Northwest Conference

Northwest Conference
Northwest Conference
NWC
Established	1926
Association	NCAA
Division	Division III
Members	9
Sports fielded	20 men's: 9; women's: 11; ;
Region	Pacific Northwest
Headquarters	Hillsboro, Oregon
Commissioner	Kimberly Wenger
Website	nwcsports.com

The Northwest Conference (NWC) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in the states of Oregon and Washington. It was known as the Pacific Northwest Conference from 1926 to 1984.

History[]

Griswold Stadium at Lewis & Clark

McCulloch Stadium at Willamette

The NWC was formed in 1926, making it one of the oldest continuously existing athletics conferences in the western United States. For 60 years, the Northwest Conference sponsored sports exclusively for men, but in 1984 it joined with the Women's Conference of Independent Colleges to become the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges, shortening the name to its current moniker in 1996 when it joined the NCAA.

The charter members included Willamette University, Pacific University, Whitman College, the College of Puget Sound (now the University of Puget Sound), Linfield College and the College of Idaho. In 1931, Albany College joined, left in 1938, and re-joined in 1949 using its present name of Lewis & Clark College. Pacific Lutheran University was added in 1965, and Whitworth University in 1970. In 1978, the College of Idaho dropped out of the conference. Whitworth also left in 1984, but then returned in 1988. In 1996, George Fox University joined when the conference moved to the NCAA and Puget Sound re-joined in that same year since 1948. From 2006 to 2010, Menlo College was also a part of the conference as an associate member in football.

The College of Idaho reinstated its football program in 2014 after a 37-year hiatus^[1] and joined the Frontier Conference for football. C of I is now a member of the NAIA's Cascade Collegiate Conference for other sports. Whitworth left the NWC in 1984 but returned in 1988. George Fox University and Seattle University joined the conference in 1997. Seattle dropped out again in 1999 to become members of NCAA Division II.^[2] Menlo College joined the conference in 2005 as a football-only member.

Member schools[]

Current members[]

The conference currently has nine full members:

Institution	Location	Nickname	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined
George Fox University	Newberg, Oregon	Bruins	1885	Private/Quaker	4,140^[3]	1996
Lewis & Clark College	Portland, Oregon	Pioneers	1867	Private/Non-sectarian	3,433	1931, 1949^[a]
Linfield University	McMinnville, Oregon	Wildcats	1858	Private/Baptist	2,664^[4]	1926
Pacific University	Forest Grove, Oregon	Boxers	1849	Private/United Church of Christ	3,302^[5]	1926
Pacific Lutheran University	Parkland, Washington	Lutes	1890	Private/Lutheran	3,461^[6]	1965
University of Puget Sound	Tacoma, Washington	Loggers	1888	Private/United Methodist	2,600^[7]	1926, 1996^[b]
Whitman College	Walla Walla, Washington	Blues	1859	Private/Non-sectarian	1,475^[8]	1926
Whitworth University	Spokane, Washington	Pirates	1890	Private/Presbyterian	2,886^[9]	1970, 1988^[c]
Willamette University	Salem, Oregon	Bearcats	1842	Private/United Methodist	2,815^[10]	1926

Notes

^ Lewis & Clark left the NWC after the 1937–38 season, and later re-joined back in the 1949–50 season.
^ Puget Sound left the NWC after the 1947–48 season, and later re-joined back in the 1996–97 season.
^ Whitworth left the NWC after the 1983–84 season, and later re-joined back in the 1988–89 season.

Former members[]

Institution	Location	Nickname	Founded	Type	Joined	Left	Current conference
College of Idaho	Caldwell, Idaho	Yotes	1891	Private/Non-sectarian	1926	1978	Cascade (NAIA)
Seattle University	Seattle, Washington	Redhawks	1891	Private/Jesuit	1997	1999	WAC (DI)

Former associate members[]

Institution	Location	Nickname	Founded	Type	Joined	Left	Current conference	NWC sport
Menlo College†	Atherton, California	Oaks	1927	Private/Non-sectarian	2006	2010	GSAC (NAIA)	football

Membership timeline[]

Sports sponsored[]

The Northwest Conference sponsors championships in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

All Sports Trophy[]

Each year the NWC awards one of its member institutions the NWC All Sports Trophy. In each sport the Conference Champion is awarded 18 points, second place is awarded 16 points, and so on. The school with the most points at the conclusion of the academic year wins the trophy. Football, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, men's baseball, women's softball, and men's and women's track and field are the 18 sports in which points are awarded.

Most recently, Whitworth won the NWC All Sports Trophy for 2017-18, their twelfth overall and eleventh in a row. Pacific Lutheran has won the award 15 times, more than any other school. Linfield has won the trophy three times while Puget Sound has won it twice.^[11]

National championships[]

Year	Sport	Institution	Location	Association/Division
2018	Women's Track & Field	George Fox	La Crosse, Wisconsin	NCAA Division III (Co-Champions with UMass Boston)
2013	Baseball	Linfield	Appleton, Wisconsin	NCAA Division III
2012	Softball	Pacific Lutheran	Salem, Virginia	NCAA Division III
2011	Softball	Linfield	Salem, Virginia	NCAA Division III
2009	Women's Basketball	George Fox	Holland, Michigan	NCAA Division III
2007	Softball	Linfield	Salem, Virginia	NCAA Division III
2004	Football	Linfield	Salem, Virginia	NCAA Division III
2004	Baseball	George Fox	Appleton, Wisconsin	NCAA Division III
1999	Football	Pacific Lutheran	Salem, Virginia	NCAA Division III
1999	Women's Swimming	Puget Sound	Federal Way, Washington	NAIA
1998	Women's Swimming	Puget Sound	Federal Way, Washington	NAIA
1997	Men's Soccer	Seattle	Birmingham, Alabama	NAIA
1997	Men's Swimming	Puget Sound	Federal Way, Washington	NAIA
1996	Men's Swimming	Puget Sound	San Antonio, Texas	NAIA
1996	Women's Swimming	Puget Sound	San Antonio, Texas	NAIA
1995	Men's Swimming	Puget Sound	San Antonio, Texas	NAIA
1995	Women's Cross Country	Puget Sound	Kenosha, Wisconsin	NAIA
1994	Women's Cross Country	Puget Sound	Kenosha, Wisconsin	NAIA
1993	Football	Pacific Lutheran	Portland, Oregon	NAIA Division II
1993	Women's Cross Country	Puget Sound	Kenosha, Wisconsin	NAIA
1993	Volleyball	Puget Sound	San Diego, California	NAIA
1993	Men's Basketball	Willamette	Nampa, Idaho	NAIA Division II
1992	Women's Cross Country	Puget Sound	Kenosha, Wisconsin	NAIA
1992	Softball	Pacific Lutheran	Pensacola, Florida	NAIA
1991	Women's Soccer	Pacific Lutheran	Boca Raton, Florida	NAIA
1990	Women's Swimming	Puget Sound	Canton, Ohio	NAIA
1989	Women's Soccer	Pacific Lutheran	Due West, South Carolina	NAIA
1989	Women's Swimming	Puget Sound	Brown Deer, Wisconsin	NAIA
1988	Women's Cross Country	Pacific Lutheran	Kenosha, Wisconsin	NAIA
1988	Women's Soccer	Pacific Lutheran	Abilene, Texas	NAIA
1988	Softball	Pacific Lutheran	Pensacola, Florida	NAIA
1987	Football	Pacific Lutheran	Tacoma, Washington	NAIA Division II
1986	Football	Linfield	McMinnville, Oregon	NAIA Division II
1984	Football	Linfield	McMinnville, Oregon	NAIA Division II
1982	Football	Linfield	McMinnville, Oregon	NAIA Division II
1980	Football	Pacific Lutheran	Tacoma, Washington	NAIA Division II
1971	Baseball	Linfield	Phoenix, Arizona	NAIA
1966	Baseball	Linfield	St. Joseph, Missouri	NAIA
1960	Baseball	Whitworth†	Sioux City, Iowa	NAIA

† - Whitworth was not a member of the NWC until 1970.

Football champions[]

1926 – College of Idaho
1927 – College of Idaho
1928 – Whitman
1929 – Willamette
1930 – Whitman
1931 – Whitman
1932 – Puget Sound
1933 – Puget Sound
1934 – Willamette
1935 – Linfield and Willamette
1936 – Willamette
1937 – Willamette
1938 – Pacific (OR) and Willamette
1939 – Pacific
1940 – Willamette
1941 – Willamette
1942 – Willamette
1943 – No champion
1944 – No champion
1945 – No champion

1946 – Willamette
1947 – Willamette
1948 – College of Idaho
1949 – College of Idaho, Lewis & Clark, and Pacific (OR)
1950 – Lewis & Clark
1951 – Lewis & Clark and Pacific (OR)
1952 – Lewis & Clark and Pacific (OR)
1953 – College of Idaho
1954 – College of Idaho, Lewis & Clark, and Willamette
1955 – College of Idaho and Lewis & Clark
1956 – Linfield
1957 – Linfield
1958 – Willamette
1959 – Willamette
1960 – Willamette
1961 – Linfield
1962 – Linfield
1963 – Lewis & Clark
1964 – Linfield
1965 – Linfield

1966 – Lewis & Clark
1967 – Lewis & Clark, Linfield, and Willamette
1968 – Willamette
1969 – Lewis & Clark, Linfield, Pacific Lutheran, and Whitman
1970 – Linfield
1971 – Linfield
1972 – Linfield
1973 – Pacific Lutheran
1974 – Linfield
1975 – Linfield, Pacific Lutheran, and Whitworth (WA)
1976 – Linfield
1977 – Linfield
1978 – Linfield
1979 – Pacific Lutheran
1980 – Linfield
1981 – Pacific Lutheran
1982 – Linfield
1983 – Pacific Lutheran
1984 – Linfield

References[]

^ "College of Idaho reinstates football program". The College of Idaho. May 14, 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
^ http://static.psbin.com/4/6/wfos4lctbf4dq3/NorthwestConferenceHistory.pdf
^ "About George Fox". Retrieved 23 May 2019.
^ "About Linfield: Facts and Figures". Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ "Pacific University Facts". Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ "About PLU: Quick Facts". Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ "Puget Sound Facts and Figures". Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ "Whitman College Fast Facts". Archived from the original on 13 October 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ "About Whitworth University". Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ "About Willamette: Quick Facts". Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ "Whitworth Wins Fifth Straight All-Sports Trophy". NWC. Retrieved 21 May 2012.

External links[]

Official website

[4] Lewis & Clark left the NWC after the 1937–38 season, and later re-joined back in the 1949–50 season.

[9] Puget Sound left the NWC after the 1947–48 season, and later re-joined back in the 1996–97 season.

[12] Whitworth left the NWC after the 1983–84 season, and later re-joined back in the 1988–89 season.

[1] "College of Idaho reinstates football program". The College of Idaho. May 14, 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved January 28, 2013.

[2] ttp://static.psbin.com/4/6/wfos4lctbf4dq3/NorthwestConferenceHistory.pdf

[3] "About George Fox". Retrieved 23 May 2019.

[5] "About Linfield: Facts and Figures". Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[6] "Pacific University Facts". Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[7] "About PLU: Quick Facts". Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[8] "Puget Sound Facts and Figures". Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[10] "Whitman College Fast Facts". Archived from the original on 13 October 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[11] "About Whitworth University". Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[13] "About Willamette: Quick Facts". Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[14] "Whitworth Wins Fifth Straight All-Sports Trophy". NWC. Retrieved 21 May 2012.

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v t Northwest Conference
Current members	George Fox Lewis & Clark Linfield Pacific Pacific Lutheran Puget Sound Whitman Whitworth Willamette
Founding members	College of Idaho Linfield Pacific Puget Sound Whitman Willamette