IRVINE, Calif. -- On July 1, 2024, The Big West will begin its 55th season as an NCAA Division I athletic conference and will launch a year-long celebration campaign that will highlight the events that have shaped the conference over five and a half decades through coverage on both social and digital platforms.
 
The Big West began as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association on July 1, 1969. Comprised of seven member institutions including current members Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara, the league would grow to its present membership of 11 with the additions of Cal State Bakersfield and UC San Diego on July 1, 2020.
 
“For 55 years, through shifts in membership, name and through our current period of unprecedented change, The Big West has always stood for academic and athletic excellence,” Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said. “We look forward to recognizing present-day accomplishments as well as reaching back to our beginnings as the PCAA. Rather than creating a countdown or devising an unassailable list of seminal moments, we’re planning a celebration of the teams and times that have shaped our heritage as a Division I conference. The highlighted events will encompass all sports and all current member institutions. We’re looking forward to paying homage to the many achievements and milestones that define our history and think our fans will greatly enjoy following along as the project unfolds.