Pacific West Conference

History

Formation

New PacWest Conference

Recent expansion and contraction

Chronological timeline

• 1992 – The Pacific West Conference was founded due to a merger of the men's sports-only Great Northwest Conference and the women's sports-only Continental Divide Conference. Charter members included the University of Alaska at Anchorage, the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Grand Canyon University, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Montana State University at Billings, Portland State University and Seattle Pacific University, beginning the 1992–93 academic year.
• 1994 – Grand Canyon left the PacWest to join the California Collegiate Athletic Association after the 1993–94 academic year; while Western New Mexico University joined the conference in the 1994–95 academic year.
• 1996 – Portland State's women's sports left the PacWest to fully align with their men's sports to join the Division I ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Big Sky Conference after the 1995–96 academic year.
• 1998 – Brigham Young University–Hawai'i, Central Washington University, Hawai'i Pacific University, Humboldt State University, Saint Martin's University, Western Oregon University and Western Washington University joined the PacWest in the 1998–99 academic year.
• 1999 – Northwest Nazarene University and Seattle University joined the PacWest in the 1999–2000 academic year.
• 2001 – Alaska–Anchorage, Alaska–Fairbanks, Central Washington, Humboldt State, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin's, Seattle, Seattle Pacific, Western Oregon and Western Washington left the PacWest to form the Great Northwest Athletic Conference after the 2000–01 academic year.
• 2005:
• * Montana State–Billings and Western New Mexico left the PacWest to join the Heartland Conference after the 2004–05 academic year.
• * Notre Dame de Namur University joined the PacWest as a provisional full member, both effective in the 2005–06 academic year.
• 2007 – Dixie State University joined the PacWest in the 2007–08 academic year.
• 2009 – Academy of Art University and Dominican University of California joined the PacWest in the 2009–10 academic year.
• 2011 – California Baptist University joined the PacWest in the 2011–12 academic year.
• 2012 – Azusa Pacific University, Fresno Pacific University, Holy Names University and Point Loma Nazarene University joined the PacWest in the 2012–13 academic year.
• 2013:
• * Grand Canyon left the PacWest to join the NCAA Division I ranks and the Western Athletic Conference after the 2012–13 academic year.
• * Sonoma State University joined the PacWest as an affiliate member for men's and women's tennis in the 2014 spring season.
• 2014 – California State University, Los Angeles and California State University, Stanislaus joined the PacWest as affiliate members for women's tennis in the 2014 spring season.
• 2015 – Concordia University Irvine joined the PacWest in the 2015–16 academic year.
• 2017:
• * BYU–Hawaii left the PacWest as the school announced that it would discontinue its athletic program after the 2016–17 academic year.
• * Biola University joined the PacWest in the 2017–18 academic year.
• 2018 – Two institutions left the PacWest to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 2017–18 academic year:
• * Dixie State to join the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
• * and Cal Baptist to join the NCAA Division I ranks and the WAC, both effective after the 2017–18 academic year
• 2020 – Notre Dame de Namur left the PacWest as the school announced that it would discontinue its athletic program after the 2019–20 academic year.
• 2021 – Colorado Mesa University and the Metropolitan State University of Denver joined the PacWest as affiliate members for men's and women's tennis in the 2022 spring season.
• 2023:
• * Holy Names left the PacWest after the 2022–23 academic year; as the school ceased operations.
• * Westmont College joined the PacWest in the 2023–24 academic year.
• 2024 – Jessup University, Menlo College and Vanguard University all joined the PacWest in the 2024–25 academic year.
• 2025 – Academy of Art left the PacWest after the 2024–25 academic year; as the school announced that it would discontinue its athletic program.
• 2026:
• * Azusa Pacific will leave the PacWest to transition to NCAA Division III and join the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in conjunction with the restart of their football program for the 2026 season.
• * Fresno Pacific and Menlo will leave the PacWest to join the California Collegiate Athletic Association after the 2025–26 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

Affiliate members

Former members

Former affiliate members

Membership timeline

National championships

• Women's outdoor track & field

• Women's outdoor track & field

• Men's tennis
• Women's tennis
• Women's volleyball

• Men's soccer
• Men's indoor track & field

• Women's volleyball
• Softball
• Men's tennis

• Women's soccer

Sports

Other sponsored sports by school

Conference facilities