| Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) | |
| Established | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Association | NAIA |
| Division | Division I |
| Members | 10 |
| Sports fielded | 13 (men's: 6; women's: 7) |
| Region | Western United States Region II of the NAIA |
| Headquarters | Azusa, California |
| Commissioner | Mike Daniels (2012–) |
| Website | gsacsports.org |
| Locations | |
The Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) is a college athletics conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference commissioner is Mike Daniels. Conference leadership is shared among the member institutions. Nine of the ten members of the GSAC are Christian colleges located in California and Arizona. Conference teams have won 20 national championships.
History[]
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 College, 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[]
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. Life Pacific joined in 2017 and Ottawa (AZ) joined in 2018 to bring the GSAC to 10 members.
Member schools[]
Current members[]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Christian University | Phoenix, Arizona | 1960 | 820 | Firestorm | 2012 |
| Hope International University | Fullerton, California | 1928 | 987 | Royals | 1999 |
| Life Pacific College | San Dimas, California | 1923 | 686 | Warriors | 2017 |
| The Master's University | Santa Clarita, California | 1927 | 1,348 | Mustangs | 2001 |
| Menlo College | Atherton, California | 1927 | 750 | Oaks | 2015 |
| Ottawa University | Surprise, Arizona | 2015 | 750 | Spirit | 2018 |
| San Diego Christian College | Santee, California | 1970 | 916 | Hawks | 1999 |
| Vanguard University | Costa Mesa, California | 1920 | 1,923 | Lions | 1986 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara, California | 1937 | 1,308 | Warriors | 1986 |
| William Jessup University | Rocklin, California | 1939 | 1,200 | Warriors | 2014 |
Former members[]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, California | 1899 | Cougars | 1986 | 2012 | Pacific West (NCAA D-II) |
| Biola University | La Mirada, California | 1908 | Eagles | 1994 | 2017 | Pacific West (NCAA D-II) |
| California Baptist University | Riverside, California | 1950 | Lancers | 1987 | 2011 | Western Athletic (NCAA D-I) |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, California | 1959 | Kingsmen & Regals |
1986 | 1989 | Southern California (NCAA D-III) |
| Concordia University–Irvine | Irvine, California | 1976 | Eagles | 1987 | 2015 | Pacific West (NCAA D-II) |
| Fresno Pacific University | Fresno, California | 1944 | Sunbirds | 1986 | 2012 | Pacific West (NCAA D-II) |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, California | 1902 | Sea Lions | 1986 | 2012 | Pacific West (NCAA D-II) |
Membership timeline[]
Full member (non-football)
Sports sponsored[]
References[]
- ↑ Staff (June 2, 2011). "PacWest conference expands to 14 schools". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20110602_PacWest_conference_expands_to_14_schools_.html. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
External links[]
Template:Golden State Athletic Conference navbox