Big West Conference

The Big West Conference (BWC) is an NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada...

-affiliated Division I mid-major

Mid-major

Mid-major is a term mainly used in American college basketball and college football, to describe schools not affiliated with a conference whose football teams possess automatic bids to the Bowl Championship Series . Though not always the case in the past, the term today has basically the same...

 college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the "Pacific Coast Athletic Association" (PCAA). After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped sponsoring college football

College football

College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies. It was the venue through which American football first gained popularity in the United States...

 after the 2000 season. It is the nation’s only conference with its entire membership located in one state.

The Big West Conference was formed on July 1st, 1969, under the name Pacific Coast Athletic Association.

The Big West Conference (BWC) is an NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada...

-affiliated Division I mid-major

Mid-major

Mid-major is a term mainly used in American college basketball and college football, to describe schools not affiliated with a conference whose football teams possess automatic bids to the Bowl Championship Series . Though not always the case in the past, the term today has basically the same...

 college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the "Pacific Coast Athletic Association" (PCAA). After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped sponsoring college football

College football

College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies. It was the venue through which American football first gained popularity in the United States...

 after the 2000 season. It is the nation’s only conference with its entire membership located in one state.

Creation of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association

The Big West Conference was formed on July 1st, 1969, under the name Pacific Coast Athletic Association. The charter members of the PCAA were Cal State Los Angeles

California State University, Los Angeles

California State University, Los Angeles is a public university, part of the California State University system...

, Fresno State

California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA....

, Long Beach State

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Long Beach is the largest campus of the California State University system and the second largest university in the state of California by enrollment...

, San Diego State

San Diego State University

For a railway station that serves the campus, see SDSU Transit Center.San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...

, San José State

San José State University

San José State University is a public university located in San José, California, United States. It is the founding campus of the California State University system...

, and UC Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Santa Barbara, California, northwest of Los Angeles...

.

Four of these charter members (Cal State Los Angeles, Fresno State, Long Beach State, and San Diego State) had previously been members of the nation's premier college conference, the California Collegiate Athletic Association

California Collegiate Athletic Association

The California Collegiate Athletic Association is an intercollegiate athletic conference in the Division II of the NCAA. All of its current members are public universities, and all except for UC San Diego are members of the California State University system.It was founded in December 1938 and...

. After capturing multiple national championships, the members sought a higher level of play, which could be found within the university ranks. Likewise, San José State and UC Santa Barbara, as well as the University of the Pacific, were becoming dissatisfied with being independents due to the restriction of the number of sports they could participate in per year.

The seven schools formally met in May of 1969 and finalized the birth of the PCAA less than two months later. Six of the seven schools who were involved in the creation of the league started athletic play straightaway, with Pacific joining them 2 years later.

Evolution

Since its inception as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, the conference has seen many changes throughout the years. Utah State

Utah State University

Utah State University is a public land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H. Lund introduced a bill for its creation. Originally known as the Agricultural College of Utah, its name was subsequently changed to 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

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located in Southeast Las Vegas, approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. Ground breaking on the original site was in April 1956, and the university...

, Nevada

University of Nevada, Reno

The University of Nevada, Reno is a university located in Reno, Nevada, USA, and includes programs in agricultural research, journalism, animal biotechnology, mining-related engineering, business administration, and natural sciences such as seismology. The university's journalism school has...

, Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana is a coeducational public institution of higher learning with an enrollment of 10,950 students in the 08-09 year. Louisiana Tech was first instituted as the Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana in 1894, then as Louisiana Polytechnic...

, and Boise State

Boise State University

Boise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, the capital city of Idaho.Boise State was founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church...

 among others.

Big West Conference Sports Offered Baseball Men's and Women's Basketball Men's and Women's Cross Country Men's and Women's Golf Men's and Women's Soccer Softball Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Men's and Women's Tennis Men's and Women's Track & Field Women's Volleyball Women's Water Polo

In 1983, the PCAA became the first western conference to introduce women's athletic programs, giving the opportunity for all its members to have their women student-athletes compete at the same level as their male counterparts. This proved vital for Hawaiʻi

University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system. The school is located in Mānoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, approximately three miles east and...

 as their only participation in the conference was for their women's basketball team.

However, turnover of universities started to take its toll. Many left to join conferences that were perceived as more well-known, such as the Western Athletic Conference

Western Athletic Conference

The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...

 or the Mountain West Conference

Mountain West Conference

The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999. Geographically, the MWC covers a broad expanse of the western United States, with member institutions located in California,...

, while others did not see the benefit of travel since historically many of the teams have been California-based. Since the departures of Idaho

University of Idaho

The University of Idaho is the state of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state. UI is the state's land-grant and primary research university...

 and Utah State in 2005, all members have been based in California reducing both the travel time and cost between the universities. Between full and associate members, there have been no less than 25 members in the conference's history while only three of the original seven charter members remain (Long Beach State, University of the Pacific, and UC Santa Barbara).

The change to the Big West

To mark its 20th year as an athletic conference, in 1988 the Pacific Coast Athletic Association decided to change its name to the Big West Conference. The move signaled the changing landscape within the conference. With such schools as Utah State, UNLV, Nevada, New Mexico State, and Hawaiʻi now in the fold, the name change was more representative of the population. Despite the departure of all non-California based teams, the much widely known "Big West Conference" name has remained constant.

Current members

All nine members of the conference are located in California

California

California is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...

. Only one member is a private institution; the other eight are public schools, divided equally between the California State University and University of California systems.

Institution	Nickname	Location	Founded	Joined BWC	Affiliation	Enrollment
Cal Poly California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University, also officially recognized as Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California...	Mustangs		1901	1996	Public (California State University California State University The California State University is one of three public higher education systems in the state of California, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the California State University...  system)	19,777
Cal State Fullerton California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton, commonly known as CSUF, CSU Fullerton, or Cal State Fullerton, is currently the second largest California State University campus...	Titans		1957	1974	Public (California State University California State University The California State University is one of three public higher education systems in the state of California, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the California State University...  system)	36,996
Cal State Northridge California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge is a public university in the San Fernando Valley, within the city limits of Los Angeles, California, USA....	Matadors		1958	2001	Public (California State University California State University The California State University is one of three public higher education systems in the state of California, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the California State University...  system)	36,207
Long Beach State California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach is the largest campus of the California State University system and the second largest university in the state of California by enrollment...	49ers Long Beach State 49ers 'An NCAA division 1 member, Long Beach State has 18 sports teams and plays competitively in baseball, cross country, softball, track and field, women's tennis, and women's soccer, as well as both men's and women's basketball, volleyball, water polo and golf teams...		1949	1969	Public (California State University California State University The California State University is one of three public higher education systems in the state of California, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the California State University...  system)	37,890
University of the Pacific	Tigers		1851	1971	Private	3,740
UC Davis University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis is a public research university located in Davis, California, and one of ten campuses in the University of California system. Commonly referred to as UC Davis, the school was originally established in 1905 as the University Farm, an extension of UC Berkeley. UC...	Aggies UC Davis Aggies The UC Davis Aggies compete in NCAA Division I sports in the Big West Conference. For football, the Aggies compete in Division I FCS , and are members of the Great West Conference, granting UC Davis the distinction of being one of only three UC campuses to field a football team...		1908	2007	Public (University of California University of California The University of California is a public university system in the state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University system...  system)	31,426
UC Irvine University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine is a public coeducational research university founded in 1965, located in Irvine, California....	Anteaters UC Irvine Anteaters UC Irvine's Athletics program participates in the NCAA's Division I, as members of the Big West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The UC Irvine Anteaters is the nickname used for the sports teams....		1965	1977	Public (University of California University of California The University of California is a public university system in the state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University system...  system)	27,631
UC Riverside University of California, Riverside The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus sits on in a suburban district of , United States, with a branch campus of in Palm Desert...	Highlanders		1954	2001	Public (University of California University of California The University of California is a public university system in the state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University system...  system)	18,079
UC Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Santa Barbara, California, northwest of Los Angeles...	Gauchos		1905	1969, 1976	Public (University of California University of California The University of California is a public university system in the state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University system...  system)	20,559

Membership timeline

Notes

• Powder blue bars denote full members.
  
• Red bars denote football only members.
  
• Green bars denote women's basketball only members.

Former members

Many of the former members of the Big West are now members of the Western Athletic Conference

Western Athletic Conference

The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...

. Of the 9 current members of the WAC, only Hawaiʻi has not spent time in the Big West as a football participant – it was in the Big West as a women's basketball only member. Only one has reverted back to Division II standing, Cal State Los Angeles.

Institution	Nickname	Affiliation	Joined BWC	Left BWC	Current Conference
Arkansas State University Arkansas State University Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and fourth largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...	Indians Arkansas State Red Wolves The Arkansas State University Red Wolves is the name given to Arkansas State University's athletic teams. The university is affiliated with the Sun Belt Conference in sports and maintains NCAA Division I status....	Football only	1993, 1999	1996, 2001	Sun Belt Conference Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition...
Boise State University Boise State University Boise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, the capital city of Idaho.Boise State was founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church...	Broncos Boise State Broncos The Boise State Broncos are the official athletic program of Boise State University. The Broncos compete in a wide variety of sports. Perhaps the most well-known of these sports is the football program. The program attained a 13-0 season in 2006 capped by a memorable overtime win in the 2007 Fiesta...	Full member	1996	2001	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
California State University, Fresno California State University, Fresno California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA....	Bulldogs Fresno State Bulldogs The Fresno State Bulldogs represent California State University, Fresno in 16 NCAA Division I sports. The teams have been members of the Western Athletic Conference since 1992. Before that, it had been a member of the Big West Conference since 1969...	Full member	1969	1992	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles is a public university, part of the California State University system...	Golden Eagles	Full member	1969	1974	California Collegiate Athletic Association California Collegiate Athletic Association The California Collegiate Athletic Association is an intercollegiate athletic conference in the Division II of the NCAA. All of its current members are public universities, and all except for UC San Diego are members of the California State University system.It was founded in December 1938 and...
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa University of Hawaii at Manoa The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system. The school is located in Mānoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, approximately three miles east and...	Rainbow Wahine	Women's Basketball only	1984	1996	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
University of Idaho University of Idaho The University of Idaho is the state of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state. UI is the state's land-grant and primary research university...	Vandals Idaho Vandals The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Idaho. The Vandals participate in the NCAA's Division I FBS in the Western Athletic Conference ....	Full member	1996	2005	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana is a coeducational public institution of higher learning with an enrollment of 10,950 students in the 08-09 year. Louisiana Tech was first instituted as the Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana in 1894, then as Louisiana Polytechnic...	Bulldogs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs is the name given to Louisiana Tech University men's athletic teams, and the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters is the name given to the women's athletic teams...	Football only	1993	1996	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Las Vegas The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located in Southeast Las Vegas, approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. Ground breaking on the original site was in April 1956, and the university...	Rebels UNLV Rebels The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' sports teams are called the Rebels. The Rebels participate in NCAA Division I and in the Mountain West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The school's colors are Scarlet and Grey. The Rebels' main rivals are the Wolf Pack of the...	Full member	1982	1996	Mountain West Conference Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999. Geographically, the MWC covers a broad expanse of the western United States, with member institutions located in California,...
University of Nevada, Reno University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno is a university located in Reno, Nevada, USA, and includes programs in agricultural research, journalism, animal biotechnology, mining-related engineering, business administration, and natural sciences such as seismology. The university's journalism school has...	Wolf Pack Nevada Wolf Pack The University of Nevada, Reno has a long and storied athletics tradition. Though often known as UNR within the state, the university prefers to be called simply Nevada for athletics purposes; its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack...	Full member	1992	2000	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
New Mexico State University New Mexico State University New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a major land-grant university in New Mexico, with campuses in Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Doña Ana County , Grants and Las Cruces and with extension and research centers across New Mexico...	Aggies New Mexico State Aggies New Mexico State University's teams are called the Aggies, a nickname derived from the university's agricultural beginnings. Since 2005, they have competed in the Western Athletic Conference. The mascot is known as "Pistol Pete"...	Full member	1983	2000	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
University of North Texas University of North Texas The University of North Texas is a public university located in Denton, Texas. UNT is the flagship of the University of North Texas System, which also includes the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth, the University of North Texas at Dallas and the soon to be established University of North...	Mean Green North Texas Mean Green North Texas Mean Green is the team name used for both men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas....	Full member	1996	2000	Sun Belt Conference Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition...
Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University is a public university located in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as a satellite campus for what is now Illinois State University. The DeKalb campus was originally called Northern Illinois State...	Huskies Northern Illinois Huskies The Northern Illinois Huskies are the athletic teams that represent Northern Illinois University. The Huskies are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Mid-American Conference...	Football only	1993	1996	Mid-American Conference Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members located...
San Diego State University San Diego State University For a railway station that serves the campus, see SDSU Transit Center.San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...	Aztecs	Full member	1969	1978	Mountain West Conference Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference , the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS , officially began operations in July 1999. Geographically, the MWC covers a broad expanse of the western United States, with member institutions located in California,...
San José State University San José State University San José State University is a public university located in San José, California, United States. It is the founding campus of the California State University system...	Spartans San José State Spartans The San José State Spartans is the name of the athletic teams representing San José State University. SJSU sports teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference at the NCAA Division I level...	Full member	1969	1996	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
University of Southwestern Louisiana University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...	Ragin' Cajuns Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns is the nickname of the athletic teams of The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. UL Lafayette, at that time known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana, was the first to adopt the nickname Ragin' Cajuns, using it initially in the 1960s to refer to its football...	Football only	1993	1996	Sun Belt Conference Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition...
Utah State University Utah State University Utah State University is a public land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H. Lund introduced a bill for its creation. Originally known as the Agricultural College of Utah, its name was subsequently changed to Utah State...	Aggies Utah State Aggies The Utah State Aggies are the athletics teams of Utah State University. Recently, the men's basketball team, under coach Stew Morrill, has become known as a nationally respected program, with several trips to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship...	Full member	1978	2005	Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...

Sports

As of fall 2002, the BWC sponsors intercollegiate competition in baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...

, men’s and women’s basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a 10 foot  high hoop under organized rules...

, men’s and women’s cross country

Cross country running

Cross country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water...

, men’s and women’s golf

Golf

Golf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...

, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming

Swimming (sport)

The aquatic sport of swimming involves competition amongst participants to be the fastest over a given distance under self propulsion.The different events include 25, 50, 100, 200, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly, the 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 500, 800, 1000, 1500, and 1650 free and the 100,...

 and diving

Diving

Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...

, softball

Softball

Softball is a team sport popular especially in the United States. It is a direct descendant of baseball. Some key differences between softball and baseball are that softballs are larger than baseballs, and pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand. Softball was invented by George Hancock...

, men’s and women’s tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....

, men’s and women’s track and field, and women’s volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...

. As of the 2008-2009 school year the BWC has sponsored Women's Water Polo

Water polo

Water polo is a team water sport. It is the oldest continuous Olympic team sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper with a maximum of six substitutes. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Gameplay involves swimming, players passing the ball...

.

The Big West is strong in several sports. Baseball and Women's Volleyball have been the strongest sports because of the number of championships won. Cal State Fullerton has won 4 College World Series in 1979, 1984, 1995, and 2004. Long Beach State has won 5 Women's Volleyball championships in 1972, 1973, 1989, 1993, 1998, the last three being NCAA sanctioned titles. In 1998 Misty May-Treanor

Misty May-Treanor

Misty Erie May-Treanor is an American professional beach volleyball player. She has won more tournaments than any other female player with 105 career wins....

 helped guided the 49ers to a 36-0 record on route to the programs most recent title. Pacific won back to back Women's Volleyball titles in 1985 and 1986.

When UNLV won the school's lone Division 1 Basketball Championship in 1990, by beating Duke University by a record setting margin of 30 points in the 103-73 victory, they were a member of the Big West Conference.

The current members of the Big West have won a total of nine NCAA national championships including UC Santa Barbara’s most recent Men’s Soccer Championship in 2006. The other was softball by Fullerton in 1986.

The conference does not sponsor football; the only two conference members which participate in the sport (UC Davis and Cal Poly

Cal Poly

"Cal Poly" may refer to:*California Polytechnic State University, a polytechnic university in the city of San Luis Obispo, California...

) participate as members of the Great West Conference.

Men's Basketball

The most recent winner of the Big West Tournament is Cal State Northridge, who also won the regular season crown.

Football

Football Champions

Year	University
1969	San Diego State
1970	Long Beach State & San Diego State
1971	Long Beach State
1972	San Diego State
1973	San Diego State
1974	San Diego State
1975	San Jose State
1976	San Jose State
1977	Fresno State
1978	San Jose State and Utah State
1979	Utah State
1980	Long Beach State
1981	San Jose State
1982	Fresno State
1983	Cal State Fullerton
1984	Cal State Fullerton
1985	Fresno State
1986	San Jose State
1987	San Jose State
1988	Fresno State
1989	Fresno State
1990	San Jose State
1991	Fresno State and San Jose State
1992	Nevada
1993	Southwestern Louisiana and Utah State
1994	Southwestern Louisiana, Nevada, and UNLV
1995	Nevada
1996	Nevada and Utah State
1997	Nevada and Utah State
1998	Idaho
1999	Boise State
2000	Boise State

Conference facilities

School	Basketball Arena	Capacity	Soccer Stadium	Capacity	Baseball Stadium	Capacity
Cal Poly	Mott Gym Mott Gym Robert A. Mott Gymnasium is a 3,032 seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.-History and renovations:...	3,032	Alex G. Spanos Stadium	11,075	Baggett Stadium	1,734
Cal State Fullerton	Titan Gym Titan Gym Titan Gym is a ~4,000 seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of California State University, Fullerton in Fullerton, California.-History and renovations:...	4,000	Titan Stadium Titan Stadium (Cal State Fullerton) Titan Stadium is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose stadium on the campus of California State University, Fullerton in Fullerton, California.-History:...	10,000	Goodwin Field Goodwin Field Goodwin Field is a stadium in Fullerton, California. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the four time champion Cal State Fullerton Titans of the NCAA's Big West Conference and Orange County Flyers minor league baseball teams. It holds 3,500 people...	3,500
Cal State Northridge	Matadome Matadome Matador Gymnasium, most commonly known by its nickname the Matadome, is a 1,600 seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of California State University, Northridge in Northridge, California.-History and renovations:...	1,600	Matador Soccer Field Matador Soccer Field Matador Soccer Field is an 800 seat soccer stadium on the campus of California State University, Northridge in Northridge, California.It is currently the home to the Cal State Northridge Matadors men's soccer and Cal State Northridge Matadors women's soccer teams.Matador Soccer Field was host to a...	800	Matador Field	1,000
Long Beach State	Walter Pyramid Walter Pyramid Walter Pyramid, formerly known as Long Beach Pyramid, is a 5,000-seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California.-History:...	5,000	George Allen Field George Allen Field George Allen Field is a 1,000 seat soccer stadium on the campus of California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California.-Tenants & history:It is currently the home of the Long Beach State 49ers women's soccer team...	1,000	Blair Field Blair Field Blair Field is a stadium in Long Beach, California. It originally opened in 1956 and is primarily used for baseball. It holds 3,238 people. It is named for Frank Blair, the sports editor for the Long Beach Press-Telegram newspaper for 32 years....	3,238
Pacific	Alex G. Spanos Center Alex G. Spanos Center Alex G. Spanos Center is a 6,150-seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.-History:The Alex G. Spanos Center opened on 9 September 1981 and was constructed for over $7 million dollars...	6,150	Stagg Memorial Stadium Stagg Memorial Stadium Amos Alonzo Stagg Memorial Stadium, previously known as Pacific Memorial Stadium, is a 28,000 seat, outdoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.-Stadium construction:...	28,000	Klein Family Field Klein Family Field Klein Family Field is a baseball stadium in Stockton, California. It is the home field of the University of the Pacific Tigers college baseball team. The stadium holds 2,500 people and opened in 2006.-External links:*...	2,500
UC Davis	The Pavilion	8,000	Aggie Field Aggie Field Aggie Field, also known officially as Aggie Soccer Stadium, is a 1,000 seat soccer stadium on the campus of University of California, Davis in Davis, California....	1,000	Dobbins Baseball Complex Dobbins Baseball Complex Dobbins Baseball Complex is a baseball stadium in Davis, California. It is the home field of the University of California, Davis Aggies college baseball team. The stadium holds 3,500 spectators.-External links:*...	3,500
UC Irvine	Bren Events Center Bren Events Center Donald Bren Events Center is a 4,984-seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of the University of California, Irvine in Irvine, California.-Construction and history:...	4,984	Anteater Stadium Anteater Stadium Anteater Stadium is a 2,500 seat multi-purpose stadium on the campus of University of California, Irvine in Irvine, California.-History:Recent renovations have added lights to Anteater Stadium, which was completed late in 2000....	2,500	Cicerone Field	2,900
UC Riverside	UC Riverside Student Recreation Center	3,168	UCR Soccer Stadium UCR Soccer Stadium UCR Soccer Stadium is a 900 seat soccer stadium on the campus of University of California, Riverside in Riverside, California.-History:The fields where UCR Soccer Stadium stands were the original home of the UC Riverside Highlanders men’s soccer team during its first incarnation from the 1950s to...	900	UC-Riverside Sports Center UC-Riverside Sports Center UC-Riverside Sports Center is a stadium in Riverside, California. It is primarily used for baseball and was the home of Riverside Pilots before they moved to Lancaster, California to become the Lancaster JetHawks in 1996. The ballpark is currently the home of the University of California,...	3,500
UC Santa Barbara	UCSB Events Center (the Thunderdome)	5,600	Harder Stadium Harder Stadium Harder Stadium is a 17,000 seat, outdoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, California. It serves as the on-campus soccer stadium for both the men's and women's programs. It is also currently used occasionally by the school's club...	17,000	Caesar Uyesaka Stadium Caesar Uyesaka Stadium Caesar Uyesaka Stadium is a baseball stadium in Santa Barbara, California. It is the home field of the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos baseball team as well as the Santa Barbara Foresters...	1,000

See also

• California Collegiate Athletic Association
  California Collegiate Athletic Association
  The California Collegiate Athletic Association is an intercollegiate athletic conference in the Division II of the NCAA. All of its current members are public universities, and all except for UC San Diego are members of the California State University system.It was founded in December 1938 and...
  
  , an all-California school conference that competes in Division II
  Division II
  Division II is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It offers an alternative to both the highly competitive level of intercollegiate sports offered in NCAA Division I and to the non-scholarship level offered in Division III...
  
  . Eight out of nine members of the Big West are former members of the CCAA.