American west conference
Encyclopedia
The American West Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States
from 1993 to 1996. It consisted of schools in California
and Utah
. The charter members of the conference were Cal Poly - SLO, Cal State Northridge, Sacramento State, UC Davis and Southern Utah
.
The conference comprised schools from the old Western Football Conference
that had recently made the move from Division II to Division I. The conference was founded on July 15, 1993 as a I-AA football only conference. The members were prompted to move their programs in response to an NCAA ruling barring member institutions from competing in football at a lower level than other sports.
The only commissioner of the American West Conference was Vic Buccola who had been the athletic director at Cal Poly from 1973 to 1981, and commissioner of the Western Football Conference from 1981 to 1992.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the 1994 AWC football championship.
. Cal State Northridge and Sacramento State accepted invitations to the Big Sky Conference
. Southern Utah became an independent until they became members of the Mid-Continent Conference, now called the Summit League, in 1997.
UC Davis made the decision to move up to Division I in 2003, and in 2007 they joined Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly in the Big West.
Former AWC members UC Davis, Cal Poly, and Southern Utah would later found the Great West Football Conference (later renamed the Great West Conference), along with newcomers Northern Colorado
, North Dakota State
, and South Dakota State
from the North Central Conference
, as a home for their football programs at the 1-AA level in 2004. This conference remained small much like the AWC for its entire existence, ranging from only 5 to 6 football members at any given time. In late 2010, the Big Sky Conference
announced it would add UC Davis and Cal Poly as football-only members, as well as Southern Utah as a full member, thus reuniting these schools with Sacramento State in football. This move effectively dissolved the Great West as a football-sponsoring conference.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1993 to 1996. It consisted of schools in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The charter members of the conference were Cal Poly - SLO, Cal State Northridge, Sacramento State, UC Davis and Southern Utah
Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University, or SUU, is located in Cedar City, Utah. It was founded in 1897 as an extension of the Agricultural College of Utah, by the citizens of Cedar City.During its history, the school has been known as:...
.
The conference comprised schools from the old Western Football Conference
Western Football Conference (US-DII)
The Western Football Conference was an NCAA Division II scholarship-awarding football conference that existed from 1982 to 1993.Among its member schools were:* Santa Clara University* Cal Poly SLO* Cal State Northridge* California Lutheran University...
that had recently made the move from Division II to Division I. The conference was founded on July 15, 1993 as a I-AA football only conference. The members were prompted to move their programs in response to an NCAA ruling barring member institutions from competing in football at a lower level than other sports.
The only commissioner of the American West Conference was Vic Buccola who had been the athletic director at Cal Poly from 1973 to 1981, and commissioner of the Western Football Conference from 1981 to 1992.
1993–94: I-AA football only
UC Davis and Southern Utah would tie for the 1993 AWC football championship with 3–1 records.1994-95
UC Davis left the AWC after the 1993 season, leaving Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal State Northridge, Sacramento State, Southern Utah for the 1994–95 season. In the 1994–95 season, the AWC sponsored men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's track and field, and women's tennis, in addition to football. The AWC didnot have an automatic bid to the NCAA championships since the NCAA requires a conference to have six teams.Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the 1994 AWC football championship.
1995–96
The 1995–96 season was the last season of the AWC. Cal Poly accepted an invitation to the Big West ConferenceBig West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
. Cal State Northridge and Sacramento State accepted invitations to the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
. Southern Utah became an independent until they became members of the Mid-Continent Conference, now called the Summit League, in 1997.
Aftermath
Cal State Northridge left the Big Sky for the Big West in 2001. That year, they operated as a 1-AA independent in football, and in 2002 their football program was dropped.UC Davis made the decision to move up to Division I in 2003, and in 2007 they joined Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly in the Big West.
Former AWC members UC Davis, Cal Poly, and Southern Utah would later found the Great West Football Conference (later renamed the Great West Conference), along with newcomers Northern Colorado
University of Northern Colorado
-Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado...
, North Dakota State
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
, and South Dakota State
South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University is the largest university in the U.S. state of South Dakota, located in Brookings. A public land-grant university and sun grant college, founded under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU offers programs of study required by, or harmonious to, this Act...
from the North Central Conference
North Central Conference
The North Central Conference , also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
, as a home for their football programs at the 1-AA level in 2004. This conference remained small much like the AWC for its entire existence, ranging from only 5 to 6 football members at any given time. In late 2010, the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
announced it would add UC Davis and Cal Poly as football-only members, as well as Southern Utah as a full member, thus reuniting these schools with Sacramento State in football. This move effectively dissolved the Great West as a football-sponsoring conference.