The two remaining schools, Utah Valley and Cal State Bakersfield, had been linked with moves to the WAC as softball affiliates. However, after a massive wave of departures from that conference set for 2013 placed its future existence in doubt, the WAC invited both to join as full members beginning in 2013–14, with both accepting. Although the WAC sponsored softball, the aforementioned turnover left it with too few softball-sponsoring schools to qualify for an automatic bid to the NCAA championship. Originally both schools accepted associate membership in the WCC for softball effective in 2013–14, while also maintaining softball membership in the WAC. However the addition of Grand Canyon brought the WAC back up to the 6 teams needed to still sponsor softball, allowing Utah Valley and Cal State Bakersfield to join the WAC full-time for softball.