Big West Conference

NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference in the western United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), and in 1988 was renamed the Big West Conference. The conference stopped sponsoring college football after the 2000 season.

FormerlyPacific Coast Athletic Association (1969–1988)
AssociationNCAA
FoundedJuly 1, 1969; 56 years ago (1969-07-01)
CommissionerDan Butterly (since July 1, 2020)
Quick facts Formerly, Association ...
Big West Conference
FormerlyPacific Coast Athletic Association (1969–1988)
AssociationNCAA
FoundedJuly 1, 1969; 56 years ago (1969-07-01)
CommissionerDan Butterly (since July 1, 2020)
Sports fielded
  • 21
    • men's: 10
    • women's: 11
DivisionDivision I
SubdivisionNon–football
No. of teams11 (12 in 2026, 10 in 2027)
HeadquartersIrvine, California
RegionWest Coast
BroadcastersESPN
Spectrum SportsNet
Official websitewww.bigwest.org
Locations
Location of teams in
Close

Among the conference's 11 member institutions, 10 are located in California (nine in Southern California alone), and one is located in Hawaii (though the Hawaii member is leaving for the Mountain West Conference, effective July 1, 2026). All of the current schools are public universities, with the California schools evenly split between the California State University and the University of California systems. In addition, one affiliate member plays two sports in the BWC not sponsored by its home conference.

History

Big West Conference Members locations
– Full members
– Future member
– Current Associate and Future full member
– Departing members
Big West Conference Members locations
– Departing members (future affiliate)
Big West Conference Members locations
– Future Member

Pacific Coast Athletic Association

The Big West Conference was formed in June 1968 as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.[1] The five original charter members were Fresno State, San Jose State, UC Santa Barbara, San Diego State, and Long Beach State.[1] Two other schools, Cal State Los Angeles and the University of the Pacific, were also considered but they declined at that time to pursue membership.[2] The newly formed conference had several meetings to set up its governance, which was confirmed in October 1968 on the campus of UC Santa Barbara.[3] Before the league started play, Cal State Los Angeles joined as a full member and the University of the Pacific joined for football only, becoming a full member itself two years later.[4][5] The conference itself lists July 1, 1969, as its founding date, with the seven institutions beginning conference play that fall.[6][7]

Evolution

Since its inception as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, the conference has seen many changes. Utah State was the first institution outside California to join the conference in 1978.[8] This opened the floodgates for many other schools to affiliate with the PCAA; notable schools include UNLV, Nevada, Louisiana Tech, Boise State, and football-only members, such as Southwestern Louisiana and Arkansas State.

In 1983, the PCAA became the first western conference to introduce women's athletic programs, allowing female student-athletes to compete at the same level as their male counterparts. This proved vital for Hawaiʻi as their only participation in the conference was for their women's sports.

However, many universities left to join conferences that were perceived as more well-known, such as the Western Athletic Conference or the Mountain West Conference, while others did not see the benefit of travel since historically many of the teams have been California-based.

From the departures of Idaho and Utah State in 2005 until the arrival of Hawaiʻi in 2012, all members were based in California, reducing the cost and travel time between the universities. When Hawaiʻi joined, it agreed to help defray a portion of travel costs to that state for the league's California members.

In 2011, San Diego State University and Boise State University had initially agreed to move all sports except football to the Big West by 2013.[9] However, when the Big East decided to no longer sponsor football for the 2013 season, both San Diego State and Boise State backed out of their agreement with the Big West, electing to remain members of the Mountain West instead.

Upon numerous conference shifts spurred from the announcement that UCLA and USC of the Pac-12 were to move to Big 10, a domino effect occurred, ultimately resulting in both Hawaiʻi and UC Davis announcing their move to the Mountain West effective the 2026 school year.

This would leave the Big West with 9 teams, and with the remaining member universities hoping to keep the conference at at least 11 teams, the Big West invited both California Baptist University and Utah Valley University to join the conference by the 2026 school year. Both institutions have since announced their respective intentions to join the conference, marking it the first time since 2013 that a private university will compete in the Big West, and the first time since 2005 that the Big West will have a member in the continental U.S. outside of California. Later in June, Sacramento State announced its intention to join the Big West in all sports except football, effective by the 2026 school year, when they will join alongside California Baptist and Utah Valley.

On September 3, 2025, UC San Diego formally accepted an invite to the West Coast Conference for the 2027–28 season after Gonzaga announced their departure to the rebuilt Pac-12 for the 2026–27 season earlier that year.[10] Seven months after, on April 10, 2026, UC Santa Barbara formally accepted an invite to the West Coast Conference for the 2027–28 season alongside UC San Diego.[11] This would end their 51 years of continual conference membership, the second longest among all current and former members.

There have been no more than 35 full and associate members in the conference's history, while only two of the original seven charter members remain (Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara, with only Long Beach State's membership being continuous).

The change to the Big West

Effective July 1, 1988, the Pacific Coast Athletic Association changed its name to the Big West Conference.[7] With such schools as Utah State, UNLV, Nevada, New Mexico State, and Hawaiʻi now in the fold, the name change was more representative of its member institutions.[7] In addition, the conference had signed a contract with ESPN to have its men's basketball games telecast as the third game of a triple header known as Big Monday - the other conferences being featured were the Big East and the Big Ten so the name Big West fit the theme.[12]

The logo of the Big West from 2000 to 2021[13]

Member schools

Current full members

  Members departing for the Mountain West Conference in 2026.
  Members departing for the West Coast Conference in 2027.

More information Institution, Location ...
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Endowment[14]

(millions – FY24)

 Nickname Joined[a] Colors
California Polytechnic State University
(Cal Poly)		 San Luis Obispo, California 1901 Public[b] 22,287 $296.45 Mustangs 1996[c]      
California State University, Bakersfield[15]
(Cal State Bakersfield, Bakersfield)		 Bakersfield, California 1965 Public[b] 9,261 $42.74 Roadrunners 2020[16][d]    
California State University, Fullerton
(Cal State Fullerton)		 Fullerton, California 1957 Public[b] 38,726 $148.68 Titans 1974      
California State University, Long Beach
(Long Beach State)		 Long Beach, California 1949 Public[b] 39,360 $132.9 Beach[e] 1969    
California State University, Northridge
(Cal State Northridge)		 Los Angeles, California 1958 Public[b] 38,511 $229.62 Matadors 2001      
University of California, Davis[f]
(UC Davis)		 Davis, California 1905 Public[g] 40,772 $770.4 Aggies 2007    
University of California, Irvine
(UC Irvine)		 Irvine, California 1965 Public[g] 37,243 $899.36 Anteaters 1977    
University of California, Riverside
(UC Riverside)		 Riverside, California 1954 Public[g] 26,809 $249.87[18] Highlanders 2001    
University of California, San Diego
(UC San Diego)		 San Diego, California 1960 Public[g] 42,968 $1,589.86 Tritons 2020[h]    
University of California, Santa Barbara
(UC Santa Barbara)		 Santa Barbara, California 1891 Public[g] 26,421 $665.9 Gauchos 1969    
1976[i]
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa[j]
(Hawaiʻi)		 Honolulu, Hawaii 1907 Public[k] 19,074 $566.99
(system-wide)		 Rainbow Warriors
& Rainbow Wahine[l]		 2012[m]        
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Notes
  1. [a]
    Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. [b]
    Part of the California State University System.
  3. [c]
    Then Division II, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo competed as an affiliate member of the Big West (then known as the PCAA) for women's volleyball from the 1984 to 1989 fall seasons (1984–85 to 1989–90 school years).
  4. [d]
    Before becoming a full member, Cal State Bakersfield competed in the Big West as an affiliate for beach volleyball since the 2016 spring season (2015–16 school year).
  5. [e]
    Long Beach State fully rebranded its athletic program as Beach effective in the 2020–21 school year, after transitioning from its former nickname of 49ers over several years. The baseball team continues to use the nickname Dirtbags, which it had adopted in the 49ers era.
  6. [f]
    UC Davis will leave the Big West to join the Mountain West Conference as a full member in 2026, though they will remain an affiliate member for football in the Big Sky Conference.[17]
  7. [g]
    Part of the University of California System.
  8. [h]
    UC San Diego first competed in the Big West as an affiliate member for men's volleyball since the 2018 spring season (2017–18 school year). It added women's water polo to its Big West membership since the 2020 spring season (2019–20 school year).
  9. [i]
    UC Santa Barbara joined the Big West when it was founded in 1969, left to become an NCAA Division I Independent after the 1973–74 school year, then rejoined the conference in 1976–77.
  10. [j]
    Hawaiʻi will leave the Big West to join the Mountain West Conference as a full member in 2026, though they will remain an affiliate member for men's swimming and diving, men's volleyball, beach volleyball, and women's water polo.[19]
  11. [k]
    Part of the University of Hawaiʻi System.
  12. [l]
    The Hawaiʻi beach volleyball team is officially Rainbow Wahine, but more commonly uses the nickname BeachBows.
  13. [m]
    Hawaiʻi was a full member of the Big West for women's sports from 1984–85 to 1995–96; while the men's sports were a full member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during that tenure.

Future full members

More information Institution, Location ...
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Endowment[14]
(millions – FY24)		 Nickname Joining[a] Colors Current
conference
California Baptist University[20][21]
(Cal Baptist)		 Riverside, California 1950 Baptist 11,491[22] $157.61 Lancers 2026[b]     Western (WAC)
California State University, Sacramento[23]
(Sacramento State)		 Sacramento, California 1947 Public[c] 31,181 $86.42 Hornets 2026[d]     Big Sky (BSC)
Utah Valley University[24] Orem, Utah 1941 Public 41,728 $109.94[25] Wolverines 2026     Western (WAC)
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Notes
  1. [a]
    Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. [b]
    Cal Baptist will pay a $1.2 million exit fee to the WAC. The university will be the first private institution of higher education to compete in the Big West since Pacific left at the end of the 2012–13 school year.
  3. [c]
    Part of the California State University System.
  4. [d]
    Before becoming a full member, Sacramento State had competed in the Big West as an affiliate member for various sports dating back to 1996. These sports included:
    • baseball between the 1997 and 2002 spring seasons (1996–97 and 2001–02 school years)
    • men's soccer since the 2012 fall season (2012–13 school year)
    • beach volleyball since the 2016 spring season (2015–16 school year)
    • men's golf during the 2025 spring season (2024–25 school year)

Affiliate members

More information Institution, Location ...
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Big West
sport(s)		 Primary
conference
California State University, Sacramento
(Sacramento State)		 Sacramento, California 1947 Public[b] 30,670 Hornets[c] 2012 Men's soccer Big Sky (BSC)
2015 Beach volleyball
Grand Canyon University Phoenix, Arizona 1949 Nondenominational
(For-Profit)[d]		 103,427[e] Antelopes 2025 Men's swimming & diving[f] Mountain West (MW)
University of San Diego San Diego, California 1949 Catholic
(Diocese of
San Diego)		 7,548 Toreros 2025 Women's swimming & diving West Coast (WCC)
Seattle University Seattle, Washington 1891 Catholic
(Jesuit)		 7,755 Redhawks 2025 Men's swimming & diving West Coast (WCC)
2025 Women's swimming & diving
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Notes
  1. [a]
    Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. [b]
    Part of the California State University System.
  3. [c]
    Sacramento State joined the Big West as an affiliate member for men's soccer since the 2012 fall season (2012–13 school year) and beach volleyball followed since the 2016 spring season (2015–16 school year). The Hornets will become full members of the conference, beginning the 2026–27 school year.[26][27]
  4. [d]
    Grand Canyon's for-profit status is disputed. The U.S. Department of Education treats it as a for-profit institution, but the Internal Revenue Service, the NCAA, and the state of Arizona consider it a nonprofit.
  5. [e]
    Includes online students. Current on-campus enrollment is about 25,300.
  6. [f]
    Though Grand Canyon was initially set to compete in both men and women's swimming and diving in 2025, upon their early admission into the Mountain West, they moved their women's team to that conference. It was announced later that the Mountain West would begin sponsoring men's swimming and diving in 2026.

Future affiliate member

More information Institution, Location ...
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Big West
sport(s)		 Primary
conference
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
(Hawaiʻi)		 Honolulu, Hawaii 1907 Public[b] 19,074 Rainbow Warriors
& Rainbow Wahine[c]		 2026[d] Beach volleyball Big West (BWC)
(Mountain West (MW) in 2026)
Men's volleyball
Women's water polo
Close
Notes
  1. [a]
    Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. [b]
    Part of the University of Hawaiʻi System.
  3. [c]
    The Hawaiʻi beach volleyball team is officially Rainbow Wahine, but more commonly uses the nickname BeachBows.
  4. [d]
    While technically the school has been a Big West member in all sports since 2012, this will be their first year as an affiliate member. Initially Hawai'i was set to compete in men's swimming and diving, but the Mountain West announced they would begin sponsoring it in 2026.[28]

Former members

Many of the former members of the Big West are now members of the Western Athletic Conference or the Mountain West Conference. Of the nine schools that were in the WAC before its early-2010s realignment, only Hawaiʻi had not spent some time in the Big West as a football participant – it was a Big West member only in women's sports. Of the former members, Cal State Los Angeles is the only team that reverted to Division II level.

School names and nicknames reflect those used by the institutions when they were Big West members. One school has changed its name (Southwestern Louisiana, now branded athletically as Louisiana and also known as Louisiana–Lafayette) and another its nickname (Arkansas State, from Indians to Red Wolves).

Former full members

More information Institution, Location ...
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Current
primary
conference
Boise State University Boise, Idaho 1932 Public 22,678 Broncos 1996 2001 Mountain West (MW)
(Pac-12 in 2026)
California State University, Fresno
(Fresno State)		 Fresno, California 1911 Public[c] 22,565 Bulldogs 1969 1992 Mountain West (MW)
(Pac-12 in 2026)
California State University, Los Angeles
(Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State L.A.)		 Los Angeles, California 1947 Public[c] 20,619 Golden Eagles 1969 1974 California (CCAA)[d]
University of Idaho Moscow, Idaho 1889 Public 11,180 Vandals 1996 2005 Big Sky (BSC)
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
(UNLV)		 Las Vegas, Nevada[e] 1957 Public 28,203 Rebels 1982 1996 Mountain West (MW)
University of Nevada, Reno Reno, Nevada 1874 Public 18,227 Wolf Pack 1992 2000 Mountain West (MW)
New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico 1888 Public 18,497 Aggies 1983 2000 Conf. USA (CUSA)
University of North Texas Denton, Texas 1890 Public 35,778 Mean Green 1996 2000 American
University of the Pacific Stockton, California 1851 United
Methodist		 6,296 Tigers 1971 2013 West Coast (WCC)
San Diego State University San Diego, California 1897 Public[c] 28,789 Aztecs 1969 1978 Mountain West (MW)
(Pac-12 in 2026)
San Jose State University San Jose, California 1857 Public[c] 32,697 Spartans 1969 1996 Mountain West (MW)
Utah State University Logan, Utah 1888 Public 28,796 Aggies 1978 2005 Mountain West (MW)
(Pac-12 in 2026)
Close
Notes
  1. [a]
    Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. [b]
    Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. [c]
    Part of the California State University System.
  4. [d]
    Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  5. [e]
    The UNLV campus lies outside the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated community of Paradise. The U.S. Postal Service considers all unincorporated areas in the Las Vegas Valley to have a Las Vegas address.

Former affiliate members

More information Institution, Location ...
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Big West
sport(s)		 Primary
conference
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
(Cal Poly Pomona)		 Pomona, California 1938 Public 22,501 Broncos 1984 1990 Softball California (CCAA)[c]
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
(Hawaiʻi)		 Honolulu, Hawaii 1907 Public 19,074 Rainbow Warriors
& Rainbow Wahine[d]		 1984 1996 Women's sports Big West (BWC)
(Mountain West (MW) in 2026)
University of Idaho Moscow, Idaho 1889 Public 11,849 Vandals 2024 2025 Men's golf Big Sky (BSC)
California State University, Sacramento
(Sacramento State)		 Sacramento 1947 Public 24,388 Hornets 1996 2002 Baseball Big Sky (BSC)
2024 2025 Men's golf
San Diego State University San Diego 1897 Public 33,790 Aztecs 1984 1990 Women's sports Mountain West (MW)
(Pac-12 in 2026)
2012 2013 Women's water polo
Close
Notes
  1. [a]
    Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. [b]
    Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. [c]
    Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  4. [d]
    The Hawaiʻi beach volleyball team is officially Rainbow Wahine, but more commonly uses the nickname BeachBows.

Former football-only members

More information Institution, Location ...
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Primary
conference
at the time
of joining
Big West
football		 Current
conference
Arkansas State University Jonesboro, Arkansas 1909 Public 13,438 Indians[c] 1993 1996 Sun Belt (SBC)
1999 2001[d]
Louisiana Tech University Ruston, Louisiana 1894 Public 11,581 Bulldogs 1993 1996 Sun Belt (SBC) Conf. USA (CUSA)
Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois 1895 Public 25,313 Huskies 1993 1996 Mid-Continent[e] Mid-American (MAC)
(Mountain West (MW) in 2026)[f]
University of Southwestern Louisiana[g] Lafayette, Louisiana 1898 Public 19,188 Ragin'
Cajuns		 1993 1996 Sun Belt (SBC)
University of the Pacific Stockton, California 1851 United
Methodist		 6,296 Tigers 1969 1971[h] West Coast (WCC)
Close
Notes
  1. [a]
    Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. [b]
    Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. [c]
    Currently known as the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
  4. [d]
    Arkansas State joined the Big West for football in the 1993 fall season (1993–94 school year), left to become an independent after the 1995 fall season (1995–96 school year), then re-joined in 1999, only to leave again after the 2000 fall season (2000–01 school year).
  5. [e]
    Currently known as the Summit League.
  6. [f]
    Northern Illinois will be a football-only MW member, with most other sports in the Horizon League.
  7. [g]
    Currently known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette since 1999, and branded for athletics purposes as "Louisiana" since 2017.
  8. [h]
    Pacific joined the Big West as a football-only member from the 1969 fall season (1969–70 school year); which would later became a full member from 1971–72 to 2012–13.

Membership timeline

Utah Valley UniversityWestern Athletic ConferenceGreat West ConferenceNCAA Division I Independent schoolsScenic West Athletic ConferenceNCAA Intermountain Collegiate Athletic ConferenceNational Junior College Athletic AssociationCalifornia Baptist UniversityWestern Athletic ConferencePacific West ConferenceGreat Southwest Athletic ConferenceNAIA independent schoolsSeattle UniversityUniversity of San DiegoGrand Canyon UniversityWest Coast ConferenceUniversity of California, San DiegoCalifornia Collegiate Athletic AssociationNCAA Division III independent schoolsCalifornia State University, BakersfieldWestern Athletic ConferenceNCAA Division I independent schoolsCalifornia Collegiate Athletic AssociationMountain West ConferenceUniversity of California, DavisNCAA Division I independent schoolsCalifornia Collegiate Athletic AssociationNorthern California Athletic ConferenceNorthern California Athletic ConferenceUniversity of California, RiversideNCAA Division II independent schoolsCalifornia Collegiate Athletic AssociationCalifornia State University, NorthridgeBig Sky ConferenceAmerican West ConferenceNCAA Division I independent schoolsCalifornia Collegiate Athletic AssociationCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversityAmerican West ConferenceCalifornia Collegiate Athletic AssociationCalifornia State University, SacramentoAmerican West ConferenceNorthern California Athletic ConferenceNorthern California Athletic ConferenceBig Sky ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of IdahoBig Sky ConferencePac-12 ConferenceMountain West ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceBoise State UniversityBig Sky ConferenceAmerican Conference (NCAA)Conference USASun Belt ConferenceUniversity of North TexasSouthland ConferenceNCAA Division I FBS independent schoolsMissouri Valley ConferenceArkansas State UniversityUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteNorthern Illinois UniversityLouisiana Tech UniversityMountain West ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of Nevada, RenoBig Sky ConferenceWest Coast ConferenceUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaWestern Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceCalifornia State Polytechnic University, PomonaConference USAWestern Athletic ConferenceSun Belt ConferenceNew Mexico State UniversityMissouri Valley ConferenceNCAA Division I independent schoolsMountain West ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasNCAA Division I FBS independent schoolsWest Coast ConferencePac-12 ConferenceMountain West ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUtah State UniversityNCAA Division I independent schoolsUniversity of California, IrvineNCAA Division II independent schoolsCalifornia State University, FullertonCalifornia Collegiate Athletic AssociationCalifornia State University, Long BeachWest Coast ConferenceUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraWest Coast ConferenceUniversity of the Pacific (United States)Mountain West ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceSan Jose State UniversityPac-12 ConferenceMountain West ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceCalifornia State University, FresnoPac-12 ConferenceMountain West ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceSan Diego State UniversityCalifornia Collegiate Athletic AssociationCalifornia State University, Los Angeles

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football)   Associate member (sport)  Other Conference  Other Conference 

Notes

  • San Diego State played football as an independent for the 1976 and 1977 seasons before leaving the Big West Conference in 1978.
  • UC Santa Barbara was an independent from 1974–75 to 1975–76.
  • Cal State Fullerton played football as an independent for the 1992 season and dropped football entirely the following year.
  • Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois, Southwestern Louisiana, and Arkansas State joined the Big West for a short-lived football consortium from 1993 to 1995.
  • Arkansas State played football as an independent from 1996 to 1998 and later rejoined the Big West for football during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

Sports

The Big West Conference currently sponsors 21 NCAA sports, with men's and women's swimming & diving the newest additions for the 2024–25 school year.[29] The Big West is considered a mid-major conference, the term itself coined in 1977.

In baseball, Cal State Fullerton has won four College World Series titles with national championships in 1979, 1984, 1995, and 2004.[30] In addition, Long Beach State and UC Irvine have made multiple appearances in the College World Series. The Big West is the only existing mid-major conference to have multiple teams make the College World Series in the same year, with Cal State Fullerton and Fresno State both making it in 1988, Long Beach State and Fresno in 1991, and Fullerton and UC Irvine in 2007. Fullerton also has a national championship in softball, winning in 1986. Hawaiʻi joined the conference in women's sports only between 1984 and 1996, and won the 1987 NCAA women's volleyball title. Long Beach State has won three NCAA women's volleyball titles as a part of Big West Conference women's volleyball, with national championships in 1989, 1993, and 1998. Misty May-Treanor led the 49ers (now known as Beach) to a 36–0 record en route to the program's most recent title. UC Santa Barbara was the NCAA men's soccer runner-up in 2004, losing the national championship match to Indiana on penalty kicks. The Gauchos returned to the College Cup in 2006 and won the national championship.

Former Big West members UNLV and Pacific won national championships while part of the conference. The UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team won the 1990 NCAA tournament championship after routing Duke 103–73 in the national title game. UNLV was undefeated during the 1991 NCAA men's basketball season before falling to Duke in the final four. The Runnin' Rebels during this era are widely considered one of the best college basketball teams of all time. The Pacific Tigers women's volleyball team won back-to-back national championships in 1985 and 1986.

The Big West did not sponsor men's volleyball or men's water polo, but it was the primary conference affiliation of several schools that compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for these sports, respectively. In NCAA men's volleyball, UC Irvine has established itself as one of the nation's most elite programs, winning four national championships in 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2013. Long Beach State also won men's national volleyball titles in 1991, 2018, 2019, and 2025, three while in the Big West. Hawaiʻi also won men's national volleyball titles in 2021 and 2022. In NCAA men's water polo, UC Irvine won three national championships in 1970, 1982, and 1989. UC Santa Barbara also won a men's water polo title in 1979.

On May 31, 2016, the Big West announced the conference would sponsor men's volleyball as its 18th sport, with five Big West schools leaving the MPSF to establish the new men's volleyball league. Men's volleyball is the third of four sports in which the MPSF has recently seen a mass exodus of teams to join an existing conference in a newly sponsored sport, with men's soccer, men's water polo, and women's lacrosse as the others. The men's volleyball membership includes core Big West members Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, Hawaiʻi, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara. UC San Diego joined as an affiliate to bring the league to the NCAA minimum requirement of 6 teams to receive an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.

Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell explained that adding UC San Diego was not an indicator UC San Diego would be added to the Big West Conference as a full member. UC San Diego had recently passed a bill to move all their sports to Division I and was looking for an invite from the Big West Conference. UC San Diego has long competed at the Division I level in men's volleyball; the NCAA conducts a single national championship open to all Division I and II members, and scholarship limits in the sport are the same in both divisions. The Big West regular season for men's volleyball will be a double round-robin, with each team playing the others once at home and once on the road. The Big West Tournament will have all six teams participate in single-elimination rounds with the top two teams receiving semifinal byes.[31]

The Big West is the first Division I all-sports conference (defined as a league that sponsors men's and women's basketball) ever to sponsor men's volleyball, and the second NCAA all-sports conference overall to sponsor men's volleyball as a scholarship sport (the first was the Division II Conference Carolinas).

On November 26, 2017, the Big West announced that it would add UC San Diego along with Cal State Bakersfield as its 10th and 11th members starting on July 1, 2020. Cal State Bakersfield, which was already a full Division I member competing in the Western Athletic Conference, became a full member effective July 1, 2020. UC San Diego, which had failed to move up from Division II in failed bids to the Big West in 2011 and April 2017, has begun the four-year transition process to Division I and became a full member effective July 1, 2024. UC San Diego's men's volleyball joined the Big West in 2017, in advance of that sport's 2018 season, and women's water polo joined in 2019. Because the NCAA does not sponsor a Division II championship in either men's volleyball or women's water polo, UCSD was eligible for conference championships in both sports upon joining the Big West, and remained eligible for such during the D-I transition.[32]

UC San Diego and Cal State Bakersfield, the latter now in the process of rebranding its athletic program as Bakersfield, officially joined the conference on July 1, 2020, and Dan Butterly became the new commissioner following the retirement of Dennis Farrell. UC San Diego officially joined Division I ranks on July 1, 2024, and thus could compete in conference championships and NCAA playoffs from then on.

More information Sport, Men's ...
Big West Conference teams
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
11
–
Basketball
11
11
Beach volleyball
–
7
Cross Country
9
11
Golf
12
9
Soccer
10
11
Softball
–
10
Swimming & diving
6
6
Tennis
7
10
Track and Field (Outdoor)
10
11
Volleyball
6
11
Water polo
6
7
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Men's sponsored sports by school

More information School, Baseball ...
SchoolBaseballBasket­ballCross
Country		GolfSoccerSwimming
& diving		TennisTrack & Field
(Outdoor)		Volley­ballWater poloTotal
Sports
BakersfieldYesYesNoNoYesYesNoYesNoNo5
Cal PolyYesYesYesYesYes[a]YesYesYesNoNo8
Cal State FullertonYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesNoYes7
Cal State NorthridgeYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYesNo7
HawaiʻiYesYesNoYesNoYesYesNoYesNo6
Long Beach StateYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesYes7
UC DavisYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesNoYes8
UC IrvineYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYes9
UC RiversideYesYesYesYesYes[a]NoYesYesNoNo7
UC San DiegoYesYesYesYesYes[a]YesYesYesYesYes10
UC Santa BarbaraYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes10
Future Members
California BaptistYesYesYesNoYes[a]NoNoYesNoYes6
Sacramento StateYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesNoNo7
Utah ValleyYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesNoNo6
Totals11119109+1[b]5+2[c]7106684+3
Close
  1. [a]
    Cal Poly, California Baptist, UC Riverside, and UC San Diego will play men's soccer in the Pac-12 Conference in the 2026 season, with all but UCSD continuing to do so beyond that season.[33]
  2. [b]
    Affiliate member Sacramento State.
  3. [c]
    Affiliate members Grand Canyon and Seattle.
More information School, Fencing ...
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big West Conference which are played by Big West schools
SchoolFencingFootball[a]Rowing[b]Track & Field
(Indoor)		Wrestling
BakersfieldNoNoNoNoPac-12
Cal PolyNoBig SkyNoIndependentPac-12
Cal State FullertonNoNoNoMPSFNo
Cal State NorthridgeNoNoNoMPSFNo
HawaiʻiNoMountain WestNoNoNo
Long Beach StateNoNoACRAMPSFNo
Sacramento StateNoMACNoBig Sky[c]No
UC DavisNoBig SkyACRANoNo
UC IrvineNoNoACRANoNo
UC RiversideNoNoNoMPSFNo
UC San DiegoMPSFNoMPSFNoNo
UC Santa BarbaraNoNoACRAIndependentNo
Utah ValleyNoNoNoWAC[d]Big 12
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  1. [a]
    Hawaiʻi and Sacramento State compete at the FBS level, while Cal Poly and UC Davis compete at the FCS level.
  2. [b]
    The only category of rowing sponsored by the NCAA is women's heavyweight rowing. Men's rowing and women's lightweight rowing are organized by the Intercollegiate Rowing Association.
  3. [c]
    Sacramento State has not yet announced a future affiliation for its men's indoor track & field programs.
  4. [d]
    Utah Valley has not yet announced a future affiliation for its men's indoor track & field program.

Women's sponsored sports by school

More information School, Basket­ball ...
SchoolBasket­ballBeach VolleyballCross
Country		GolfSoccerSoftballSwimming
& diving		TennisTrack & Field
(Outdoor)		Volley­ballWater poloTotal
Sports
BakersfieldYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesNo9
Cal PolyYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNo10
Cal State FullertonYesNoYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYes9
Cal State NorthridgeYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYes10
HawaiʻiYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes11
Long Beach StateYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYes10
UC DavisYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes11
UC IrvineYesNoYesYesYesNoNoYesYesYesYes8
UC RiversideYesNoYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesNo8
UC San DiegoYesNoYesNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYes9
UC Santa BarbaraYesNoYesNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYes9
Future Members
California BaptistYesNoYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYes9
Sacramento StateYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesNo9
Utah ValleyYesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYesNo7
Totals116+1[a]11911106+2[b]1011118104+3
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  1. [a]
    Affiliate member Sacramento State.
  2. [b]
    Affiliate members San Diego and Seattle.
More information School, Fencing ...
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big West Conference which are played by Big West schools
SchoolFencingField hockeyGymnasticsLacrosseRowingStunt[a]Track & Field
(Indoor)
BakersfieldNoNoNoNoNoNoIndependent
Cal PolyNoNoNoNoNoIndependentIndependent
Cal State FullertonNoNoNoNoNoNoMPSF
Cal State NorthridgeNoNoNoNoNoNoMPSF
California BaptistNoNoNoNoNoIndependentNo
HawaiʻiNoNoNoNoNoNoMPSF
Long Beach StateNoNoNoNoNoNoMPSF
Sacramento StateNoNoMPSFNoWCCNoBig Sky[b]
UC DavisNoMPSFMPSFBig 12NoNoIndependent
UC IrvineNoNoNoNoNoNoMPSF
UC San DiegoMPSFNoNoNoCAANoNo
UC Santa BarbaraNoNoNoNoNoNoIndependent
Utah ValleyNoNoNoNoNoNoWAC[c]
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  1. [a]
    Elevated from the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program to full championship status in January 2026, with the first official NCAA championship in 2026–27.
  2. [b]
    Sacramento State has not yet announced a future affiliation for its men's indoor track & field program.
  3. [c]
    Has not yet announced a future affiliation for its women's indoor track & field program.

Current conference champions

The Big West Conference sponsors championship competition in 9 men's and 10 women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Men's and women's swimming & diving were added in 2024–25.[34]

Regular-season champions are indicated with "(RS)" and tournament champions with "(T)".

More information Season, Sport ...
SeasonSportMen's
champion		Women's
champion
Fall 2025 Cross countryCal PolyCal Poly
SoccerUC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly (RS)
UC Irvine (RS & T)		CSUN (RS)
Cal Poly (T)
Water poloLong Beach State (RS)
UC Davis (T)		  
Volleyball UC Davis (RS)
Cal Poly (T)
Winter 2025–26 Swimming & divingHawai'iHawai'i
BasketballUC Irvine (RS)
Hawai'i (T)		UC Irvine (RS)
UC San Diego (RS & T)
Spring 2026 GolfTBDCal Poly
VolleyballHawai'i (RS)
Long Beach State (T)		  
Beach volleyball Cal Poly (RS & T)
TennisCal Poly, UC Irvine (RS)
UC Santa Barbara (RS & T)		UC Santa Barbara (RS & T)
Water polo Hawai'i (RS & T)
Track & field (outdoor)TBDTBD
Softball Cal State Fullerton (RS)
BaseballTBD 
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Former sports

Football

An asterisk denotes the participant in the bowls that invited the Big West champion:
Pasadena (1969–70), California (1981–91), Las Vegas (1992–96), and Humanitarian (1997–2000)[35]

More information Year, University ...
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The Big West Conference discontinued football following the 2000 season.[36]

Academics

The following table shows National University rank by U.S. News & World Report as of 2026, as well as the Regional Western University rank as denoted by an asterisk, and the Forbes ranking for 2024-25.[37][38][39]

Also indicated is membership in the Association of American Universities.[40]

More information Institution, US News & World Report ...
Institution US News & World Report Forbes AAU Member
UC San Diego 29 20 Yes
UC Davis 32 44 Yes
UC Irvine 32 31 Yes
UC Santa Barbara 40 42 Yes
UC Riverside 75 77 Yes
Long Beach State 127 97 No
Cal State Fullerton 139 118 No
Hawaiʻi 169 219 No
Cal Poly 1* 55 No
Cal State Northridge 20* 271 No
Sacramento State 22* 280 No
Cal State Bakersfield 31* 295 No
Cal Baptist 33* – No
Utah Valley 93* – No
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Athletic department revenue by school

Total revenue includes ticket sales, contributions and donations, rights and licensing, student fees, school funds and all other sources including TV income, camp income, concessions, and novelties.

Total expenses includes coach and staff salaries, scholarships, buildings and grounds, maintenance, utilities and rental fees, recruiting, team travel, equipment and uniforms, conference dues, and insurance.

The following table shows institutional reporting to the Knight Commission for the 2023–24 academic year.[41][42]

More information Institution, 2023-24 Total Expenses on Athletics ...
Institution 2023-24 Total Expenses on Athletics 2023-24 Total Revenue from Athletics
Hawaiʻi $59,858,162 $57,738,309
UC Davis $55,067,037 $50,059,304
Cal Poly $46,657,496 $43,594,326
Sacramento State $43,895,764 $43,065,314
California Baptist[a] $34,879,391 $36,994,975
UC San Diego $33,236,553 $32,471,959
UC Santa Barbara $33,207,582 $28,115,031
UC Irvine $31,027,866 $28,488,633
Long Beach State $29,648,226 $28,941,062
CSU Fullerton $26,329,053 $26,329,053
CSU Northridge $22,818,177 $23,425,818
UC Riverside $20,939,408 $21,347,393
Utah Valley $19,489,061 $18,435,237
CSU Bakersfield $18,667,097 $17,995,313
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The following table shows revenue specifically from NCAA / Conference Distributions, Media Rights, and Post-Season Football reported by the Knight Commission for the 2023-24 academic year.

More information Institution, 2023–24 distribution (millions of dollars) ...
Institution 2023–24 distribution (millions of dollars)
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa $7.55
University of California, Davis $2.16
California Polytechnic State University $1.91
University of California, Santa Barbara $1.83
California State University, Sacramento $1.41
University of California, Irvine $1.35
California State University, Long Beach $1.34
University of California, Riverside $1.22
Utah Valley University $1.14
California State University, Fullerton $1.06
California State University, Bakersfield $0.79
California State University, Northridge $0.68
University of California, San Diego $0.46
California Baptist University[a] N/A
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Notes
  1. [a]
    California Baptist University is a private university, and is therefore not required to submit data to the Knight Commission. Thus, information regarding revenue and expenses on athletics is received from the United States Department of Education as shown on the DOE Equity in Athletics website for the 2024-25 school year.[43] No data is able to be acquired regarding NCAA/Conference Distributions, Media Rights, and Post-Season Football.

Facilities

More information School, Basketball arena ...
School Basketball arena Capacity Baseball stadium Capacity Soccer stadium Capacity Softball stadium Capacity
Cal State Bakersfield Icardo Center 3,800 Hardt Field 900 Main Soccer Field 2,500 Roadrunner Softball Complex 955[44]
Cal Poly Mott Athletics Center 3,032 Robin Baggett Stadium 3,138 Mustang Memorial Field[45] 11,075 Bob Janssen Field 800[46]
Cal State Fullerton Titan Gym 4,000 Goodwin Field 3,500 Titan Stadium 10,000 Anderson Family Field 1,000
Cal State Northridge Premier America Credit Union Arena 2,400 Matador Field 1,000 Matador Soccer Field 1,550 Matador Diamond 500[47]
California Baptist Fowler Events Center 5,050 James W. Totman Stadium 800 CBU Soccer Stadium 500 John C. Funk Stadium 500[48]
Hawaiʻi Stan Sheriff Center 10,300 Les Murakami Stadium 4,312 Waipiʻo Soccer Stadium 4,500 Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium 1,200
Long Beach State Walter Pyramid 5,000[49] Blair Field 3,238 George Allen Field 1,000 Long Beach State Softball Complex 500[50]
Sacramento State Hornet Pavilion 3,000 John Smith Field 1,200 Hornet Soccer Field 1,500 Shea Stadium 912[51]
UC Davis University Credit Union Center 7,600 Dobbins Stadium 3,500 Aggie Field 1,000 La Rue Field 300[52]
UC Irvine Bren Events Center 5,000[53] Cicerone Field 3,408 Anteater Stadium 2,500 Non-softball member
UC Riverside Student Recreation Center 3,168 Riverside Sports Complex 2,500 UCR Soccer Stadium 900 Amy S. Harrison Softball Field 600[54]
UC San Diego LionTree Arena 4,200 Triton Ballpark 1,200 Triton Soccer Stadium 1,750 Triton Softball Field 750[55]
UC Santa Barbara The Thunderdome 5,600 Caesar Uyesaka Stadium 1,000 Harder Stadium 17,000 Campus Diamond N/A[56]
Utah Valley UCCU Center 8,500 UCCU Ballpark 5,000 UCCU Stadium 3,000 Wolverine Field 575[57]
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NCAA team championships

Through June 30, 2025[58]

More information School, Total NCAA ...
School Total NCAA NCAA Men's NCAA Women's NCAA Individual Nickname
California Baptist University 0 0 0 0 Lancers
California Polytechnic State University 12 0 0 12 Mustangs
California State University, Bakersfield 9 0 0 9 Roadrunners
California State University, Fullerton 8 4 1 3 Titans
California State University, Long Beach 23 4 3 16 Beach
California State University, Northridge 6 0 0 6 Matadors
California State University, Sacramento 3 0 0 3 Hornets
University of California, Davis 2 0 0 2 Aggies
University of California, Irvine 10 7 0 3 Anteaters
University of California, Riverside 1 0 0 1 Highlanders
University of California, San Diego 0 0 0 0 Tritons
University of California, Santa Barbara 3 2 0 1 Gauchos
University of Hawaiʻi 16 2 3 11 Rainbows
Utah Valley University 1 0 0 1 Wolverines
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Commissioner's Cup

Starting during the Big West Conference's 1998–99 season, the Commissioner's Cup is awarded yearly to the most outstanding program throughout the season in the conference's sponsored sports.[59] The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos are the most successful team to date having won 10 total trophies.[60]

More information Year, Institution ...
Year Institution Champion­ships
competed		 Total points Average Title #
1998–99 Pacific Tigers 12 620 51.7 1
1999–00 Pacific Tigers 12 600 50.0 2
2000–01 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16 870 54.4 1
2001–02 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16 2,020 126.3 2
2002–03 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16 2,070 129.4 3
2003–04 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16 2,210 138.1 4
2004–05 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16 2,180 136.3 5
2005–06 Long Beach State 49ers 13 1,640 126.2 1
2006–07 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16 1,800 112.5 6
2007–08 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16 2,046 127.9 7
2008–09 Long Beach State 49ers 14 1,540 110.0 2
2009–10 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 17 1,970 115.9 8
2010–11 Long Beach State 49ers 14 1,830 130.7 3
2011–12 Long Beach State 49ers 14 1,960 140.0 4
2012–13 Long Beach State 49ers 14 1,950 139.3 5
2013–14 Long Beach State 49ers 14 1,740 124.3 6
2014–15 Long Beach State 49ers 14 1,640 117.1 7
2015–16 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 15 2,006.7 133.8 9
2016–17 Long Beach State 49ers 15 1,750 116.7 8
2017–18 Cal State Fullerton Titans 14 1,635 116.8 1
2018–19 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16 1,930 120.6 10
2019–20 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020–21
2021–22 Long Beach State Beach 16 2,260 141.3 9
2022–23 Long Beach State Beach 16 2,360 147.5 10
2023–24 Cal Poly Mustangs 16 2,390 149.4 1
2024–25 UC Irvine Anteaters 17 2,530 148.8 1
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Overall Commissioner's Cups Table

More information Institution, Commissioner's Cups ...
Institution Commissioner's
Cups
Long Beach State 49ers/Beach
10
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
10
Pacific Tigers
2
Cal Poly Mustangs
1
Cal State Fullerton Titans
1
UC Irvine Anteaters
1
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Note 1: Bold indicates current members of the Big West Conference
Note 2: The Pacific Tigers moved to the West Coast Conference in 2013

SoCal Challenge

Starting in 2021, the Big West Conference served as host of the SoCal Challenge,[61] an eight-team men's basketball tournament held during Monday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. One Big West team represented the conference in the field of each tournament. Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Bakersfield participated in 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. The final tournament was held in 2023.

See also

References

External links

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