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=== Creation of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association ===
=== Creation of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association ===
The Big West Conference was formed in June 1968 as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.<ref name='pcaaformation'>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 1968 |title=California Colleges Form New Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7688704/pacific_coast_athletic_association/ |newspaper=[[The San Bernardino Sun]] |location=San Bernardino, California |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}} {{Free access}}</ref> The 5 original charter members were [[California State University, Fresno|Fresno State]], [[San Jose State University|San Jose State]], [[University of California, Santa Barbara|UC Santa Barbara]], [[San Diego State University|San Diego State]], and [[California State University, Long Beach|Long Beach State]].<ref name='pcaaformation'/> Two other schools, [[California State University, Los Angeles|Cal State Los Angeles]] and the [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of the Pacific]], were also considered but they declined at that time to pursue membership.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pickard |first=Don |date=June 18, 1968 |title=Cal State PCAA Entry Being Probed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7688936/pcaa_2/ |newspaper=[[The Independent (Pasadena)|The Independent]] |location=[[Pasadena, California]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}} {{Free access}}</ref> The newly formed conference had a number of meetings to set up its governance, which was confirmed in October 1968 on the campus of UC Santa Barbara.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 18, 1968 |title=New league being formed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7689420 |newspaper=[[Redlands Daily Facts]] |location=Redlands, California |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}} {{Free access}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miles |first=Jerry |date=May 16, 1969 |title=Pacific Eight Gets New Rival |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7689546 |newspaper=[[Inland Valley Daily Bulletin|Progress Bulletin]] |location=Pomona, California |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}} {{Free access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dhillon
The Big West Conference was formed in June 1968 as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.<ref name='pcaaformation'>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 1968 |title=California Colleges Form New Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7688704/pacific_coast_athletic_association/ |newspaper=[[The San Bernardino Sun]] |location=San Bernardino, California |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}} {{Free access}}</ref> The 5 original charter members were [[California State University, Fresno|Fresno State]], [[San Jose State University|San Jose State]], [[University of California, Santa Barbara|UC Santa Barbara]], [[San Diego State University|San Diego State]], and [[California State University, Long Beach|Long Beach State]].<ref name='pcaaformation'/> Two other schools, [[California State University, Los Angeles|Cal State Los Angeles]] and the [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of the Pacific]], were also considered but they declined at that time to pursue membership.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pickard |first=Don |date=June 18, 1968 |title=Cal State PCAA Entry Being Probed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7688936/pcaa_2/ |newspaper=[[The Independent (Pasadena)|The Independent]] |location=[[Pasadena, California]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}} {{Free access}}</ref> The newly formed conference had a number of meetings to set up its governance, which was confirmed in October 1968 on the campus of UC Santa Barbara.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 18, 1968 |title=New league being formed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7689420 |newspaper=[[Redlands Daily Facts]] |location=Redlands, California |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}} {{Free access}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miles |first=Jerry |date=May 16, 1969 |title=Pacific Eight Gets New Rival |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7689546 |newspaper=[[Inland Valley Daily Bulletin|Progress Bulletin]] |location=Pomona, California |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}} {{Free access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dhillon
|first=Jagdip |date=March 29, 2012 |title=Tigers back 'home' |url=http://www.recordnet.com/article/20120329/A_SPORTS/203290316 |newspaper=[[The Record (Stockton)|The Record]] |location=Stockton, California |accessdate=December 2, 2016}}</ref> The conference itself lists July 1, 1969 as the recognized creation date with the 7 institutions.<ref name="bwchistory">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bigwest.org/history/ |title=About The Big West Conference |website=Big West Conference |accessdate=December 2, 2016}}</ref><ref name='latimespcaanamechange'>{{Cite news |date=June 4, 1988 |title=PCAA to Change Name to Big West |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1988-06-04/sports/sp-3898_1_big-west |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}}</ref>
|first=Jagdip |date=March 29, 2012 |title=Tigers back 'home' |url=http://www.recordnet.com/article/20120329/A_SPORTS/203290316 |newspaper=[[The Record (Stockton)|The Record]] |location=Stockton, California |accessdate=December 2, 2016}}</ref> The conference itself lists July 1, 1969 as the recognized creation date with the 7 institutions.<ref name="bwchistory">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bigwest.org/history/ |title=About The Big West Conference |website=Big West Conference |accessdate=December 2, 2016 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010810235116/http://www.bigwest.org/history/ |archivedate=August 10, 2001 |df= }}</ref><ref name='latimespcaanamechange'>{{Cite news |date=June 4, 1988 |title=PCAA to Change Name to Big West |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1988-06-04/sports/sp-3898_1_big-west |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=December 2, 2016}}</ref>


=== Evolution ===
=== Evolution ===
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== Sports ==
== Sports ==
The Big West Conference currently sponsors 18 NCAA sports, with men's volleyball the newest addition for the 2017–18 school year.<ref name="bwchistory"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bigwest.org/story.asp?STORY_ID=19222 |title=Big West Conference Makes Men's Volleyball 18th Sponsored Sport |date=May 31, 2016 |website=Big West Conference |accessdate=December 21, 2016}}</ref>
The Big West Conference currently sponsors 18 NCAA sports, with men's volleyball the newest addition for the 2017–18 school year.<ref name="bwchistory"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bigwest.org/story.asp?STORY_ID=19222 |title=Big West Conference Makes Men's Volleyball 18th Sponsored Sport |date=May 31, 2016 |website=Big West Conference |accessdate=December 21, 2016 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611034510/http://www.bigwest.org/story.asp?story_id=19222 |archivedate=June 11, 2016 |df= }}</ref>


In baseball, Cal State Fullerton has won four College World Series titles with national championships in 1979, 1984, 1995, and 2004. In addition, Long Beach State and UC Irvine have made multiple appearances in the College World Series. Fullerton also has a national championship in softball, winning in 1984. Long Beach State has won three NCAA women's volleyball titles, with national championships in 1989, 1993, and 1998. [[Misty May-Treanor]] led the 49ers 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.
In baseball, Cal State Fullerton has won four College World Series titles with national championships in 1979, 1984, 1995, and 2004. In addition, Long Beach State and UC Irvine have made multiple appearances in the College World Series. Fullerton also has a national championship in softball, winning in 1984. Long Beach State has won three NCAA women's volleyball titles, with national championships in 1989, 1993, and 1998. [[Misty May-Treanor]] led the 49ers 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.
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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 second of three sports in which the MPSF has recently seen a mass exodus of teams to form their own leagues, with 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, Hawaii, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara. UC San Diego joined as an affiliate to being the league to the NCAA minimum requirement of 6 teams to receive an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.
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 second of three sports in which the MPSF has recently seen a mass exodus of teams to form their own leagues, with 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, Hawaii, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara. UC San Diego joined as an affiliate to being the league to the NCAA minimum requirement of 6 teams to receive an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.


Big West Commissioner 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 are 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 double round-robin, each team playing the others once at home and once on the road. The Big West Tournament for Men's Volleyball will have all six teams participate in single elimination rounds with the top two teams receiving semifinal byes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigwest.org/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2016-03-07 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6843EfNN0?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bigwest.org%2F%2Fstory.asp%3Fstory_id%3D15959 |archivedate=2012-05-31 |df= }}/story.asp?story_id=19222</ref>
Big West Commissioner 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 are 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 double round-robin, each team playing the others once at home and once on the road. The Big West Tournament for Men's Volleyball will have all six teams participate in single elimination rounds with the top two teams receiving semifinal byes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bigwest.org/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2016-03-07 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6843EfNN0?url=http://www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=15959 |archivedate=2012-05-31 |df= }}/story.asp?story_id=19222</ref>


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 [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] [[Conference Carolinas]]).
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 [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] [[Conference Carolinas]]).
Line 668: Line 668:
! Totals || <center>9</center>|| <center>4 + 2*</center> || <center>9</center> || <center>8</center>|| <center>9</center> || <center>8</center> || <center>9</center> || <center>9</center> || <center>9</center>|| <center>6</center> || <center>80 + 2</center>
! Totals || <center>9</center>|| <center>4 + 2*</center> || <center>9</center> || <center>8</center>|| <center>9</center> || <center>8</center> || <center>9</center> || <center>9</center> || <center>9</center>|| <center>6</center> || <center>80 + 2</center>
|}
|}
* * = Beach volleyball was added as a Big West sport in June 2015 with CSU Bakersfield and Sacramento State as associate members.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=18673 |title=Big West Conference Adds Beach Volleyball To Sports Lineup |publisher=Big West Conference |date=June 26, 2015 |accessdate=October 30, 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6843EfNN0?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bigwest.org%2F%2Fstory.asp%3Fstory_id%3D15959 |archivedate=May 31, 2012 |df= }}</ref>
* * = Beach volleyball was added as a Big West sport in June 2015 with CSU Bakersfield and Sacramento State as associate members.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=18673 |title=Big West Conference Adds Beach Volleyball To Sports Lineup |publisher=Big West Conference |date=June 26, 2015 |accessdate=October 30, 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6843EfNN0?url=http://www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=15959 |archivedate=May 31, 2012 |df= }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big West Conference which are played by Big West schools
|+Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big West Conference which are played by Big West schools

Revision as of 01:00, 20 July 2017

Big West Conference
AssociationNCAA
CommissionerDennis Farrell (since 1992)
Sports fielded
  • 18
    • men's: 8
    • women's: 10
DivisionDivision I
Subdivisionnon-football
RegionWest Coast
Official websitewww.bigwest.org
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

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 in 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.

History

Locations of Big West Conference full member institutions.

Creation of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association

The Big West Conference was formed in June 1968 as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.[1] The 5 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 a number of 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 the recognized creation date with the 7 institutions.[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 of California to join the conference in 1978. This opened the floodgates for many other schools to affiliate with the PCAA; notable schools include UNLV, Nevada, Louisiana Tech, and Boise State.

In 1983, the PCAA became the first western conference to introduce women's athletic programs, allowing its 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. There have been no fewer than 25 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).

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 Hawaii 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.[8]

Member schools

Current members

Full members

Institution Nickname Location Founded Joined Type Enrollment
(Fall 2015) 		NCAA Team
Championships
California Polytechnic State University
(Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) 		Mustangs San Luis Obispo, California 1901 1996A Public
(California State University system) 		20,944 1
California State University, Fullerton
(CSUF) 		Titans Fullerton, California 1957 1974 Public
(California State University system) 		38,948 4
California State University, Northridge
(CSUN) 		Matadors Northridge, California 1958 2001 Public
(California State University system) 		41,548 0
University of Hawaii at Manoa
(Hawaiʻi) 		Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine Honolulu, Hawaii 1907 2012 Public
(University of Hawaii system) 		20,435 3
California State University, Long Beach
(Long Beach State) 		49ers Long Beach, California 1949 1969 Public
(California State University system) 		37,446 4
University of California, Davis
(UC Davis) 		Aggies Davis, California 1908 2007 Public
(University of California system) 		36,104 1
University of California, Irvine
(UC Irvine) 		Anteaters Irvine, California 1965 1977 Public
(University of California system) 		31,551 7
University of California, Riverside
(UC Riverside) 		Highlanders Riverside, California 1954 2001 Public
(University of California system) 		21,539 0
University of California, Santa Barbara
(UC Santa Barbara) 		Gauchos Santa Barbara, California 1905 1969,
1976B 		Public
(University of California system) 		23,497 2
Notes

A – Cal Poly San Luis Obispo competed in women's volleyball as an affiliate member from 1984-85 to 1989-90.

B – UC Santa Barbara joined the conference when it was founded in 1969, left to become an independent after the 1973–74 season, then re-joined for the 1976-77 season.

Affiliate members

Institution Nickname Location Founded Joined Type Enrollment Primary
conference 		Big West
sport(s) 		NCAA Team
Championships
(Division I)
California State University, Sacramento
(Sacramento State) 		Hornets Sacramento, California 1947 2012C Public
(California State University system) 		24,388 Big Sky men's soccer
beach volleyball 		0
California State University, Bakersfield
(CSUB) 		Roadrunners Bakersfield, California 1965 2015D Public
(California State University system) 		8,720 WAC beach volleyball 0
University of California, San Diego
(UC San Diego) 		Tritons San Diego, California 1960 2017E Public
(University of California system) 		33,735 CCAA (D–II) men's volleyball 0
Notes

C – Sacramento State men's soccer joined the Big West Conference in the 2012 season (2012–13 school year) and beach volleyball followed for the 2016 season (2015–16 school year).[9][10]

D – CSU Bakersfield beach volleyball joined the Big West Conference in the 2016 season.[11]

E – UC San Diego men's volleyball joined the Big West Conference for the 2018 season (2017–18 school year).[12]

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 Hawaii 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 Louisiana–Lafayette) and one its nickname (Arkansas State, from Indians to Red Wolves).

Former full members

Institution Nickname Location Founded Joined Left Type Enrollment
Boise State University Broncos Boise, Idaho 1932 1996 2001 Public 22,678
California State University, Fresno
(Fresno State) 		Bulldogs Fresno, California 1911 1969 1992 Public 22,565
California State University, Los Angeles
(Cal State L.A.) 		Golden Eagles Los Angeles, California 1947 1969 1974 Public 20,619
University of Idaho Vandals Moscow, Idaho 1889 1996 2005 Public 11,180
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
(UNLV) 		Rebels Paradise, Nevada 1957 1982 1996 Public 28,203
University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack Reno, Nevada 1874 1992 2000 Public 18,227
New Mexico State University Aggies Las Cruces, New Mexico 1888 1983 2000 Public 18,497
University of North Texas Mean Green Denton, Texas 1890 1996 2000 Public 35,778
San Diego State University Aztecs San Diego, California 1897 1969 (men's sports);
1984 (women's sports) 		1978 (men's sports);
1990 (women's sports) 		Public 28,789
San Jose State University Spartans San Jose, California 1857 1969 1996 Public 32,697
Utah State University Aggies Logan, Utah 1888 1978 2005 Public 28,796
University of the Pacific Tigers Stockton, California 1851 1969 (football-only);
1971 (all sports) 		2013 Private 6,296

Former affiliate members

Institution Nickname Location
(California) 		Founded Joined Left Type Enrollment Primary
Conference 		Big West
Sport(s)
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
(Cal Poly Pomona) 		Broncos Pomona 1938 1984 1990 Public 22,501 CCAA
(NCAA Division II) 		softball
California State University, Sacramento
(Sacramento State) 		Hornets Sacramento 1947 1996 2002 Public 24,388 Big Sky baseball
San Diego State University Aztecs San Diego 1897 2012 2013 Public 33,790 Mountain West women's water polo

Former football-only members

Institution Nickname Location Founded Joined Left Type Enrollment Primary
Conference
at the time
of joining
Big West
football 		Current
Conference
Arkansas State University[13] Indians[a] Jonesboro, Arkansas 1909 1993,
1999 		1996,
2001 		Public 13,438 Sun Belt
Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs Ruston, Louisiana 1894 1993 1996 Public 11,581 Sun Belt C-USA
Northern Illinois University Huskies DeKalb, Illinois 1895 1993 1996 Public 25,313 Mid-Continent[b] MAC
University of Southwestern Louisiana[c] Ragin' Cajuns Lafayette, Louisiana 1898 1993 1996 Public 16,885 Sun Belt
Notes
  1. ^ Currently known as the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
  2. ^ Currently known as the Summit League.
  3. ^ Currently known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Membership timeline

University of California, San DiegoCalifornia State University, BakersfieldUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, RiversideCalifornia State University, NorthridgeCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversityCalifornia State University, SacramentoUniversity of IdahoBoise State UniversityUniversity of North TexasArkansas State UniversityUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteNorthern Illinois UniversityLouisiana Tech UniversityUniversity of Nevada, RenoUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaNew Mexico State UniversityUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasUtah State UniversityUniversity of California, IrvineCalifornia State University, FullertonCalifornia State University, Long BeachUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of the Pacific (United States)San Jose State UniversityCalifornia State University, FresnoSan Diego State UniversityCalifornia State University, Los Angeles

Full members Full members (non-football) Assoc. members (football only) Assoc. member (list sports)

Notes

  • San Diego State played football as an independent for the 1976 and 1977 seasons prior to 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 then rejoined the Big West for football during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

Sports

The Big West Conference currently sponsors 18 NCAA sports, with men's volleyball the newest addition for the 2017–18 school year.[6][14]

In baseball, Cal State Fullerton has won four College World Series titles with national championships in 1979, 1984, 1995, and 2004. In addition, Long Beach State and UC Irvine have made multiple appearances in the College World Series. Fullerton also has a national championship in softball, winning in 1984. Long Beach State has won three NCAA women's volleyball titles, with national championships in 1989, 1993, and 1998. Misty May-Treanor led the 49ers 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 a men's volleyball title in 1991. 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 second of three sports in which the MPSF has recently seen a mass exodus of teams to form their own leagues, with 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, Hawaii, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara. UC San Diego joined as an affiliate to being the league to the NCAA minimum requirement of 6 teams to receive an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.

Big West Commissioner 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 are 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 double round-robin, each team playing the others once at home and once on the road. The Big West Tournament for Men's Volleyball will have all six teams participate in single elimination rounds with the top two teams receiving semifinal byes.[15]

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).

Big West Conference teams
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball
9
-
Basketball
9
9
Beach volleyball
-
6
Cross Country
8
9
Golf
9
8
Soccer
8
9
Softball
-
8
Tennis
6
9
Track and Field (Outdoor)
8
9
Volleyball
6
9
Water polo
-
6

Men's sponsored sports by school

School Baseball Basketball Cross
Country		 Golf Soccer Tennis Track & Field
(Outdoor)		 Volleyball Total
Sports
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
7
Cal State Fullerton
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Red XN
6
Cal State Northridge
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Green tickY
7
Hawaiʻi
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
5
Long Beach State
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
Red XN
Green tickY
Green tickY
6
UC Davis
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
7
UC Irvine
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
8
UC Riverside
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
7
UC Santa Barbara
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
8
Totals
9
9
8
9
7 + 1 *
6
8
5 + 1**
61 + 2
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big West Conference which are played by Big West schools
School Football Swimming
& Diving		 Track & Field
(Indoor)		 Water Polo Wrestling
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Big Sky MPSF Independent No Pac-12
Cal State Northridge No No MPSF No No
Hawai'i Mountain West MPSF No No No
Long Beach State No No MPSF GCC No
UC Davis Big Sky No Independent WWPA No
UC Irvine No No No GCC No
UC Riverside No No Independent No No
UC Santa Barbara No MPSF Independent GCC No

Women's sponsored sports by school

School Basketball Beach Volleyball Cross
Country		 Golf Soccer Softball Tennis Track & Field
(Outdoor)		 Volleyball Water polo Total
Sports
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
9
Cal State Fullerton
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
8
Cal State Northridge
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
10
Hawaiʻi
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
10
Long Beach State
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
10
UC Davis
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
9
UC Irvine
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
8
UC Riverside
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Red XN
8
UC Santa Barbara
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Red XN
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
8
Totals
9
4 + 2*
9
8
9
8
9
9
9
6
80 + 2
  • * = Beach volleyball was added as a Big West sport in June 2015 with CSU Bakersfield and Sacramento State as associate members.[16]
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big West Conference which are played by Big West schools
School Field Hockey Gymnastics Lacrosse Sailing Swimming
& Diving		 Track & Field
(Indoor)
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo No No No No MPSF Independent
Cal State Fullerton No No No No No MPSF
Cal State Northridge No No No No No MPSF
Hawai'i No No No PCCSC MPSF MPSF
Long Beach State No No No No No MPSF
UC Davis America East MPSF MPSF No MPSF Independent
UC Irvine No No No No No MPSF
UC Santa Barbara No No No No MPSF Independent

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)[17]

The Big West Conference discontinued football following the 2000 season.[18]

Facilities

School Basketball Arena Capacity Baseball Stadium Capacity Soccer Stadium Capacity
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Robert A. Mott Athletics Center 3,032 Robin Baggett Stadium 1,734 Alex G. Spanos Stadium 11,075
Cal State Fullerton Titan Gym 4,000 Goodwin Field 3,500 Titan Stadium 10,000
Cal State Northridge Matadome 2,400 Matador Field 1,000 Matador Soccer Field 1,550
Hawaiʻi Stan Sheriff Center 10,300 Les Murakami Stadium 4,312 Waipio Soccer Stadium 4,500
Long Beach State Walter Pyramid 5,000[19] Blair Field 3,238 George Allen Field 1,000
Sacramento State Men's Soccer Member Only Hornet Field 1,500
UC Davis The Pavilion 7,600 Dobbins Baseball Complex 3,500 Aggie Field 1,000
UC Irvine Bren Events Center 4,984 Cicerone Field 2,900 Anteater Stadium 2,500
UC Riverside Student Recreation Center 3,168 Riverside Sports Complex 2,500 UCR Soccer Stadium 900
UC Santa Barbara The Thunderdome 5,600 Caesar Uyesaka Stadium 1,000 Harder Stadium 17,000

Commissioner's Cup

Started during the Big West Conference's 1998–99 season, the Commissioner's Cup is awarded yearly to the most outstanding program over the course of the season in the conference's sponsored sports.[20] The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos are the most successful team to date having won 9 total trophies.[21]

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

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "California Colleges Form New Conference". The San Bernardino Sun. San Bernardino, California. June 11, 1968. Retrieved December 2, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  2. ^ Pickard, Don (June 18, 1968). "Cal State PCAA Entry Being Probed". The Independent. Pasadena, California. Retrieved December 2, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  3. ^ "New league being formed". Redlands Daily Facts. Redlands, California. October 18, 1968. Retrieved December 2, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  4. ^ Miles, Jerry (May 16, 1969). "Pacific Eight Gets New Rival". Progress Bulletin. Pomona, California. Retrieved December 2, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  5. ^ Dhillon, Jagdip (March 29, 2012). "Tigers back 'home'". The Record. Stockton, California. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "About The Big West Conference". Big West Conference. Archived from the original on August 10, 2001. Retrieved December 2, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b c "PCAA to Change Name to Big West". Los Angeles Times. June 4, 1988. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  8. ^ Reid, Jason (February 19, 1996). "This Conference Now Little West". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  9. ^ "MEN'S SOCCER JOINS BIG WEST CONFERENCE". Sacramento State Hornets. July 5, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  10. ^ "SAND VOLLEYBALL TO JOIN THE BIG WEST CONFERENCE". Sacramento State Hornets. June 26, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  11. ^ "CSUB Sand Volleyball Finds A Conference Home". Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners. June 26, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  12. ^ "Preseason Poll Released for UC San Diego's Milestone 25th and Final Year in MPSF". UC San Diego Tritons. December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  13. ^ Arkansas State joined the conference for football in 1993, left to become an independent after the 1995–1996 season, then re-joined in 1999, only to leave again after the 2000–2001 season.
  14. ^ "Big West Conference Makes Men's Volleyball 18th Sponsored Sport". Big West Conference. May 31, 2016. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2016-03-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)/story.asp?story_id=19222
  16. ^ "Big West Conference Adds Beach Volleyball To Sports Lineup". Big West Conference. June 26, 2015. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Big West Football. Web.archive.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-17.
  18. ^ Big West Conference. Web.archive.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-17.
  19. ^ "The Mike and Arlene Walter Pyramid". California State University, Long Beach. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  20. ^ "Area Notebook: Long Beach State captures fourth straight BWC Comissioner's[sic] Cup". Press-Telegram. Long Beach, California. May 28, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  21. ^ "UC Santa Barbara Claims First Commissioner's Cup In Six Years". Big West Conference. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
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