Great Northwest Athletic Conference
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2022) |
Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) | |
---|---|
Established | 2001 |
Association | NCAA |
Division | Division II |
Members | 10 |
Sports fielded |
|
Region | Northwestern United States, British Columbia, Alaska |
Headquarters | Portland, Oregon |
Commissioner | David Haglund (since 2011) |
Website | www |
Locations | |
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) is a collegiate athletic conference that historically operates in the northwestern United States, but also currently includes four schools in areas not usually considered part of that region—two in Alaska (neither of which resides in Southeast Alaska, an area often considered part of the Northwest), one in eastern Montana (almost never considered part of the region), and one in the Canadian province of British Columbia (an area included with the Northwest U.S. in the larger Pacific Northwest region).
It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level, and is the only NCAA conference in any division with a Canadian university as a member.
The conference formed in 2001 when its original ten members split from the Pacific West Conference.
Member schools[]
Current members[]
Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Alaska Anchorage | Anchorage, Alaska | 1954 | 2001 | Public | 16,242 | Seawolves | |
University of Alaska Fairbanks | Fairbanks, Alaska | 1917 | 2001 | Public | 9,380 | Nanooks | |
Central Washington University | Ellensburg, Washington | 1891 | 2001 | Public | 10,145 | Wildcats | |
Montana State University Billings | Billings, Montana | 1927 | 2007 | Public | 4,600 | Yellowjackets | |
Northwest Nazarene University | Nampa, Idaho | 1913 | 2001 | Private (Nazarene) | 2,000 | Nighthawks | |
Saint Martin's University | Lacey, Washington | 1895 | 2001 | Private (Catholic) | 1,628 | Saints | |
Seattle Pacific University | Seattle, Washington | 1891 | 2001 | Private (Free Methodist) | 3,773 | Falcons | |
Simon Fraser University | Burnaby, British Columbia | 1965 | 2010 | Public | 35,604 | Clan | |
Western Oregon University | Monmouth, Oregon | 1856 | 2001 | Public | 6,233 | Wolves | |
Western Washington University | Bellingham, Washington | 1893 | 2001 | Public | 13,070 | Vikings |
Affiliate members[]
Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | GNAC sport |
Primary conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Central Oklahoma | Edmond, Oklahoma | 1890 | 2019–20 | Public | 16,910 | Bronchos | rowing (W) | MIAA | |
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt[a] | Arcata, California | 1913 | 2019–20 | Public | 6,983 | Lumberjacks | rowing (W) | CCAA | |
University of Mary | Bismarck, North Dakota | 1959 | 2012–13 | Private (Catholic) | 2,910 | Marauders | soccer (M) | NSIC |
- Notes
- ^ Cal Poly–Humboldt was a full member of the GNAC from 2001–02 to 2005–06.
Former members[]
Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Nickname | Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concordia University–Portland | Portland, Oregon | 1905 | 2015 | 2020 | Private (Lutheran LCMS) | Cavaliers | Closed in 2020 |
Humboldt State University[a][b] | Arcata, California | 1913 | 2001 | 2006 | Public | Lumberjacks | California |
Seattle University | Seattle, Washington | 1891 | 2001 | 2008 | Private (Catholic) | Redhawks | WAC (NCAA D-I) |
- Notes
Former affiliate members[]
Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Nickname | GNAC sport |
Primary conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, California | 1899 | 2012–13 | 2019–20 | Private (Evangelical Christian) | Cougars | football | PacWest |
Dixie State University | St. George, Utah | 1911 | 2008–09 | 2015–16 | Public | Red Storm | football | WAC (NCAA D-I) |
Humboldt State University[a][b] | Arcata, California | 1913 | 2006–07 | 2017–18 | Public | Lumberjacks | football | CCAA |
University of Mary | Bismarck, North Dakota | 1959 | 2012–13 | 2015–16 | Private (Catholic) | Marauders | soccer (M) | NSIC |
University of Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | 1883 | 2012–13 | 2012–13 | Private (Baptist) | Cougars | soccer (M) | NSIC |
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Rapid City, South Dakota | 1885 | 2014–15fb.; 2013–14m.soc. |
2015–16fb.; 2014–15m.soc. |
Public | Hardrockers | football; soccer (M) |
RMAC |
- Notes
Membership timeline[]
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football-only) Associate member (sport)
- The GNAC did not sponsor football in the 2006–07 and 2007-08 seasons. Therefore, Central Washington and Western Washington competed in the North Central Conference (NCC); while Dixie State, Humboldt State and Western Oregon were Independents.
- With Central Washington, Simon Fraser, and Western Oregon becoming football-only affiliates of the Lone Star Conference effective for the 2022 season, the GNAC has once again become a non-football conference.[1]
Sports sponsored[]
Sport | Men's | Women's |
---|---|---|
Baseball | ||
Basketball | ||
Cross Country | ||
Golf | ||
Rowing | ||
Soccer | ||
Softball | ||
Track & Field Indoor | ||
Track & Field Outdoor | ||
Volleyball |
Men's sponsored sports by school[]
School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country |
Golf | Soccer | Track & Field Indoor |
Track & Field Outdoor |
Total GNAC Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | 2 | |||||||
Alaska-Anchorage | 4 | |||||||
Central Washington | 5 | |||||||
Montana State-Billings | 7 | |||||||
Northwest Nazarene | 7 | |||||||
Saint Martin's | 7 | |||||||
Seattle Pacific | 5 | |||||||
Simon Fraser | 6 | |||||||
Western Oregon | 5 | |||||||
Western Washington | 6 | |||||||
Totals | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 57 |
Women's sponsored sports by school[]
School | Basketball | Cross Country |
Golf | Rowing | Soccer | Softball | Track & Field Indoor |
Track & Field Outdoor |
Volleyball | Total GNAC Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | 3 | |||||||||
Alaska-Anchorage | 5 | |||||||||
Central Washington | 7 | |||||||||
Montana State-Billings | 8 | |||||||||
Northwest Nazarene | 8 | |||||||||
Saint Martin's | 8 | |||||||||
Seattle Pacific | 7 | |||||||||
Simon Fraser | 8 | |||||||||
Western Oregon | 7 | |||||||||
Western Washington | 9 | |||||||||
Affiliate Members | ||||||||||
Central Oklahoma | 1 | |||||||||
Humboldt State | 1 | |||||||||
UC San Diego | 1 | |||||||||
Totals | 11 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 81 |
Other sponsored sports by school[]
School | Men | Women | Co-ed | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Football | Ice Hockey[a] |
Swimming & Diving |
Wrestling | Gymnastics[a] | Swimming & Diving |
Wrestling | Rifle[a] | Skiing[a] | ||||
Alaska | IND | PCSC | PRC | RMISA | ||||||||
Alaska-Anchorage | [b] | |||||||||||
Central Washington | LSC | |||||||||||
Seattle Pacific | MPSF | |||||||||||
Simon Fraser | LSC | IND | IND | IND | IND | |||||||
Western Oregon | LSC |
- ^ a b c d De facto Division I sport. The NCAA holds a combined national championship event in men's ice hockey open to both Division I and Division II members, and single championship events open to members of all three divisions in women's gymnastics and the coeducational sports of rifle and skiing.
- ^ Alaska Anchorage will reinstate its men's hockey team, dropped after the 2020–21 school year, in 2022–23. UAA has yet to announce a conference affiliation.
Football champions[]
|
|
Basketball champions[]
Conference Facilities[]
School | Basketball Arena | Capacity |
---|---|---|
Alaska Fairbanks | 1,648 | |
Alaska Anchorage | Alaska Airlines Center | 5,000 |
Central Washington | 2,519 | |
Montana State - Billings | 2,330 | |
Northwest Nazarene | ||
Saint Martin's | ||
Seattle Pacific | 2,650 | |
Simon Fraser | 1,500 | |
Western Oregon | 2,473 | |
Western Washington | 2,534 |
References[]
- ^ "Central Washington, GNAC football members to join Lone Star Conference". Yakima Herald-Republic. November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
External links[]
- Great Northwest Athletic Conference
- Sports in the Western United States