The post-breakup WAC quickly added a new member in the University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada), which joined from the Big West in 2000. Later that year, the Big West announced that it would no longer play football. Four of that conference's schools—Boise State University, the University of Idaho, New Mexico State University, and Utah State University—wanted to keep playing football. Boise State was immediately accepted by the WAC, joining in 2001. Louisiana Tech University also joined the WAC alongside Boise State. The three other Big West football schools did not join the WAC at that time.