The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is closer to getting a football program after the Western Athletic Conference announced it's sponsoring football again. 

The WAC also announced its adding five new programs to its conference, including Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Southern Utah.

The WAC sponsoring football again provides a potential path forward for the sport at UTRGV, but nothing is quite yet imminent, sources said. 

The announcement Thursday puts the UTRGV athletics program closer to adding football than it's ever been.