California Pacific Conference

The California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) is a college athletics conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference commissioner is Don Ott. Conference leadership is shared among the member institutions. The conference president is Themy Adachi of Mills College. The conference vice president is Farnum Smith of William Jessup University. The secretary is Marv Christopher of California Maritime Academy. The conference was formed in 1996.

California Pacific Conference
Cal Pac
Established1996
AssociationNAIA
Members15 (13 in 2022)
Sports fielded
  • 12
    • men's: 6
    • women's: 6
RegionPacific Coast and Mountain West
HeadquartersOakland, California
CommissionerDon Ott
Websitecalpacathletics.com
Locations

Conference members range from members of the University of California and California State University systems to religious and liberal arts colleges

History

California State University at East Bay, California State University at Monterey Bay, Dominican University, Mills College, and Notre Dame de Namur University are former members of the conference that have left the Cal Pac and the NAIA for the Division II and Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

  • Cal State MB and Cal State–East Bay left the Cal Pac to join the NCAA Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in the 2004–05 and 2008–09 seasons, respectively.
  • Patten University left the Cal Pac when the school chose to discontinue its athletic program after the 2004–05 season.
  • Notre Dame de Namur left the Cal Pac to join the NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference in the 2006–07 season, followed by Dominican in the 2008–09 season.
  • Mills moved to NCAA Division III as an Independent in the 2011–12 season.

In June 2011, Bethany University announced it was ceasing operations effective immediately, decreasing the Cal Pac to seven active members.[1]

In 2012, Holy Names University left the Cal Pac to join the Pacific West Conference; while Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University at Prescott, Marymount California University, and Soka University of America joined to increase the conference membership to nine schools.[2]

La Sierra University joined in 2013 to bring the conference up to 10 members.[3] William Jessup University left in 2014, leaving the conference with nine members. Membership rose to twelve schools in 2015 when the University of Antelope Valley, Benedictine University at Mesa, Providence Christian College, and Sierra Nevada University joined; while Menlo College left for the Golden State Athletic Conference.

The University of Saint Katherine joined in 2019.[4] In March 2020, the conference announced two additions for the 2020–21 academic year when Park University at Gilbert and Westcliff University were admitted to the NAIA.[5]

Sierra Nevada approved in July 2021 an agreement to merge with NCAA Division I's University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada).[6] The merger was given accreditation approval in late December and is scheduled for completion before 2022–23,[7] leading to Sierra Nevada's departure from Cal Pac.

Chronological timeline

  • 1999 - Mills College joined the Cal Pac, effective the 1999-2000 academic year.
  • 2005 - Patten left the Cal Pac to become an NAIA Independent, effective after the 2004-05 academic year.
  • 2006 - Notre Dame de Namur left the Cal Pac to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Pacific West Conference (PacWest), effective after the 2005-06 academic year.
  • 2009 - Two institutions left the Cal Pac and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and to their respective new home primary conferences: Cal State–East Bay to the CCAA, and Dominican (Cal.) to the PacWest, effective after the 2008-09 academic year.
  • 2012 - Holy Names left the Cal Pac and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the PacWest, effective after the 2011-12 academic year.
  • 2015 - Menlo left the Cal Pac to join the GSAC, effective after the 2014-15 academic year.
  • 2021 - Sierra Nevada announced plans to merge with the University of Nevada, Reno by the 2022-23 academic year, effectively dropping all athletic programs at that time.
  • 2022 - Marymount California announces that it will permanently close in August of that year.

Member schools

Current members

The Cal Pac currently has 15 full members, all but two are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Basketball?
University of Antelope Valley Lancaster, California 2009 For-profit 1,517 Pioneers 2015 both
Benedictine University at Mesa Mesa, Arizona 2013 Catholic 340 Redhawks 2015 both
California State University Maritime Academy Vallejo, California 1929 Public [lower-alpha 1] 700 Keelhaulers 1996 both
University of California, Merced Merced, California 2005 Public [lower-alpha 2] 7,400 Golden Bobcats 2011 both
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University–Prescott Prescott, Arizona 1978 Nonsectarian 1,700 Eagles 2012 both
La Sierra University Riverside, California 1922 Seventh-day
Adventist
2,199 Golden Eagles 2013 both
Marymount California University Rancho Palos Verdes, California 1932 Catholic 923 Mariners 2012 none
Pacific Union College Angwin, California 1882 Seventh-day
Adventist
1,400 Pioneers 1996 both
Park University–Gilbert Gilbert, Arizona 2018 Nonsectarian 300 Buccaneers 2020[5] both
Providence Christian College Pasadena, California 2002 Reformed
Christian
160 Sea Beggars 2015 none
University of Saint Katherine San Marcos, California 2010 Eastern
Orthodox
240 Firebirds 2019 both
Sierra Nevada University Incline Village, Nevada 1969 Nonsectarian 1,040 Eagles 2015 none
Simpson University Redding, California 1921 Christian &
Missionary
Alliance
1,280 Red Hawks 1996 both
Soka University of America Aliso Viejo, California 2001 Nonsectarian 441 Lions 2012 none
Westcliff University Irvine, California 1993 For-profit 2,800 Warriors 2020[5] both
Notes
  1. Part of the California State University system.
  2. Part of the University of California system.


Former members

The Cal Pac had ten former full members, all but two were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference
Bethany University Scotts Valley, California 1919 Assemblies
of God
N/A Bruins 1996–97 2010–11 Closed in 2011
California State University, East Bay Hayward, California 1957 Public [lower-alpha 1] 14,525 Pioneers 1998–99 2008–09 California (CCAA) (NCAA D-II)
(2009–10 to present)
California State University, Monterey Bay Seaside, California 1994 Public [lower-alpha 1] 7,079 Otters 1996–97 2003–04 California (CCAA) (NCAA D-II)
(2004–05 to present)
Dominican University San Rafael, California 1890 Nonsectarian 2,125 Penguins 1996–97 2008–09 Pacific West (NCAA D-II)
(2009–10 to present)
Holy Names University Oakland, California 1868 Catholic 9,000 Hawks 1996–97 2011–12 Pacific West (NCAA D-II)
(2012–13 to present)
Menlo College Atherton, California 1927 Nonsectarian 750 Oaks 1996–97 2014–15 Golden State (GSAC)
(2015–16 to present)
Mills College[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] Oakland, California 1852 Nonsectarian 1,345 Cyclones 1999–2000 2010–11 D-III Independent
(2011–12 to 2012–13; 2016–17)
Great South (GSAC) (NCAA D-III)
(2013–14 to 2015–16)
American (ACAA) (NCAA D-III)
(2017–18 to 2019–20)
Coast to Coast (C2C) (NCAA D-III)
(2020–21 to present);
(will close in 2023)
Notre Dame de Namur University Belmont, California 1851 Catholic 1,967 Argonauts 1998–99 2005–06 Pacific West (NCAA D-II)
(2006–07 to 2019–20)
N/A[lower-alpha 4]
Patten University[lower-alpha 3] Oakland, California 1944 For-profit 900 Lions 1996–97 2004–05 NAIA Independent
(2005–06 to 2011–12)
N/A[lower-alpha 5]
William Jessup University Rocklin, California 1939 Christian 1,743 Warriors 2004–05 2013–14 Golden State (GSAC)
(2014–15 to present)
Notes
  1. Part of the California State University system.
  2. This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
  3. Non-basketball member.
  4. Notre Dame de Namur dropped its athletic program after the 2019–20 school year.
  5. Patten dropped its athletic program after the 2011–12 school year.

Membership timeline

Westcliff UniversityPark University GilbertUniversity of Saint KatherineSierra Nevada UniversityProvidence Christian CollegeBenedictine University at MesaUniversity of Antelope ValleyLa Sierra UniversitySoka University of AmericaMarymount California UniversityEmbry–Riddle Aeronautical University, PrescottUniversity of California, MercedWilliam Jessup UniversityMills CollegeNotre Dame de Namur UniversityCalifornia State University, East BaySimpson UniversityPatten UniversityPacific Union CollegeMenlo CollegeHoly Names UniversityDominican University of CaliforniaCalifornia State University, Monterey BayCalifornia State University Maritime AcademyBethany University

Full member (non-football) Associate member (other sports) Other conference

Sports sponsored

A divisional format is used for women's volleyball.
North
  • Cal–Merced
  • Pacific Union
  • Simpson
South 1
  • Antelope Valley
  • La Sierra
  • Providence Christian
South 2
  • Marymount California
  • Saint Katherine
  • Westcliff
Arizona
  • Benedictine–Mesa
  • Embry–Riddle–Prescott
  • Park–Gilbert
A divisional format is used for men's & women's basketball.
North
  • Cal Maritime
  • Cal–Merced
  • Pacific Union
  • Simpson
South
  • Antelope Valley
  • La Sierra
  • Saint Katherine
  • Westcliff
Arizona
  • Benedictine–Mesa
  • Embry–Riddle–Prescott
  • Park–Gilbert
Conference sports
SportMen'sWomen's
BaseballY
BasketballYY
Cross CountryYY
GolfYY
SoccerYY
SoftballY
VolleyballYY

See also

References

  1. McCord, Shanna (June 14, 2011). "Bethany University will close: Private funding didn't materialize". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  2. "Cal Pac Adds Three New Members for 2012-13". January 25, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  3. "La Sierra University Becomes 10th Cal Pac Member". November 19, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  4. Ulrich, Pauly (January 17, 2019). "USK Official Members of the Cal Pac". University of Saint Katherine Athletics. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  5. VSN Staff (March 31, 2020). "NAIA Approves Five Institutions for Membership". Victory Sports Network. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  6. "Sierra Nevada Approves Plan to Merge Into U of Nevada at Reno". Inside Higher Ed. July 8, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  7. "Proposed UNR acquisition of Sierra Nevada University clears accreditation hurdle". CarsonNow.org. December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
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