Big West Board of Directors Reaffirms Unified Path with Strategic Actions for Lengthy-Time period Stability and Aggressive Excellence

IRVINE, Calif. — The Big West Board of Directors has accepted a collection of strategic actions that collectively mirror the league’s confidence in its future and the unified dedication of its ten persevering with member establishments to constructing a robust, steady, and aggressive convention. 

At the middle of the Board’s motion was a transparent and unambiguous reaffirmation of shared course — ten totally aligned establishments dedicated to at least one one other and to the long-term way forward for The Big West at a time of great transformation throughout the nationwide collegiate athletics panorama. 

“This Board acted with clarity and conviction,” mentioned Erika D. Beck, President of California State University, Northridge, and Chair of The Big West Board of Directors. “Ten institutions, fully aligned, moving forward together — that is a position of genuine strength. The actions we took reflect our shared belief in what The Big West is building, and our commitment to ensuring this conference remains a destination of choice for student-athletes and programs for years to come.” 

As an expression of that dedication, the Board unanimously accepted, efficient instantly, a rise in The Big West withdrawal payment to $5 million, reinforcing the depth of institutional dedication to the league’s future and strengthening long-term membership stability. In a nationwide panorama the place convention realignment has created important uncertainty, the league’s ten persevering with members have chosen readability — and formalized that alternative. 

These actions mirror the persevering with evolution of school athletics nationally, together with western convention realignment, which has required leagues throughout the nation to rigorously consider long-term membership composition, sport sponsorship, and championship entry. The Big West has approached that analysis proactively and with a deal with the long-term pursuits of its student-athletes and member establishments. 

As a part of its broader evaluation of sport sponsorship and future membership composition, the Board additionally accepted the discontinuation of Big West sponsorship of males’s and ladies’s swimming and diving, efficient July 1, 2026, following the conclusion of the 2025–26 tutorial 12 months. This choice adopted cautious analysis of NCAA Championship participation necessities and anticipated membership composition, which indicated The Big West would now not meet the minimal institutional threshold required to preserve convention eligibility tied to NCAA Championship automated qualification alternatives within the sport. 

The Big West has actively supported impacted establishments in figuring out new convention properties that present continued entry to conference-based NCAA Championship qualification alternatives, together with coordination with companion leagues such because the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Pac-12 Conference. 

“While this was a difficult decision, it was also a responsible one,” mentioned Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly. “Our priority is ensuring that student-athletes and programs have clear, stable pathways to meaningful competitive opportunities. Acting now allows institutions to transition to leagues where they can maintain NCAA Championship automatic qualification access and continue to thrive.” 

The Board additionally reaffirmed its dedication to strengthening sport sponsorship throughout The Big West and approved continued pursuit of affiliate memberships in focused sports activities to preserve aggressive depth and long-term NCAA Championship automated qualification alternatives. 

With ten totally aligned establishments, The Big West strikes ahead with readability, stability, and shared goal, and with a unified conviction that the perfect of this convention remains to be forward.