Great Southwest Athletic Conference

The Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC), formerly known as the Golden State Athletic Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference commissioner is Mike Daniels. Conference leadership is shared among the member institutions. Seven of the eight members of the GSAC are Christian colleges located in California and Arizona. Conference teams have won 22 national championships.

Great Southwest Athletic Conference
AssociationNAIA
Founded1986
CommissionerMike Daniels (2012–)
Sports fielded
  • 17
    • men's: 8
    • women's: 9
No. of teams8 (10 in 2025)
HeadquartersAliso Viejo, California
RegionWestern United States
Official websitegsacsports.org
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

History

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Great Southwest Athletic Conference
 
 
150km
100miles
 
Hope International
 
La Sierra
 
Soka
 
BU Mesa
 
Park–Gilbert
 
ERAU Prescott
 
OUAZ
 
Life Pacific
 
ACU
 
The Master's
Location of GSAC members:   current,   future
 
Old logo

The Golden State Athletic Conference was formed in the fall of 1986, with Azusa Pacific University, California Lutheran University, Fresno Pacific University, Point Loma Nazarene University, Vanguard University and Westmont College as the charter members. California Baptist University and Concordia University joined the GSAC in the fall of the following year (1987). Cal Lutheran left the GSAC after the spring of 1989. Biola University joined the GSAC in the fall of 1994. Hope International University and San Diego Christian College joined the GSAC in the fall of 1999. The Master's University, joined the GSAC in the fall of 2001. Lewis–Clark State College of Lewiston, Idaho joined the GSAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's tennis in 2016.

Recent years

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In recent years, the conference has seen changes with members leaving the GSAC and the NAIA for the NCAA. In 2011 Cal Baptist left the GSAC to join the Pacific West Conference followed by the announcement that Azusa Pacific, Fresno Pacific and Point Loma Nazarene joined Cal Baptist in the PacWest in 2012.[1] Concordia then left to join the PacWest in 2015, and Biola applied to make the same move in 2017. To replace these schools, the GSAC has added Arizona Christian, Menlo and William Jessup (now known as Jessup). Life Pacific joined in 2017 and Ottawa (AZ) joined in 2018 to bring the GSAC to 10 members.

The departures to the NCAA continued into the 2020s, with Westmont departing for the PacWest in 2023 and Jessup, Menlo, and Vanguard all following in 2024. To combat this, the GSAC added Benedictine–Mesa, Embry–Riddle at Prescott and Park–Gilbert, to bring membership back to 8 members. Immediately following these additions, the GSAC announced that it would undergo a rebrand to the Great Southwest Athletic Conference, to reflect its membership now including schools located outside of California.[2]

Chronological timeline

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Member schools

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Current members

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The GSAC currently has eight full members, all are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a]
Arizona Christian University Glendale, Arizona 1960 Nondenominational 820 Firestorm 2012
Benedictine University at Mesa Mesa, Arizona 2013 Catholic
(Benedictines)
340 Redhawks 2024
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University–Prescott Prescott, Arizona 1978 Nonsectarian 1,700 Eagles 2024
Hope International University Fullerton, California 1928 Nondenominational 987 Royals 1999
Life Pacific University San Dimas, California 1923 Foursquare Gospel 686 Warriors 2017
The Master's University Santa Clarita, California 1927 Nondenominational 2,600 Mustangs 2001
Ottawa University–Arizona Surprise, Arizona 2015 American Baptist 750 Spirit 2018
Park University–Gilbert Gilbert, Arizona 2018 Nonsectarian 300 Buccaneers 2024
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

Future members

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Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joining[a] Current
conference
La Sierra University Riverside, California 1922 Seventh-day
Adventist
2,199 Golden Eagles 2025 California Pacific (CalPac)
Soka University of America Aliso Viejo, California 2001 Nonsectarian 441 Lions
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

Affiliate members

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The GSAC currently has one affiliate members, a private school:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] GSAC
sport(s)
Primary
conference
Westcliff University Irvine, California 1993 For-profit 2,000 Warriors 2020–21m.ten.;
2020–21w.ten.
men's tennis;
women's tennis
California Pacific (CalPac)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

Former members

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The GSAC had twelve former full members, all were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Subsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference
Azusa Pacific University Azusa, California 1899 Interdenominational 8,539 Cougars 1986 2012 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2012–present)
Biola University La Mirada, California 1908 Nondenominational 5,942 Eagles 1994 2017 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2017–present)
California Baptist University Riverside, California 1950 Baptist 11,491 Lancers 1987 2011 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2011–18)
Western (WAC)[d]
(2018–present)
California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, California 1959 Lutheran ELCA 3,298 Kingsmen &
Regals
1986 1989 NAIA/D-III Independent
(1989–91)
Southern California (SCIAC)[e]
(1991–present)
Concordia University–Irvine Irvine, California 1976 Lutheran LCMS 2,564 Eagles 1987 2015 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2015–present)
Fresno Pacific University Fresno, California 1944 Mennonite 3,700 Sunbirds 1986 2012 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2012–present)
Jessup University Rocklin, California 1939 Nondenominational 1,743 Warriors 2014 2024 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2024–present)
Menlo College Atherton, California 1927 Nonsectarian 750 Oaks 2015 2024 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2024–present)
Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, California 1902 Nazarene 3,487 Sea Lions 1986 2012 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2012–present)
San Diego Christian College Santee, California 1970 Nondenominational 916 Hawks 1999 2023 N/A[f]
Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa, California 1920 Assemblies of God 2,552 Lions 1986 2024 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2024–present)
Westmont College Montecito, California 1937 Christian 1,313 Warriors 1986 2023 Pacific West (PacWest)[c]
(2023–present)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  4. ^ Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
  5. ^ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  6. ^ San Diego Christian suspended all their athletic programs after 2022–23.

Former affiliate members

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The GSAC had three former affiliate members, one was a public school and two were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] GSAC
sport(s)
Primary
conference
Lewis–Clark State College Lewiston, Idaho 1893 Public 4,200 Warriors &
Lady Warriors
2015–16m.ten.;
2015–16w.ten.
2016–17m.ten.;
2016–17w.ten.
men's tennis;
women's tennis
Cascade (CCC)
Marymount California University Rancho Palos Verdes, California 1932 Catholic
(R.S.H.M.)
923 Mariners 2020–21m.ten.;
2020–21w.ten.
2021–22m.ten.;
2021–22w.ten.
Closed in 2022
University of Saint Katherine San Marcos, California 2010 Eastern
Orthodox
240 Firebirds 2023–24m.ten.;
2023–24w.ten.
Closed in 2024
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.

Membership timeline

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Soka University of AmericaLa Sierra UniversityPark University GilbertEmbry–Riddle Aeronautical University, PrescottBenedictine University at MesaWestcliff UniversityUniversity of Saint KatherineMarymount California UniversityOttawa University ArizonaLife Pacific UniversityCascade Collegiate ConferenceFrontier ConferenceLewis–Clark State CollegePacific West ConferenceMenlo CollegePacific West ConferenceJessup UniversityArizona Christian UniversityThe Master's UniversitySan Diego Christian CollegeHope International UniversityPacific West ConferenceBiola UniversityPacific West ConferenceConcordia University IrvineWestern Athletic ConferencePacific West ConferenceCalifornia Baptist UniversityPacific West ConferenceWestmont CollegePacific West ConferenceVanguard UniversityPacific West ConferencePoint Loma Nazarene UniversityPacific West ConferenceFresno Pacific UniversitySouthern California Collegiate Athletic ConferenceCalifornia Lutheran UniversityPacific West ConferenceAzusa Pacific University

 Full member (non-football)   Associate member (sport) 

Sports sponsored

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Conference sports
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball  Y
Basketball  Y  Y
Cross Country  Y  Y
Soccer  Y  Y
Softball  Y
Tennis  Y  Y
Track & Field Outdoor  Y  Y
Volleyball  Y  Y
Beach Volleyball  Y
Golf  Y  Y

References

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  1. ^ Staff (June 2, 2011). "PacWest conference expands to 14 schools". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  2. ^ "A New Era Has Begun" (Press release). Great Southwest Athletic COnference. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  3. ^ https://www.sdcchawks.com/general/2022-23/releases/Athletics_Message [bare URL]
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