Great Northwest Athletic Conference
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(February 2022) |
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Association | NCAA |
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Founded | 2001 |
Commissioner | David Haglund (since 2011) |
Sports fielded |
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Division | Division II |
No. of teams | 10 |
Headquarters | Portland, Oregon |
Region | Idaho,British Columbia,Alaska,MontanaWashington,Oregon |
Official website | www |
Locations | |
TheGreat Northwest Athletic Conference(GNAC) is acollege athletic conferenceaffiliated with theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) at theDivision IIlevel. It has historically operated in thenorthwestern United States,but also includes schools inAlaska,Montana,andBritish Columbia.
The GNAC is the only NCAA conference in any division with aCanadian universityas a member.
History
[edit]The conference formed in 2001 when its original ten members split from thePacific West Conference.
Chronological timeline
[edit]- 2001 - The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) was founded. Charter members included theUniversity of Alaska at Fairbanks,theUniversity of Alaska at Anchorage,Central Washington University,Humboldt State University(now California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt),Northwest Nazarene University,Saint Martin's,Seattle University,Seattle Pacific University,Western Oregon UniversityandWestern Washington University,effective beginning the 2001-02 academic year.
- 2006 - Humboldt State left the GNAC to join theCalifornia Collegiate Athletic Association(CCAA), effective after the 2005-06 academic year. This would result in the GNAC dropping football, with Western Washington and Central Washington becoming football affiliates of the now defunctNorth Central Conferenceand Western Oregon competing as aD-II independent.
- 2007 -Montana State University at Billingsjoined the GNAC, effective in the 2007-08 academic year.
- 2008 - Seattle left the GNAC to join theDivision Iranks of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) as anNCAA D-I Independent(who would later join theWestern Athletic Conference(WAC), effective beginning the 2012-13 academic year), effective after the 2007-08 academic year.
- 2008 -Dixie State Universityjoined the GNAC as an affiliate member for football (with Humboldt State returning for that sport), effective with the 2008 fall season (2008-09 academic year), leading to the GNAC to begin sponsoring football once again.
- 2010 -Simon Fraser Universityjoined the GNAC, effective in the 2010-11 academic year.
- 2012 - Three institutions joined the GNAC as affiliate members:Azusa Pacific Universityfor football, and theUniversity of Maryand theUniversity of Sioux Fallsfor men's soccer, all effective with the 2012-13 academic year.
- 2013 -South Dakota School of Mines and Technology(South Dakota Mines) joined the GNAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer, effective in the 2013 fall season (2013-14 academic year).
- 2014 - South Dakota Mines added football to its GNAC affiliate membership, effective in the 2014 fall season (2014-15 academic year).
- 2015 - South Dakota Mines left the GNAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer, effective after the 2014 fall season (2014-15 academic year).
- 2015 -Concordia University–Portlandjoined the GNAC, effective in the 2015-16 academic year.
- 2016 - Dixie State and South Dakota Mines left the GNAC as affiliate members for football, effective after the 2015 fall season (2015-16 academic year).
- 2019 - Humboldt State left the GNAC as an affiliate member for football as the school announced it was dropping the sport after the 2018 fall season (2018-19 academic year).
- 2019 - TheUniversity of California San Diego(UC San Diego) and theUniversity of Central Oklahoma(along with Humboldt State returning for that sport), joined the GNAC as affiliate members for women's rowing, effective in the 2020 spring season (2019-20 academic year).
- 2020 - Concordia–Portland left the GNAC as the school announced that it would close, effective after the 2019-20 academic year.
- 2020 - Azusa Pacific left the GNAC as an affiliate member for football as the school announced it was dropping the sport after the 2020 fall season (2020-21 academic year).
- 2020 - UC San Diego left the GNAC as an affiliate member for women's rowing, effective after the 2020 spring season (2019-20 academic year), coinciding with the start of its transition to NCAA Division I.
- 2022 - Central Washington, Western Oregon and Simon Fraser, the only 3 football-sponsoring schools remaining in the GNAC, announce that they will be joining theLone Star Conferenceas football affiliates, bringing an end to the GNAC as a football conference for a second time, effective after the 2021 fall season (2021-22 academic year).
Member schools
[edit]Current members
[edit]The GNAC currently has ten full members, all but three arepublicschools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Colors |
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University of Alaska Anchorage | Anchorage, Alaska | 1954 | Public | 10,530 | Seawolves | 2001 | |
University of Alaska Fairbanks | Fairbanks, Alaska | 1917 | Public | 6,826 | Nanooks | 2001 | |
Central Washington University | Ellensburg, Washington | 1891 | Public | 9,355 | Wildcats | 2001 | |
Montana State University Billings | Billings, Montana | 1927 | Public | 4,057 | Yellowjackets | 2007 | |
Northwest Nazarene University | Nampa, Idaho | 1913 | Nazarene | 1,778 | Nighthawks | 2001 | |
Saint Martin's University | Lacey, Washington | 1895 | Catholic | 1,614 | Saints | 2001 | |
Seattle Pacific University | Seattle, Washington | 1891 | Free Methodist | 3,114 | Falcons | 2001 | |
Simon Fraser University | Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada | 1965 | Public | 26,981 | Red Leafs | 2010 | |
Western Oregon University | Monmouth, Oregon | 1856 | Public | 3,752 | Wolves | 2001 | |
Western Washington University | Bellingham, Washington | 1893 | Public | 14,747 | Vikings | 2001 |
- Notes
Affiliate members
[edit]The GNAC currently has two affiliate members, both arepublicschools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Colors | GNAC sport |
Primary conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Central Oklahoma | Edmond, Oklahoma | 1890 | Public | 13,250 | Bronchos | 2019–20 | women's rowing | Mid-America (MIAA) | |
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt[a][b][c] | Arcata, California | 1913 | Public | 5,858 | Lumberjacks | 2019–20 | women's rowing | California (CCAA) |
- Notes
Former members
[edit]The GNAC had three former full members, all but one wereprivateschools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concordia University–Portland | Portland, Oregon | 1905 | Lutheran LCMS | N/A | Cavaliers | 2015 | 2020 | Closed in 2020 |
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt[a][b] | Arcata, California | 1913 | Public | 5,858 | Lumberjacks | 2001 | 2006 | California (CCAA) |
Seattle University | Seattle, Washington | 1891 | Catholic | 7,107 | Redhawks | 2001 | 2008 | Western (WAC)[c][d] |
- Notes
- ^Cal Poly Humboldt remains in the GNAC as an affiliate member for women's rowing.
- ^Formerly known as Humboldt State University until January 26, 2022.
- ^Currently anNCAA Division Iathletic conference.
- ^Seattle University will join theWest Coast Conferenceeffective July 1, 2025.
Former affiliate members
[edit]The GNAC had seven former affiliate members, all but three werepublicschools:
- Notes
- ^Currently known asUtah Tech University.
- ^Currently known as theUtah Tech Trailblazers.
- ^abCurrently anNCAA Division Iathletic conference.
- ^Cal Poly Humboldt was a full member of the GNAC from 2001–02 to 2005–06. However it remains in the GNAC as an affiliate member for women's rowing.
- ^Formerly known as Humboldt State University until January 2022.
Membership timeline
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/bjb7h4hd9db2hwpx7nzfxbxf77yayaf.png)
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football-only) Associate member (other sports)
- The GNAC did not sponsor football in the 2006–07 and 2007-08 seasons. Therefore, Central Washington and Western Washington competed in theNorth Central Conference(NCC); while Dixie State, Humboldt State and Western Oregon wereIndependents.
Sports sponsored
[edit]Sport | Men's | Women's |
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Baseball | ![]() |
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Basketball | ![]() |
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Cross Country | ![]() |
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Golf | ![]() |
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Rowing | ![]() | |
Soccer | ![]() |
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Softball | ![]() | |
Track & Field Indoor | ![]() |
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Track & Field Outdoor | ![]() |
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Volleyball | ![]() |
Men's sponsored sports by school
[edit]School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country |
Golf | Soccer | Track & Field Indoor |
Track & Field Outdoor |
Total GNAC Sports |
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Alaska | ![]() |
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2 | |||||
Alaska-Anchorage | ![]() |
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4 | |||
Central Washington | ![]() |
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5 | ||
Montana State-Billings | ![]() |
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7 |
Northwest Nazarene | ![]() |
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7 |
Saint Martin's | ![]() |
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7 |
Seattle Pacific | ![]() |
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5 | ||
Simon Fraser | ![]() |
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6 | |
Western Oregon | ![]() |
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6 | |
Western Washington | ![]() |
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6 | |
Totals | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 57 |
Women's sponsored sports by school
[edit]School | Basketball | Cross Country |
Golf | Rowing | Soccer | Softball | Track & Field Indoor |
Track & Field Outdoor |
Volleyball | Total GNAC Sports |
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Alaska | ![]() |
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3 | ||||||
Alaska-Anchorage | ![]() |
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5 | ||||
Central Washington | ![]() |
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7 | ||
Montana State-Billings | ![]() |
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8 | |
Northwest Nazarene | ![]() |
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8 | |
Saint Martin's | ![]() |
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8 | |
Seattle Pacific | ![]() |
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7 | ||
Simon Fraser | ![]() |
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8 | |
Western Oregon | ![]() |
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7 | ||
Western Washington | ![]() |
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9 |
Affiliate Members | ||||||||||
Cal Poly Humboldt | ![]() |
1 | ||||||||
Central Oklahoma | ![]() |
1 | ||||||||
Totals | 10 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 81 |
- Seattle Pacific is set to launch women's golf starting in 2024
Other sponsored sports by school
[edit]School | Men | Women | Co-ed | ||||||||
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Football | Ice Hockey[a] |
Swimming & Diving |
Wrestling | Swimming & Diving |
Wrestling | Rifle[a] | Skiing[a] | ||||
Alaska | IND | PCSC | PRC | RMISA | |||||||
Alaska-Anchorage | IND | ||||||||||
Central Washington | LSC | ||||||||||
Simon Fraser | RMAC | RMAC | RMAC | RMAC | |||||||
Western Oregon | LSC |
Football champions
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Basketball champions
[edit]Conference facilities
[edit]School | Basketball arena | Capacity |
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Alaska Fairbanks | Alaska Airlines Court | 1,648 |
Alaska Anchorage | Alaska Airlines Center | 5,000 |
Central Washington | Nicholson Pavilion | 2,519 |
Montana State - Billings | Alterowitz Gymnasium | 2,330 |
Northwest Nazarene | Johnson Sports Center | |
Saint Martin's | Marcus Pavilion | |
Seattle Pacific | Royal Brougham Pavilion | 2,650 |
Simon Fraser | West Gym | 1,500 |
Western Oregon | PE Gym | 2,473 |
Western Washington | Sam Carver Gym | 2,534 |