About The Big West

• The Big West Conference was formed as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association on July 1, 1969. However, the unofficial history of the conference pre-dates that point of time, extending back to 1967.

• The PCAA was renamed the Big West in 1988, largely due to the inclusion of institutions in Utah, Nevada and New Mexico.

• Big West Conference enters the 2018-19 season in its 50th year of operation.  The membership includes:  Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Hawai'i, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara.

• Since 1988, Big West members have claimed 10 NCAA team championships.

• Eight Big West athletes claimed a medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

• The Big West Conference sponsors 18 sports - 10 women's and 8 men's.  W - basketball cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, beach volleyball, volleyball, water polo.  M - baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

• In addition to UC San Diego, Cal State University, Bakersfield will join the Big West in the summer, 2020.  The Roadrunners currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference and became a full member of NCAA Division I in 2010 after previously competing at the Division II level until 2006.

• UC San Diego currently competes in the Big West in men's volleyball and, in spring 2020, will compete in women's water polo.  CSU Bakersfield competes in the league in beach volleyball, while Sacramento State competes in men's soccer and beach volleyball.

About The Tritons

• UC San Diego competed as a member of NCAA Division III until the 2000-2001 season.  The program transitioned to NCAA Division II in fall 2000 and joined the California Collegiate Athletic Association

• In 1998, UC San Diego claimed the Division III Sears Directors' Cup (now called the Learfield Directors' Cup).  The Triton athletics program earned Division III runner-up honors in 1996 and 2000 and Division II runner-up honors in 2004 and 2007

• The Triton athletics program has finished among the top 10 nationally in the Learfield Directors' Cup 19 times since the award's inception in 1995-96.

• UC San Diego sponsors 23 intercollegiate sport programs that currently compete the Big West Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Association, Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association and Western Fencing Conference.

• Triton athletic teams have claimed 30 NCAA national championships in team sports, to go with 44 national runners-up and 49 third place honors.  A total of 138 Triton student-athletes have earned individual national titles.

• The most recent NCAA report indicates student-athletes at UC San Diego owns a 4-year graduation rate of 91 percent, the highest among NCAA Division II institutions.

• Following a mandated 4-year reclassification period, UC San Diego will become full members of NCAA Division I beginning in fall 2024.