Big West Conference

From BR Bullpen

The Big West Conference was formed as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association on July 1, 1969. Cal State LA, Fresno State, Long Beach State and San Diego State University were joined by San Jose State University, UC Santa Barbara and University of the Pacific in the original line-up. By the early '70's, charter members UCSB and CSLA had dropped football and SDSU left the conference in football only. In 1974, Cal State Fullerton moved into the conference. By 1977, UC Irvine joined the conference and UCSB was back in - both as non-football playing institutions, while Utah State University became the first non-California member of the circuit, transforming the PCAA into a regional conference. UNLV (1981) and New Mexico State University (1984) soon followed suit, bringing the league's membership to 10 universities. The PCAA began its 20th year of existence in 1988 by changing its name to the Big West Conference.

From 1977 to 1984 the conference was split in two for their baseball season. Half the teams played in the NCBA, while the others were in the SCBA.

Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, and Pacific are the conference's longest tenured members, and are three of the original charter institutions. Long Beach State is the only school that has held membership every year in the conference since its inaugural season in 1969. Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine have both been Big West members for over three decades, with Cal Poly entering its ninth year of affiliation. Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside are the Big West's most recent members, as the two schools joined the conference in 2001-02. The Big West is also set to add a ninth conference member with UC Davis coming aboard in the 2007-08 season.