Great West Conference
| File:Gwest 100.jpg | |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Ed Grom |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division I |
| Subdivision | FCS |
| Region | Midwest and West |
| Official website | http://greatwestconference.cstv.com |
| Locations | |
 | |
The Great West Conference is a NCAA college athletic conference. It used to be a football-only conference. In 2008 it became an All-Sports Conference. It is a member of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA).
History, Background and Reorganization
Cal Poly, North Dakota State , Northern Colorado, South Dakota State , Southern Utah , and UC Davis began conference play in the Great West Football Conference in 2004. St. Mary's (CA) was slated to join the conference, but dropped football prior to the 2004 season. In 2005 Cal Poly was the conference's first participant in the NCAA Div. I-AA (now FCS) playoffs.
Northern Colorado left the GWFC to join the Big Sky Conference for all sports for the 2006 season. On March, 7, 2007, North Dakota State and South Dakota State announced that they would leave the conference after the 2007 season and join the Gateway Football Conference in 2008;[1] by the time the two schools joined, the Gateway Conference renamed itself the Missouri Valley Football Conference. On August 2, 2007 the University of North Dakota and the University of South Dakota announced that they would be joining the Great West Conference in 2008.
On July 10, 2008 it was made official in press conferences that the conference would change from a football only conference into an all sports conference. The charter members of the all-sports conference include North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah Valley University, Houston Baptist, Texas-Pan American, and NJIT.[2] Chicago State joined the conference October 22. Seattle is considering membership.[3]
Members
Current
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Joined | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago State University | Chicago, Illinois | 1867 | Public | 7,131 | 2008 | Cougars |
| Houston Baptist University | Houston, Texas | 1960 | Private | 3,100 | 2008 | Huskies |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, New Jersey | 1881 | Public | 5,263 | 2008 | Highlanders |
| University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, North Dakota | 1883 | Public | 12,834 | 2008 | Fighting Sioux |
| University of South Dakota | Vermillion, South Dakota | 1862 | Public | 8,241 | 2008 | Coyotes |
| University of Texas-Pan American | Edinburg, Texas | 1927 | Public | 17,048 | 2008 | Broncs |
| Utah Valley University | Orem, Utah | 1941 | Public | 24,487 | 2008 | Wolverines |
Affiliates
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Joined | Nickname | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | San Luis Obispo, California | 1901 | Public | 18,722 | 2004 | Mustangs | Big West Conference |
| Southern Utah University | Cedar City, Utah | 1897 | Public | 7,509 | 2004 | Thunderbirds | The Summit League |
| UC Davis | Davis, California | 1905 | Public | 27,530 | 2004 | Aggies | Big West Conference |
Former members
- North Dakota State University (Missouri Valley Football Conference), 2004-2007
- University of Northern Colorado (Big Sky Conference), 2004-2005
- South Dakota State University (Missouri Valley Football Conference), 2004-2007
Football Champions
| Season | Champion | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Cal Poly | 4-1 |
| 2005 | Cal Poly | 4-1 |
| UC Davis | 4-1 | |
| 2006 | North Dakota State | 4-0 |
| 2007 | South Dakota State | 4-0 |
Conference facilities
| School | Football Stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | Alex G. Spanos Stadium | 11,775 | Does not participate in Great West | |
| Houston Baptist | Does not sponsor football | N/A | Sharp Gymnasium | 1,500 |
| NJIT | Does not sponsor football | N/A | Fleisher Center | 1,500 |
| North Dakota | Alerus Center | 13,500 | Ralph Engelstad Arena | 11,640 |
| South Dakota | DakotaDome | 10,000 | DakotaDome | 10,000 |
| Southern Utah | Eccles Coliseum | 8,500 | Does not participate in Great West | |
| Texas-Pan American | Does not sponsor football | N/A | UTPA Fieldhouse | 4,000 |
| UC Davis | Aggie Stadium | 10,367 | Does not participate in Great West | |
| Utah Valley | Does not sponsor football | N/A | McKay Center | 8,500 |
Notes
- ^ "Gateway Expands to Nine Members". Gateway Football Conference. 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- ^ http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700241969,00.html New Great West Conference
- ^ Deseret News | UVU joins new sports conference
External links
Template:Great West Conference Template:GWFC Football Venues