ARLINGTON, Texas >> Texas-Arlington is expected to become the next member of the Western Athletic Conference.

A vote by the board of the regents for the University of Texas system is scheduled for Thursday. UTA already has announced plans for an afternoon news conference on campus featuring WAC commissioner Karl Benson.

The affiliation would start with the 2012-13 school year.

UTA competes in 14 sports, including basketball and baseball. It does not have a football team, having dropped the sport following the 1985 season. A push to revive it should get a boost now that the Mavericks will have a conference affiliation.

The WAC is trying to rebuild following the departures of Boise State, Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno State.