Good afternoon!

As the 2025-26 academic year comes to a close, I have found myself reflecting less on the number of decisions made and more on the purpose that guided them.

This has been one of the most dynamic and consequential periods in the history of NCAA Division I athletics. Conference realignment continued. Governance evolved. The legal landscape shifted. Financial pressures intensified. Federal discussions advanced, stalled, restarted and continued. Throughout it all, The Big West faced important choices that required conviction, collaboration and a willingness to think beyond the immediate moment.

Through every discussion, one principle consistently served as our North Star:

Provide the best possible experience for our student-athletes while positioning The Big West for long-term success.

Looking back over the past twelve months, I believe The Big West did far more than respond to change. Together, we strengthened our foundation, elevated our national profile, expanded opportunities for student-athletes, invested in people and positioned the conference to move forward with clarity during one of the most uncertain periods in college athletics.

This year was not defined by any one accomplishment, championship, meeting, policy change or announcement.

It was defined by the way The Big West chose to lead.


LEADING WITH PURPOSE            
Every academic year tells a story.

For The Big West, the 2025-26 story begins with our student-athletes.

Across the conference, our student-athletes competed at the highest levels, earned national recognition, succeeded in the classroom, served their communities, represented their institutions with distinction and reminded us daily why the work we do matters.

The Big West provided a championship experience for every sport we sponsored, creating postseason competition opportunities for up to 2,721 student-athletes. Every member institution had at least eight teams compete in Big West postseason competition, reflecting both the breadth of our championship structure and the continued competitive commitment across our membership.

In the classroom, The Big West recognized 2,734 Commissioner's Honor Roll recipients across all 21 conference-sponsored sports, a nearly 21 percent increase since 2022-23, further demonstrating that excellence in competition and achievement in the classroom continue to move together across the conference.

The parity and depth of The Big West were evident throughout the year. In bracketed sports, only four No. 1 seeds claimed a Big West crown, underscoring how competitive, unpredictable and compelling our championship events have become. That is good for our student-athletes. It is good for our fans. It is good for our institutions. And it is good for the continued growth of the conference.

When we say the student-athlete experience is our North Star, those words must be reflected in action. Championships matter because they create memories. Postseason access matters because it rewards commitment. Competitive equity matters because every student-athlete deserves the opportunity to pursue excellence.

That remained our focus throughout the year.


CELEBRATING COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE        
The 2025-26 academic year was one of tremendous competitive achievement for The Big West.

Four team sports earned multiple participants in national championship competition, continuing the conference's growing #TwoBidBigWest identity and, in men's volleyball, reaching #ThreeBidBigWest status. Five team sports recorded at least one win on the national stage. The Big West also celebrated a men's volleyball national championship, marking the sixth national title in the sport by a Big West program in the last eight seasons.

That level of national excellence does not happen by accident.

It reflects talented student-athletes, outstanding coaching, institutional investment, strong conference competition and a championship culture that continues to grow across the league

In 2025-26, Big West student-athletes earned 31 All-Region honors across seven sports and an impressive 61 All-America honors. Those recognitions stretched across men's water polo, women's water polo, men's volleyball, beach volleyball, men's golf, baseball, track and field and other nationally competitive sports.

Individual accomplishments were equally significant.

UC Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora was named National Pitcher of the Year by Perfect Game and the College Baseball Foundation. UC Irvine men's volleyball standout Andrej Jokanovic was named AVCA Newcomer of the Year. UC Irvine basketball players Hunter Hernandez and Kyle Owens were honored by the Orange County Sports Commission as Female and Male College Athlete of the Year, respectively, while Cal State Fullerton women's soccer player Ashlyn Gwynn received the organization's Rising Star Award.

Big West student-athletes from men's basketball, women's basketball, men's volleyball and baseball earned national player of the week honors in their respective sports.

The conference also saw two men's soccer standouts selected in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, with UC Davis defender Zack Lillington chosen seventh overall by St. Louis CITY SC and Cal State Fullerton midfielder/defender Aiden Bengard selected in the third round by Minnesota United FC. They became the 58th and 59th Big West men's soccer players selected in MLS SuperDraft history.

Across sport after sport, Big West student-athletes did more than participate nationally.

They performed nationally.


EXCELLENCE BEYOND COMPETITION            
The success of The Big West in 2025-26 extended well beyond competition.

Our student-athletes once again demonstrated that academic excellence remains central to the identity of this conference.

A total of 2,734 student-athletes from 11 institutions across all 21 Big West-sponsored sports were named to the 2025-26 Big West Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Since the 2022-23 academic year, the total number of Commissioner's Honor Roll awardees has increased by 469 student-athletes, representing nearly 21 percent growth from 2,265 to 2,734.

That growth is one of the most meaningful indicators of the commitment our student-athletes, coaches, faculty, academic support staffs and member institutions continue to make to academic achievement.

The Big West also recognized 1,493 student-athletes on its seasonal Academic All-Conference Teams during the year, including 440 fall honorees, 241 winter honorees and 812 spring honorees.

The spring total represented continued progress, improving from 756 honorees in 2025, 771 in 2024 and 751 in 2023.

Among the 812 spring Academic All-Conference selections, 20 student-athletes carried a perfect 4.00 cumulative GPA, further demonstrating the extraordinary discipline required to balance the demands of Division I competition with excellence in the classroom.

Big West student-athletes also earned 251 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors during the 2025-26 academic year, including recognition across soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming and diving, tennis, softball, baseball, at-large sports and track and field/cross country.

UC Davis pitcher Rowen Barnes was named to the 2026 Academic All-America Baseball First Team, adding another prestigious academic honor to the conference's year.

Three Big West student-athletes earned NCAA Elite Scholar Award recognition, an honor presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA competing at an NCAA championship event. Timothy Kerr of UC Davis men's water polo, Gabrielle Doyle of Hawai'i women's water polo and Ofeck Hazan of Hawai'i men's volleyball each represented The Big West with extraordinary distinction.

The conference also recognized nine outstanding student-athletes as recipients of The Big West Service and Leadership Award, honoring individuals who distinguished themselves through meaningful service, impactful leadership, academic achievement and lasting contributions to their campuses and communities.

This year also demonstrated the continued global reach of Big West student-athletes and alumni.

Big West alumni Michael Boxall of UC Santa Barbara and Max Arfsten of UC Davis are competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Two-time Big West Golfer of the Year and Cal State Fullerton alumna Davina Xanh competed in the prestigious Curtis Cup. No fewer than 17 current and former Big West men's volleyball standouts representing eight countries competed in Volleyball Nations League action, while 11 Big West beach volleyball student-athletes representing five member institutions were selected for the 2026 Beach Collegiate National Team training alongside USA Volleyball's Beach National Team.

The Big West also helped unlock a $50,000 grant for the Kay Yow Fund through the Tough Like Tammy campaign, with those funds being invested directly into Southern California.

These accomplishments reflect the full measure of student-athlete excellence: competition, academics, service, leadership and impact.


STRENGTHENING OUR FOUNDATION        
While our student-athletes continued to excel, the conference also made significant strategic decisions designed to strengthen The Big West for the future.

At a time when realignment continues to create uncertainty across the national landscape, the Board of Directors reaffirmed the shared direction of the conference's continuing institutions and approved a series of actions focused on long-term stability, competitive excellence and championship access.

The Board's decision to increase the conference withdrawal fee to $5 million reinforced the depth of institutional commitment to the future of The Big West. That action was not simply about policy. It was a statement of alignment.

The Board also made difficult but responsible decisions regarding sport sponsorship, including the discontinuation of men's and women's swimming and diving as Big West-sponsored sports when future membership composition would no longer support the necessary NCAA championship access structure. Importantly, the conference worked to assist affected institutions in identifying pathways that would provide continued opportunities for their student-athletes.

At the same time, the Board authorized the pursuit of targeted affiliate memberships to strengthen sport sponsorship, competitive depth and maintain NCAA automatic qualification opportunities.

That work has already produced meaningful results.

Through strategic affiliate membership expansion, The Big West positioned itself to strengthen men's water polo, women's water polo and beach volleyball beginning in 2027-28. These additions are not merely membership adjustments. They are intentional actions to protect NCAA championship access, preserve nationally competitive sports and reinforce The Big West's role as one of the nation's premier conferences for Olympic sports.

Conference stability is not achieved by standing still.

It is achieved by anticipating change, acting with purpose and making decisions before circumstances force them upon us.

That is what The Big West did this year.


EXPANDING OUR REACH            
The Big West also continued to grow its visibility in meaningful and measurable ways.

With all championships complete for 2025-26, attendance increased in seven of 11 ticketed championship events. On ESPN+, year-over-year cumulative viewership increased in seven of nine televised championships, with cumulative championship viewership up 19 percent and more than one million fans tuning in.

Our basketball championships in Henderson, sponsored by Credit Union 1, continued to build momentum and deliver an outstanding championship environment. Overall championship session attendance increased 24.5 percent, with women's basketball attendance up 15.4 percent and men's basketball attendance up 9.9 percent.

Those increases reflect more than ticket sales. They reflect growing interest, stronger championship presentation, improved institutional engagement and the continued development of Henderson as a championship destination for The Big West.

Our ESPN+ partnership also continued its remarkable growth.

In 2025-26, The Big West and its member institutions produced 1,208 broadcasts, reaching nearly 4.7 million viewers. Every major ESPN+ metric increased year-over-year, including events, total viewers, average viewers, total minutes watched, average minutes watched, minutes per viewer and average minutes per viewer.

Even more encouraging, the growth was not driven only by producing more events. Average viewership increased from 4,012 viewers per event in 2024-25 to 4,200 viewers per event in 2025-26, a 4.7 percent increase. Minutes watched per viewer increased from approximately 31 minutes to approximately 34 minutes, demonstrating that fans are not only finding Big West content - they are staying longer once they arrive.

That is a strong indicator of content quality, fan loyalty and brand growth.

The five-year trend tells an even more powerful story. Since the beginning of the ESPN+ partnership, The Big West has transformed its digital media presence into one of the most significant visibility platforms in the conference's history. Five years into the agreement, the conference is not simply maintaining momentum. It is still growing.

Championship content also remains premium digital inventory, averaging 8,785 viewers per event, more than double the conference-wide average.

The Big West's national visibility was also reflected through linear television opportunities, Spectrum SportsNet exposure, ESPN2 and ESPNU appearances and significant social media engagement surrounding championship events. During men's volleyball championship week alone, Big West content generated millions of views across platforms, including 3.69 million Instagram views and more than 501,000 accounts reached.

Every broadcast, every highlight, every championship show, every social media post and every national appearance creates a larger stage for our student-athletes and institutions.

That is what visibility should do.

It should serve the people and programs at the heart of the conference.


LEADING NATIONALLY        
The Big West's influence in 2025-26 extended well beyond our championship fields and campuses.

Throughout the year, the conference remained actively engaged in national conversations affecting the future of Division I athletics. Through service on NCAA committees, governance groups, commissioners' organizations, basketball leadership bodies, officiating initiatives and federal advocacy efforts, The Big West continued to help shape conversations rather than simply react to them.

The commissioner represented The Big West through service on the NCAA Division I Cabinet and NCAA Cabinet executive committee, as Chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Oversight Committee, through Collegiate Commissioners Association leadership discussions, through basketball-centric conference leadership, through ongoing engagement in federal advocacy efforts, and through national conversations surrounding transfer policy, eligibility models, NIL, enforcement, basketball legislation, officiating and the future structure of Division I athletics.

The Big West also grew representation on NCAA committees at a time of national governance overhaul and diminished committee sizes. From our Council and student-athletes, Kelly Barsky, Director of Athletics from UC Santa Barbara and Maya Chocano, student-athlete from UC Riverside served on the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee. Paula Smith, Director of Athletics at UC Irvine, serve on the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Committee. Tiffany Edlin from Long Beach State on the NCAA Softball Oversight Committee. Erica Monteabaro from UC Irvine on the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Committee. Kyla Bruhn from UC San Diego on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advocacy Committee.

That representation matters.

It ensures The Big West has a voice in rooms where decisions are being discussed that will impact our student-athletes, institutions and conference for years to come.

The Big West also remained engaged in national advocacy surrounding federal legislation, including the Protect College Sports Act and broader efforts to provide greater clarity around NIL, transfer rules, eligibility, enforcement, student-athlete employment classification and antitrust protection.

In an era when national policy decisions can directly impact every campus in the conference, engagement is not optional.

The Big West must be present.

This year, we were.


BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTH       
Strong conferences are built by strong people.

Throughout the year, The Big West continued to invest in the organizational structure needed to better serve our membership.

The recent hiring of Justin Jenkins as Assistant Commissioner for Basketball Operations and Finance strengthened the conference office in a key area of strategic emphasis. Basketball remains central to the identity, visibility and future growth of The Big West, and Justin's experience in basketball administration, championship operations, finance and relationship-building will enhance our ability to serve our institutions and student-athletes.

The conference also continued to operate with financial discipline, strategic focus and a commitment to fully funding the initiatives necessary to provide a meaningful championship experience. In an era of national financial uncertainty, the work done over the past several years to strengthen the conference budget model has positioned The Big West to operate from a place of greater stability.

Our corporate partnerships continued to grow. Our media relationships continued to strengthen. Our championship operations continued to improve. Our governance processes continued to evolve. Our staff continued to deliver.

And that staff deserves special recognition.

While much of our work is measured by championships, governance decisions, media metrics and strategic initiatives, none of those accomplishments happen without an extraordinary team working behind the scenes.

Every championship venue prepared. Every livestream produced. Every Board meeting coordinated. Every Council discussion supported. Every student-athlete recognized. Every financial report completed. Every institutional question answered. Every partnership cultivated. Every detail matters.

I am incredibly grateful to serve alongside a conference office staff whose professionalism, creativity, commitment and willingness to go above and beyond continue to elevate The Big West each and every day. Their work often occurs outside the spotlight, yet it forms the foundation upon which every success of this conference is built.


A CONFERENCE DEFINED BY LEADERSHIP        
Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the past year cannot be measured only by championships, attendance figures, television ratings or national honors.

It can also be measured by how this conference chose to lead.

I remain deeply appreciative of the leadership provided by our Board of Directors and Council throughout the year, reflecting the thoughtful engagement of our athletics directors, senior woman administrators and faculty athletics representatives.

Great governance is not measured by unanimous agreement.

It is measured by the willingness to engage in meaningful discussion before moving forward together with shared purpose.

That approach was evident throughout the year.

It was evident in membership discussions.

It was evident in sport sponsorship decisions.

It was evident in affiliate membership strategy.

It was evident in financial planning.

It was evident in national governance engagement.

It was evident in the conference's continued commitment to student-athletes.

The Big West is stronger because its leaders remained focused not only on where the conference is today, but where it needs to be tomorrow.


LOOKING AHEAD        
The work before us remains significant.

Division I athletics will continue to evolve. Legal challenges will continue. Federal discussions will continue. Realignment pressures will continue. Financial models will continue to change. New opportunities will emerge alongside new challenges.

Yet I believe The Big West enters the next academic year from a position of strength.

Not because uncertainty has disappeared.

But because our foundation has become stronger.

The 2025-26 academic year demonstrated that The Big West is capable of leading through change with purpose, discipline and optimism. We protected championship opportunities. We celebrated national success. We elevated academic achievement. We expanded visibility. We strengthened our foundation. We invested in people. We continued to serve student-athletes.

While much of Division I athletics spent the past year reacting to change, The Big West chose to lead with purpose, invest with intention and position itself for the future.

That is something every member of The Big West family should take pride in.

To our student-athletes, thank you for inspiring us.

To our coaches, thank you for teaching, mentoring and competing.

To our athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives and campus administrators, thank you for your leadership and partnership.

To our presidents and chancellors, thank you for your vision, trust and commitment to the long-term future of The Big West.

To our Board of Directors and Council, thank you for leading with clarity and conviction during a pivotal year.

To our conference office staff, thank you for your tireless work, your creativity, your professionalism and your belief in what The Big West can continue to become.

Every academic year tells a story.

Some years are remembered for championships.

Others are remembered for change.

I believe the 2025-26 academic year will be remembered for something even more meaningful.

It was a year in which The Big West chose to lead with purpose, strengthen its foundation, celebrate excellence and remain unwavering in its commitment to providing an outstanding experience for every student-athlete.

Thank you for everything you have done to make this remarkable year possible.

The best of The Big West remains ahead.