IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West Conference officially welcomed California State University, Bakersfield and the University of California San Diego as its newest members today, increasing the total number of Conference institutions to 11.

UC San Diego will begin an NCAA mandated four-year reclassification period to Division I on July 1. Its programs will be included in all Big West round robin sports schedules beginning with the 2020-21 academic year. UC San Diego will conclude the reclassification period to Division I on July 1, 2024. 

Dan Butterly marked the beginning of his tenure as Big West Conference Commissioner with a welcome message to the latest additions in the conference family.

"The admittance of CSU Bakersfield and UC San Diego brings tremendous excitement, enriches our geographic footprint and competitiveness, and adds new rivalries to the Big West Conference," said Butterly. "We enthusiastically welcome the student-athletes, fans, coaches, faculty and administrators of both programs."

Conference expansion will give the 11 school membership a physical presence in the following markets: Honolulu, HI  (University of Hawai'i, Manoa); Northern California (UC Davis); The Central Coast (Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara); The Central Valley (CSU Bakersfield); Los Angeles County (CSUN and Long Beach State); Orange County (Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine); The Inland Empire (UC Riverside); and San Diego County (UC San Diego).

CSU Bakersfield will participate in the following Big West championship sports: men's and women's basketball, baseball, women's cross country, women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball and beach volleyball. From 2016-20, the Roadrunner beach volleyball program participated as a Big West associate member.

UC San Diego will field teams in the following Big West sports: men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's volleyball, and women's water polo.  The Triton men's volleyball team competed for the Big West championship as an associate member the last three seasons. UC San Diego's women's water polo program also was Big West championship eligible during the abbreviated 2020 season.
    
"Now more than ever, we need to unite people. One proven way to do that is through sports," said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "Competitors and spectators alike bond through sports unlike any other interest or activity. By expanding our athletics programs and joining The Big West Conference, we are nurturing this unifying power. We are providing new opportunities for our students to practice collaboration, learn the value of diverse ideas, talents and skillsets, and realize the true benefits of teamwork as we compete at the highest level against like-minded institutions."
 
UC San Diego's athletics programs have experienced strong success throughout its history, including since joining Division II for the 2000-01 season. Since that jump to Division II, UC San Diego has placed in the top seven programs in the country on 13 different occasions and has finished second overall three times in the Learfield Directors' Cup, an award emblematic of the nation's best overall athletics department. In 2018-19, UC San Diego finished second out of 268 NCAA Division II schools overall.

Triton teams have captured 30 national championships while 44 squads have finished as national runners-up. UC San Diego scholar-athletes have won 138 individual national championships. In addition to producing 82 Academic All-America selections, UC San Diego has had 37 individuals earn prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships.

As part of its transition to Division I, UC San Diego has embarked upon a four-year strategic plan that aims to position the department to boldly pursue greatness as a transformational Division I program at one of the world's most prestigious public institutions. The department's mission is to ensure that its educational and athletic excellence develops inclusive leaders for life while enriching and engaging the University and San Diego as a whole.

"We're extremely happy to be a part of the Big West Conference," said UC San Diego Director of Athletics Earl W. Edwards. "I'm excited about getting the national, local and regional exposure and attention that we deserve. I'm excited about sharing with the public who we are and the things that we do, and recognizing that we're a national leader when it comes to innovation and creativity, including in how we're going to run our athletic department because we're doing a lot of things that a lot of schools aren't doing yet, and we look forward to sharing that with others as we move forward."
 
NOTABLE
• Expansion gives the Big West Conference institutions in the following nationally ranked television markets (Designated Market Areas):
 
No. 2       Los Angeles/Orange County/Inland Empire
No. 20     Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto
No. 29     San Diego
No. 66     Honolulu
No. 125   Bakersfield
No. 126   Santa Barbara/Santa Maria/San Luis Obispo
 
ABOUT BIG WEST CONFERENCE
The Big West Conference is a member of NCAA Division I and includes California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; California State University, Bakersfield; California State University, Fullerton; California State University, Northridge; Long Beach State University; University of California, Davis; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Riverside; University of California, San Diego; University of California, Santa Barbara; and the University of Hawai'i, Manoa.
 
ABOUT UC SAN DIEGO ATHLETICS
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I.  The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions III and II and helped guide more than 1,300 scholar-athletes to All-America honors.  More than 100 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.