State
DB Gary WalkerâÂÂIdaho
DB Dave ClarkâÂÂLouisiana Tech
Specialists
PK Austin LopezâÂÂSan Jose State
P Ryan AllenâÂÂLouisiana Tech
KR D. J. BanksâÂÂLouisiana Tech
PR Cameron Webb-Utah State
Second Team
Offense
QB Chuckie KeetonâÂÂUtah State
RB De'Leon EskridgeâÂÂSan Jose State
RB Ray HolleyâÂÂLouisiana Tech
WR Myles WhiteâÂÂLouisiana Tech
WR Chandler JonesâÂÂSan Jose State
WR Kermonte BartlettâÂÂNew Mexico State
TE Kellen BartlettâÂÂUtah State
OL Jordan MillsâÂÂLouisiana Tech
OL Scott InskeepâÂÂUTSA
OL Oscar JohnsonâÂÂLouisiana Tech
OL Mike MarboeâÂÂIdaho
OL Nicholas KasparâÂÂSan Jose State
Defense
DL David TuitupouâÂÂSan Jose State
DL Jordan NielsenâÂÂUtah State
DL Franky AnayaâÂÂUTSA
DL Al LapuahoâÂÂUtah State
LB Vince BuhagiarâÂÂSan Jose State
LB Jake DoughtyâÂÂUtah State
LB Brandon ReevesâÂÂUTSA
LB Joplo BartuâÂÂTexas State
DB Jeremy HarrisâÂÂNew Mexico State
DB Chad BoydâÂÂLouisiana Tech
DB David CazaresâÂÂNew Mexico State
DB Triston WadeâÂÂUTSA
Specialists
PK Trey FarquharâÂÂIdaho
P Cayle Chapman-BrownâÂÂNew Mexico State
KR Chuck JacobsâÂÂUtah State
PR D.J. Banks-Louisiana Tech
Players of the year
Offense
Colby CameronâÂÂLouisiana Tech
Defense
Travis JohnsonâÂÂSan Jose State
Freshman
Kenneth DixonâÂÂLouisiana Tech
Coach of the year
Gary AndersenâÂÂUtah State
Bowl games
Home attendance
Louisiana Tech's home game against Texas A&M was played at the 49,427-seat Independence Stadium in Shreveport.
References