PacWest eyes expansion for 2012-13

PHOENIX, AZ – If all goes according to plan, the Pacific West Conference is expected to grow to 14 member institutions beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.

Azusa Pacific University, Fresno Pacific University, Holy Names University and Point Loma Nazarene University will join the PacWest contingent upon their acceptance into the NCAA Division II membership process.

If accepted, the PacWest effectively will double in size since the conference reorganized with seven schools for the 2006-07 campaign. The league also will become the largest NCAA Division II athletic conference in the West Region.

The PacWest and the four schools made the joint announcement on Wednesday, June 1. The conference is expected to boast institutions in seven major metropolitan areas spread over four states and four times zones. The major metro areas include Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Fresno and Honolulu.

"The addition of these four outstanding schools will greatly enhance the strength and image of our fast-rising conference," Bob Hogue, commissioner of the PacWest, stated. "Azusa Pacific University, Fresno Pacific University, Holy Names University and Point Loma Nazarene University all have tremendous traditions in athletics, and all are every bit as successful academically. We are incredibly proud to invite these fantastic institutions into the PacWest - and we believe that their eventual acceptance into NCAA Division II membership will soon position us as one of the premier NCAA Division II conferences in the nation."

All four California-based institutions are current members of the NAIA and met the June 1 deadline to apply for NCAA Division II status. Competition in the PacWest is contingent upon the schools being accepted into Division II. The decision from the NCAA on schools across the country applying to enter Division II could occur as early as July of 2011. The four institutions are expected to begin competing in conference schedules and championships as early as the 2012-13 season.

Located in the greater Los Angeles area, Azusa Pacific University brings a rich athletic history having won six consecutive Directors’ Cup championships at the NAIA level. The award recognizes the Cougar intercollegiate athletics program as the best in the NAIA. Azusa Pacific expects to claim an unprecedented seventh later this month following a successful 2010-11 campaign that produced participants in national championship events in 16 of the Cougars’ 17 NAIA championship sports.

“I’m excited about being able to join a conference with new partners, a group made up of public and private schools that want to develop and grow their athletic programs,” Bill Odell, Azusa Pacific’s director of athletics, stated. “I’m also excited about the destinations the PacWest offers, to give Azusa Pacific’s student-athletes the opportunity to experience some of the best locations the Western United States has to offer, and to be involved with diverse colleges and universities in the region.”

The Cougars have won 34 NAIA championships all-time, along with 104 Golden State Athletic Conference titles since becoming a charter member of the GSAC when the NAIA-affiliated conference formed in 1986. In addition, Azusa Pacific produced the most NAIA Scholar Teams of the top 10 schools in the 2009-10 Directors’ Cup standings. Azusa Pacific, which does not sponsor men’s or women’s golf, will compete in 11 of the 13 PacWest-sponsored sports.

“We are excited to be entering this new chapter along with three other GSAC schools that we’re aligned with philosophically,” Odell added. “Throughout this process, I have been impressed with the leadership of the current PacWest institutions who have shown a desire to grow and raise their competitive level.”

Fresno Pacific University would give the PacWest its first foothold in the city of Fresno and five programs in Northern California.

“After carefully reviewing our options for conference affiliation, Fresno Pacific has decided to accept the invitation of the Pacific West Conference, contingent upon our acceptance into the NCAA,” Dr. Merrill Ewert, the president of Fresno Pacific, said. “The PacWest is a great fit with the university’s core values, aligns us with like-minded institutions, and will enable our student-athletes to continue to compete at a high level.”

Ewert is excited with the prospects of moving to the PacWest while being able to keep historic rivalries intact.

“We have enjoyed being a part of the Golden State Athletic Conference since its inception,” Ewert said. “The GSAC’s core values reflect who we are as an athletics program. Membership in the PacWest will enable us to continue many of the historical rivalries that energize our students, connect with our alumni and motivate our fan base.”

Director of Athletics Dennis Janzen echoed his statements. “We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to join the Pacific West Conference,” he said. “FPU looks forward to both renewing and maintaining the athletic relationships we’ve enjoyed for many years in the GSAC. It is our belief that the Pacific West Conference is becoming one of the premier athletic conferences in the NCAA Division II and we are delighted with the PacWest’s invitation and support for our membership.”

Fresno Pacific was a charter member of the Golden State Athletic Conference, its athletic home for more than 25 years, and captured the conference’s first ever championship in the fall of 1986 in the sport of women’s cross country.

During its tenure in the GSAC, the Sunbirds earned 45 conference championships and claimed 11 NAIA national titles - including nine since 2007. FPU has won four consecutive NAIA women’s volleyball crowns and back-to-back men's swimming championships, while it has finished in the top five in the chase for the NACDA Director's Cup in each of the last three seasons.

“These are very dynamic and interesting times throughout collegiate athletics with so much membership movement between conferences and national affiliations,” Janzen added. “FPU is very pleased to be positioned with the Pacific West Conference as we move into an exciting future for Sunbird athletics.”

Located in Oakland, Holy Names University would give the PacWest four institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area, complementing Academy of Art University, Dominican University of California and Notre Dame de Namur University.

Holy Names currently sponsors 10 programs and recently announced the addition of women’s tennis and baseball that will begin play in 2012-13. The HNU athletics program will compete in all of the PacWest-sponsored sports with the exception of men’s tennis.

“This is part of our overall strategy to provide our student athletes with increasing levels of academic and athletic rigor,” Dr. William J. Hynes, president of Holy Names University, said. “Our final year of participation in the CalPac will be bittersweet. We owe a great deal to CalPac and their participating schools yet have a great sense of anticipation about joining the PacWest Conference and the NCAA - and the outstanding opportunities that this higher level of competition will provide for our students, staff and the university. Nonetheless, joining the PacWest will provide greater visibility, fiercer competition, greater breath of programs, and higher academic stands for our student athletes.”

Dennis Jones, director of athletics, added, “Participation in the PacWest will benefit our student athletes by enhancing the level of competition and allowing for new and renewed rivalries. This is an exciting opportunity for the university and HNU Athletics.”

Holy Names joined the NAIA in the 1994-95 academic year and was a founding member of what is now the California Pacific Athletic Conference. During that time, the Hawks athletics program rose to prominence.

Jones reflected on the success of HNU’s athletic teams during its membership in the NAIA. “We have had an incredible record of success in the Cal Pac,” he said. “It is really remarkable that we have been able to sustain the level of success of our teams. We have built a solid program here at HNU and are poised to achieve a successful move into the Pacific West Conference.”

During its time in the California Pacific Athletic Conference, HNU claimed seven All-Sports Awards and 50 conference championships. Student-athletes earned 32 conference MVP honors, 53 academic honors, 30 NAIA All-American awards, and 25 conference coach of the year accolades. The Hawks made appearances in 38 NAIA national tournaments and 23 regional events, winning two regional championships along the way.

Founded in 1868, HNU is a co-educational institution offering more than 25 bachelor’s and master’s degrees and various certificates and credentials.

Point Loma Nazarene University would provide the PacWest with an institution in the San Diego area.

“We are pleased to be invited into membership by the unanimous vote of the PacWest Conference,” PLNU President Dr. Bob Brower said. “We believe our application to the NCAA and the invitation for membership in PacWest will provide exciting opportunities for the future of PLNU and our student-athletes.”

PLNU Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton responded enthusiastically to the PacWest invitation while also acknowledging the history of competition enjoyed in the GSAC. The university has been a member of the conference since 1986 and won 41 regular season titles during that time.

"As one of the founding members of the GSAC, we are thankful for our longstanding relationship in the NAIA's top conference,” he said. “In taking this next step forward, we desire to also be a strong contributor in the PacWest for years to come. I believe our new home will be a good fit for our institution in many ways and that we can continue to honor Christ and holistically develop our student-athletes.”

Founded in 1902, Point Loma Nazarene University is a liberal arts college with a total student enrollment of 3,600. PLNU currently offers more than 50 undergraduate areas of study and graduate degrees in biology, business, education, nursing, and theology. PLNU students represent 40 states and 15 foreign countries. The average SAT score is 1129 while the average incoming GPA is 3.7.

The Sea Lions field 13 intercollegiate sport teams: men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's golf, baseball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's track and field. Women’s golf is set to begin in the fall of 2011.

About the PacWest

The Pacific West Conference is the largest geographically diverse conference competing at the NCAA Division II level. In 2011-12, the PacWest will consist of 10 schools located in Arizona, California, Hawai‘i, and Utah. Beginning with the 2012-13 campaign, the PacWest is expecting to grow to 14 institutions in seven major metropolitan areas spread over four states and four times zones. The major metro areas include Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Fresno and Honolulu.

With 14 schools, the PacWest would become the largest conference in the NCAA Division II West Region.

The Pacific West Conference consists of four Hawaii-based programs in Chaminade University of Honolulu, Brigham Young University Hawaii (Laie), the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and Hawai‘i Pacific University (Honolulu).

Dixie State College of Utah (St. George) and Grand Canyon University (Phoenix) are located in the Southwest, while Notre Dame de Namur (Belmont), Dominican University of California (San Rafael) and Academy of Art University (San Francisco) represent the Bay Area.

California Baptist University in Riverside begins PacWest play in 2011-12, giving the PacWest a presence in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, as well as a fourth school in the state of California.

If accepted into the NCAA Division II membership process for 2012-13, the PacWest would expand into four more locations in California.

Azusa Pacific University would provide the PacWest with a second presence in the greater Los Angeles region, while Holy Names University in Oakland would give the PacWest a fourth program in the Bay Area.

Fresno Pacific University would expand the PacWest into Fresno, while the addition of Point Loma Nazarene University would allow the conference to have a strong presence in San Diego. It is no wonder the PacWest prides itself on being "the most beautiful destination conference in the entire NCAA."

The PacWest history, dating back to 1992, includes a variety of institutions from throughout the Western United States. As leagues evolved, the PacWest was reduced to just the four Hawaii-based programs for the 2005-06 season – not enough to be considered an NCAA Division II conference.

With a one-year reprieve, the PacWest reformed and unveiled its current structure by adding Grand Canyon and NDNU for the 2006-07 campaign, and Dixie State for the 2007-08 season. In 2009-10, Dominican (CA) and Academy of Art began conference play bringing the league’s total number of teams to nine.

The PacWest currently has 11 official sports – and soon will grow by two more. Among the fall sports, the PacWest crowns champions in men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, and men's and women's cross country, while the winter season is the domain of men's and women's basketball. In the spring, the league celebrates champions in women's tennis, men's golf, softball and baseball. Men's tennis and women's golf will be added to the spring roster as official conference sports beginning in 2012-13.

The PacWest is recognized for its outstanding athletic programs and student athletes. In 2010, Hawai‘i Pacific University claimed the NCAA Division II Softball Championship, while this year Grand Canyon’s Samantha Murphy was named the Daktronics, Inc., NCAA Division II Player of the Year and the Capital One/CoSIDA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women’s basketball.

Past NCAA II National Championships include BYU-Hawaii in women's tennis and women's volleyball, and Hawai‘i Pacific in women's volleyball. This year, the BYU-Hawaii men's basketball team reached the NCAA Division II National Championship in men’s basketball that was televised live on CBS.

Bob Hogue leads the PacWest as its commissioner. He accepted his position in the summer of 2007 and has overseen expansion of the conference that has doubled during his tenure. He is a former state senator from Hawai‘i with more than 20 years experience as a broadcaster.

Tom Di Camillo, who spent 17 years as the sports information director at NCAA Division II West Chester University of Pennsylvania, joined the PacWest in 2006-07 and serves as the assistant commissioner for media relations. He has more than 20 years of experience at the NCAA Division II level.

On July 1, 2011, Di Camillo will become the first non-Division I president of the College Sports Information Directors of America in nearly 50 years, and the first representing Division II.