Big West Conference

From BR Bullpen

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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. In 1974, Cal State Fullerton moved into the conference. By 1977, UC Irvine joined the conference and UCSB was back in 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's teams played in two different conferences for their baseball season. Half the teams played in the Northern California Baseball Association, while the others were in the Southern California Baseball Association.

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. In 2013, the University of Hawaii would join the Big West, followed by both; Cal State Bakersfield and UC San Diego for the 2021 season.

2024 Conference Members & First Year of Baseball[edit]

Logo 2005-2021

Former Memebers[edit]

Utah State University, University of North Texas, University of Idaho and Boise State University have all been members in the past but did not support baseball.

Conference Baseball Champions[edit]