The West Coast Conference welcomes UC Santa Barbara back to the conference as its 12th full member, marking a new era of growth and an expanded profile for the league.

The West Coast Conference Presidents’ Council approved the admission of UC Santa Barbara as a conference competing member beginning July 1, 2027, giving the conference 12 full members for the first time in its history.

The move follows recently announced additions of the University of Denver and UC San Diego. The University of Denver joins as a competing member July 1, 2026, followed a year later by UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. Prior to the additions of both institutions, the full membership has never been more than 10. UC Santa Barbara was previously a member of the West Coast Conference from 1965-1969.

“We are delighted and honored to welcome UC Santa Barbara into the West Coast Conference,” said Christopher Callahan, president of University of the Pacific and chair of the West Coast Conference Presidents’ Council. “UC Santa Barbara brings to the conference athletic excellence and superb academics while preserving our geographic profile, enabling our schools to stay true to the mission of providing superior student-athlete experiences in all of our sports.

“Thanks to the unwavering and exemplary leadership of Commissioner Stu Jackson, UC Santa Barbara becomes the third new conference member announced within the past seven months,” Callahan said. “The additions of UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and the University of Denver give our conference the size, strength and stability needed during these tumultuous times in the NCAA, forging a competitive conference that is built to last.”

With a footprint that stretches from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the Rockies, the addition of UC Santa Barbara magnifies the West Coast Conference’s presence on the coast and enhances its We Rise in the West identity as the largest Division I conference in the western region of the United States. The West Coast Conference is the only NCAA Division I conference with representation in eight of the nine largest metropolitan cities in the West. Conference membership spans seven of the top 30 media markets in the United States in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Denver, Sacramento, Portland and San Diego.

“This is a monumental moment for the West Coast Conference as we grow our membership to 12 institutions for the first time in our history and enhance our national profile with the addition of UC Santa Barbara,” said West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson. “We have been energized to expand our full membership to 12, a stated goal of the West Coast Conference Presidents’ Council, while bringing in a valued partner that aligns with the Conference’s mission. Our regional expansion has been guided by strengthening our competitive excellence and national exposure, with a focus on providing an enriching student-athlete experience. UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Dennis Assanis and Director of Athletics Kelly Barsky have demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting athletics and positioning their programs for success in today’s NCAA environment. UC Santa Barbara augments the West Coast Conference as an esteemed partner as We Rise in the West.”

UC Santa Barbara will compete in the West Coast Conference in 13 sports, including men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, baseball, softball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s golf and men’s water polo.

“UC Santa Barbara is recognized as one of the nation’s leading public research universities, offering a dynamic environment and delivering an academically rigorous and socially rewarding experience,” said UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Dennis Assanis. “We are thrilled to join the West Coast Conference, creating broader exposure and visibility for our athletics and our academic programs. Building awareness of our campus in new markets, particularly in the Northwest, and strengthening our presence in California will provide expanded opportunities for a world-class academic and athletics experience for our students. The West Coast Conference has a history of sustained success and we are proud to be part of its legacy and define a new generation along with its member institutions and loyal fans.”

With the additions of Denver, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara, 75% of the membership is ranked in the top 150 of the U.S. News and World Report’s list of the best universities in the United States. UC Santa Barbara ranks No. 40 on the U.S. News and World Report list and is rated the No. 8 public university in the nation by Forbes in its list of top colleges. With UC Santa Barbara, there are six public universities in the history of West Coast Conference membership.

“This is a transformative moment for UC Santa Barbara Athletics, one that will bring together and excite our campus and community,” said UC Santa Barbara Director of Athletics Kelly Barsky. “We are appreciative of the invitation from the West Coast Conference, and believe this is the right time to join with their expanded West Coast Regional profile, and demonstrated academic and athletic excellence. We are grateful for our longstanding history with The Big West Conference, and as we enter into this new chapter both celebrate the history of our Gaucho programs as well as look forward to elevating our exposure, growing our programs and deepening our service to our student-athletes and community.”

UC Santa Barbara is regarded as one of the top men’s basketball programs in the western region. The Gauchos have won at least 20 games in six of the past eight seasons, and captured two conference regular season and two conference tournament titles with two NCAA Tournament appearances during that span. UC Santa Barbara’s women’s basketball team has won at least 20 games in two of the past four seasons. The Gauchos have also produced nationally ranked teams in men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, baseball and men’s water polo in recent years.

The West Coast Conference is regarded as one of the nation’s premier leagues in men’s basketball as the only conference outside of the Power 5 in the sport with multiple NCAA Tournament bids each of the last seven events, including three selections this March. Among the 16 NCAA bids from the conference over the past five seasons, 14 were selected as a top-eight seed. At least one team has advanced past the first round in each of the past 18 tournaments.

A conference-record seven women’s basketball teams earned postseason selections this past season, adding to the six postseason selections the year before. The conference has sent multiple women’s basketball teams to the NCAA Tournament five of the past seven events.

The NCAA recognizes the West Coast Conference as a success conference in more than 60% of the league’s sports. Nine conference sports earned the classification by the governing body, the most of any conference outside of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC. In addition to the three NCAA bids in men’s basketball this March, the conference has earned four selections in men’s golf, three in men’s soccer and two each in men’s tennis and women’s golf over the past year. The conference has had a men’s soccer team advance to the NCAA quarterfinals in three of the last four seasons. Over the past six seasons, three West Coast Conference teams have won a national championship and 10 conference teams have finished in the top four of their sport.