13 Schools•Division I•Est. 1969
The Big West was founded on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, with charter members Fresno State, San Jose State, San Diego State, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara. The league took its current name in 1988 and dropped football after the 2000 season to concentrate on everything else. Headquarters sit in Irvine, and the footprint runs from the surf to the summit.
Baseball is the calling card. Cal State Fullerton has won four College World Series titles, and the Big West is the only mid major to send two teams to Omaha in the same year. Volleyball built the rest of the case. Long Beach State has won national championships in both the women's and men's game, UC Irvine has stacked men's titles of its own, and UC Santa Barbara won the men's soccer national championship in 2006.
The Olympic record may be the best of it. Greg Louganis came out of UC Irvine to win four gold medals and is widely called the greatest diver in history. Misty May-Treanor led Long Beach State to an undefeated national title season before becoming the most decorated beach volleyball player alive. Big West athletes and coaches turn up at every Games in volleyball, water polo, swimming, track and triathlon.
Rivalries here are short drives and long grudges. The Blue Green Rivalry between UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly is called the greatest rivalry in college soccer, with crowds topping 14,000, and the two also run one of the few surviving annual track and field duals in the country, a series mentioned in the same breath as Harvard against Yale and Army against Navy. Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton fight across basketball, baseball and volleyball. UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara meet with championships on the line.
The credo is Only The Bold.
Official Website
The Big West was founded on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, with charter members Fresno State, San Jose State, San Diego State, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara. The league took its current name in 1988 and dropped football after the 2000 season to concentrate on everything else. Headquarters sit in Irvine, and the footprint runs from the surf to the summit.
Baseball is the calling card. Cal State Fullerton has won four College World Series titles, and the Big West is the only mid major to send two teams to Omaha in the same year. Volleyball built the rest of the case. Long Beach State has won national championships in both the women's and men's game, UC Irvine has stacked men's titles of its own, and UC Santa Barbara won the men's soccer national championship in 2006.
The Olympic record may be the best of it. Greg Louganis came out of UC Irvine to win four gold medals and is widely called the greatest diver in history. Misty May-Treanor led Long Beach State to an undefeated national title season before becoming the most decorated beach volleyball player alive. Big West athletes and coaches turn up at every Games in volleyball, water polo, swimming, track and triathlon.
Rivalries here are short drives and long grudges. The Blue Green Rivalry between UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly is called the greatest rivalry in college soccer, with crowds topping 14,000, and the two also run one of the few surviving annual track and field duals in the country, a series mentioned in the same breath as Harvard against Yale and Army against Navy. Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton fight across basketball, baseball and volleyball. UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara meet with championships on the line.
The credo is Only The Bold.
Official Website