The Big West Conference (BWC) is an NCAA-affiliated Division I major college athletic conference that formerly sponsored Division I-A American football. Due to its past successes in the NCAA's men's college basketball tournament, the Big West is often considered to be a Mid Major conference. Image File history File links Bigwestnew. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced N-C-Double-A or N-C-Two-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Mid-major is a term mainly used in American college basketball and, to a lesser extent, college football, to describe schools not affiliated with a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conference. ...

Background

The history of the conference is linked to that of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), which was founded in 1969 and renamed the Big West Conference in 1988. The Big West Conference dropped sponsorship of football at the end of the 2000-2001 season, but continues to actively sponsor other sports. The Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), a major college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I, was founded in 1969. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Beginning in fall of 2001, six of the seven remaining football-playing members parted company with the BWC: Arkansas State, Idaho, New Mexico State, and North Texas joined the Sun Belt Conference; Boise State joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC); and Utah State became an independent before joining the Sun Belt Conference in fall 2003. Idaho and Utah State retained Big West membership in sports other than football until both officially left for the WAC on July 1, 2005. The departure of Idaho and Utah State leaves the Big West a California-only conference; of these schools, five are in Greater Los Angeles, two others are just to the north or west of that area, and only Pacific is outside of Southern California. This will change once UC Davis, in the Sacramento area, becomes a full member. As such, the Big West basically returns to its roots, as the PCAA had been a California-only conference until they admitted Utah State in 1978. 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAAs Division I since 1976. ... The Western Athletic Conference (commonly referred to as the WAC, pronounced whack) was formed in 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 College Athletic Conferences currently affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I-A. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States, with member institutions... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the city of Los Angeles, California. ... Southern California Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Vintage Disneyland Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal or colloquially, the Southland, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ... The University of California, Davis, commonly abbreviated to UC Davis or UCD is one of the ten University of California campuses. ...

The seventh football-playing member, Cal Poly, stayed in the Big West for other sports and became a Division I-AA independent before joining the new Great West Football Conference in 2004. The Great West Football Conference is a NCAA Division I-AA college athletic conference. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Charter (original) members

• California State University, Fullerton - from 1988 to 1992
• California State University, Fresno - from 1988 to 1991
• Long Beach State University - from 1988 to 1999
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) - from 1988 to 1996
• New Mexico State University - from 1988 to 2000
• University of the Pacific - from 1988 to 1996
• San José State University - from 1988 to 1996
• Utah State University - from 1988 to 2005

The California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), often referred to as Fullerton State or Cal State Fullerton, is a part of the California State University System. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The campus on a sunny day California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, or as the other FSU (that abbreviation being shared by Florida State University), is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, at the foot of... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... California State University, Long Beach (also known as Long Beach State, Cal State Long Beach, CSULB, LBSU or The Beach!) is the largest campus of the California State University system and the second largest university in the state of California. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public, coeducational university located in Las Vegas, Nevada, known for its programs in computer science, English, engineering, and hotel administration. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The University of the Pacific (Pacific, or UOP) is a private northern California university originally chartered on July 10, 1851 in Santa Clara, California, under the name California Wesleyan College by the California Supreme Court. ... San José State University, commonly shortened to San José State and SJSU, is the founding campus of what became the California State University system. ... Old Main building at Utah State University Utah State Universitys main campus is located in Logan, Utah. ...

Current members (and years joined)

Cal Poly Mustangs California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (or Cal Poly for short) is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California. ... San Luis Obispo, San Luis, or SLO (Spanish for ) is a city in California. ... The California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), often referred to as Fullerton State or Cal State Fullerton, is a part of the California State University System. ... Nickname: Motto: Official website: http://www. ... California State University, Northridge (also known as CSUN, Cal State Northridge, or C-Sun) is a public university in the San Fernando Valley, within the city limits of Los Angeles, California, USA. Part of the California State University System, CSUN was founded in 1958 as San Fernando Valley State College. ... Northridge is a community in the City of Los Angeles. ... California State University, Long Beach (also known as Long Beach State, Cal State Long Beach, CSULB, LBSU or The Beach!) is the largest campus of the California State University system and the second largest university in the state of California. ... Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Beverly ONeill (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 170. ... The University of the Pacific (Pacific, or UOP) is a private northern California university originally chartered on July 10, 1851 in Santa Clara, California, under the name California Wesleyan College by the California Supreme Court. ... |} Stockton is a city in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the 5th largest agricultural county in the United States). ... The University of California, Irvine is a public university situated in suburban Irvine, California. ... Location Location of Irvine within Orange County, California. ... The University of California, Riverside is a public, coeducational university located in Riverside, California. ... Riverside is the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. ... The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a coeducational public university located on the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara County, California. ... Mission Santa Barbara, known as the queen of the missions. Santa Barbara is a city in California, United States. ... Image File history File links CalPoly. ... California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (or Cal Poly for short) is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California. ...	Cal State Fullerton Titans Image File history File links CSF-Titans. ... The California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), often referred to as Fullerton State or Cal State Fullerton, is a part of the California State University System. ...	Cal State Northridge Matadors Image File history File links CalSN_2445. ... California State University, Northridge (also known as CSUN, Cal State Northridge, or C-Sun) is a public university in the San Fernando Valley, within the city limits of Los Angeles, California, USA. Part of the California State University System, CSUN was founded in 1958 as San Fernando Valley State College. ...	Long Beach State 49ers Image File history File links LongBeachState2. ... California State University, Long Beach (also known as Long Beach State, Cal State Long Beach, CSULB, LBSU or The Beach) is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California. ...
Pacific Tigers Image File history File links Pacif_2569. ... The University of the Pacific (Pacific, or UOP) is a private northern California university originally chartered on July 10, 1851 in Santa Clara, California, under the name California Wesleyan College by the California Supreme Court. ...	UC-Irvine Anteaters Image File history File links Cal-I_2803. ... The University of California, Irvine is a public university situated in suburban Irvine, California. ...	UC-Riverside Highlanders Image File history File links Ucriversde_100. ... The University of California, Riverside is a public, coeducational university located in Riverside, California. ...	UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos Image File history File links UCSB_2617. ... The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a coeducational public university located on the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara County, California. ...

Traveling Partners

• UC Irvine and Long Beach State. This is a rivalry.
• UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. This is also a rivalry.
• UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton. This is also a rivalry.
• Pacific and Cal State Northridge.
• UC Davis and Cal State Bakersfield. (Fall of 2009)

The University of California, Irvine is a public, coeducational university situated in suburban Irvine, California. ... California State University, Long Beach (also known as Long Beach State, Cal State Long Beach, CSULB or LBSU) is the largest campus of the California State University system located in Long Beach, California, at the southern coastal tip of Los Angeles County. ... The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a coeducational public university located in Santa Barbara County, California. ... Cal Poly may mean: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO _ The Original Campus) California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona or CSU Pomona _ The Former Satellite Campus) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... The University of California, Riverside is a public, coeducational university situated in Riverside, California beside Box Springs Mountain. ... California State University, Fullerton The California State University, Fullerton, often referred to as Cal State Fullerton, is a part of the California State University System located in Fullerton, California. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... A state-funded university in Northridge, California, part of the California State University System, formerly the San Fernando Valley State College. ... The University of California, Davis, commonly abbreviated to UC Davis or UCD is one of the ten University of California campuses. ... California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), located in Bakersfield, California, was founded in 1965. ...

Current Members

• UC Davis and Cal Poly play football in the Great West Football Conference.

The University of California, Davis, commonly abbreviated to UC Davis or UCD is one of the ten University of California campuses. ... Cal Poly may mean: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO _ The Original Campus) California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona or CSU Pomona _ The Former Satellite Campus) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share...

Former members

• Arkansas State University - from 1993 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2001 (football only)
• Boise State University - from 1996 to 2001
• University of Idaho - from 1996 to 2005
• Louisiana Tech University - from 1993 to 1996 (football only)
• University of Nevada - from 1996 to 1999
• University of North Texas - from 1996 to 2000
• Northern Illinois University - from 1993 to 1996 (football only)
• University of Southwestern Louisiana - from 1993 to 1996 (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) (football only)
• Utah State University - from 1988 to 2005

Arkansas State University student union, Jonesboro, AR. Arkansas State University (ASU) is the second largest university in the State of Arkansas, located atop 800 acres on Crowleys Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas. ... Boise State University is a state university located near downtown Boise, the capital city of Idaho. ... The University of Idaho is the states land-grant and primary research university, located in Moscow. ... Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana, is a coeducational public university with an approximate enrollment of 12000 students. ... The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR or Nevada) is a university that is located in Reno, Nevada and is known for its programs in agricultural research, animal biotechnology, and mining-related engineering and natural sciences. ... The University of North Texas (informally UNT or North Texas), is a public university located in Denton, Texas. ... Northern Illinois University is a comprehensive teaching and research institution with a student enrollment of more than 25,000. ... University of Louisiana at Lafayette is also known as UL Lafayette. ... The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a coeducational public research university also known as UL Lafayette, is located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana. ... Old Main building at Utah State University Utah State Universitys main campus is located in Logan, Utah. ...

Future members

• UC Davis - beginning in fall of 2007.
• California State University, Bakersfield - beginning in fall of 2009.

The University of California, Davis, commonly known as UC Davis, is a public, coeducational university located in Davis, California, which is about fifteen miles west of Sacramento in Californias Central Valley. ... California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), located in Bakersfield, California, was founded in 1965. ...

Current conference affiliations (for football) of former members

• Mid-American Conference (1) - Northern Illinois
• Mountain West Conference (1) - UNLV
• Sun Belt Conference (3) - Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, and North Texas
• Western Athletic Conference (8) - Boise State, Fresno State, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Nevada, San Jose State, and Utah State

The Mid-American Conference is a College Athletic Conference whose members are located mainly in the Midwestern United States; nine of the schools are in Ohio and Michigan alone. ... The Mountain West Conference (or MWC), the youngest of the College Athletic Conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I-A, officially began operations in July 1999. ... The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAAs Division I since 1976. ... The Western Athletic Conference (commonly referred to as the WAC, pronounced whack) was formed in 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 College Athletic Conferences currently affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I-A. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States, with member institutions...

Sports

As of fall 2002, the BWC sponsors intercollegiate competition in men’s 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, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, and women’s volleyball. A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005 For other uses, see Basketball (disambiguation). ... A cross country race in Minnesota. ... Golf (gowf in Scots) is a sport where individual players or teams hit a ball into a hole using various clubs, and is one of the few ball games that does not use a fixed standard playing area. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... A breaststroke swimmer Swimming is a technique that humans, and other animals, use to move through water using only movements of the body. ... Diving refers to the sport of acrobatically jumping or falling into water. ... Softball is a team sport in which a ball, ten to twelve inches (28 to 30. ... The Australian Rod Laver, a candidate for the greatest player of all time This article is about the sport. ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ... Volleyball is an Olympic sport in which two teams separated by a high net use their hands, arms, or (rarely) other parts of their bodies to hit a ball back and forth over the net. ...

Champions

• Big West Conference men's basketball tournament locations

A history of Big West Conference men’s basketball conference tournament locations: 1976: Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium, Stockton, CA 1977: first round at campus locations; rest at Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA 1978: Anaheim Convention Center Arena 1979: same 1980: same 1981: same 1982: same 1983: Inglewood Forum, Inglewood, CA...

Conference Arenas

Only Cal Poly has a football program. Their football stadium is called Mustang Stadium, capacity of 8,500. Mustang Stadium is a 8,500-seat multi-purpose stadium in San Luis Obispo, California. ...

Mott Gym is a 3,032-seat multi-purpose arena in San Luis Obispo, California. ... Titan Gym is a 3,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Fullerton, California. ... Matadome is a 1,600-seat multi-purpose arena in Northridge, California. ... The Walter Pyramid. ... Alex G. Spanos Center is a 6,150-seat multi-purpose arena in Stockton, California. ... The Bren Events Center is the on-campus multipurpose indoor arena in Irvine, California, just south of Anaheim. ... UC Riverside Student Recreation Center is a 3,168-seat multi-purpose arena in Riverside, California. ... Officially known as the Events Center, the Thunderdome is the on-campus arena for the University of California, Santa Barbara. ...

External link

• Official website