WCC officially announces UC San Diego as newest member

The Tritons will begin competing in the WCC in 2027-28

Mar 23, 2024; Spokane, Washington, USA; The West Coast Conference (WCC) logo on the court at McCarthey Athletic Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One day after it was reported that the two sides were finalizing details, the West Coast Conference announced UC San Diego will join the league starting July 1, 2027.

“This is a monumental day for the West Coast Conference,” said University of the Pacific President and Chair of the West Coast Conference Presidents’ Council, Christopher Callahan. “Under the leadership of Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, UC San Diego is a thriving institution and its recent transition to NCAA Division I competition is a national success story. I applaud Commissioner Stu Jackson, the Presidents’ Council and University of San Diego President James T. Harris for their outstanding efforts to identify expansion opportunities that bring great value and further position the West Coast Conference as a premier league.”

UC San Diego becomes the first public institution to join the WCC since 1979, when Nevada departed for the Big Sky. The Tritons will compete in 14 of the WCC's 16 sponsored sports: men's and women's basketball, soccer, volleyball, cross country, tennis, and rowing, as well as men's water polo, men's baseball, and women's softball.

This move gets the WCC back up to ten member schools in 2027-28 after the departure of Gonzaga and affiliate members Oregon State and Washington State, which will drop the conference to just nine schools for the 2026-27 athletic year.

It also adds a quality basketball brand to the league, much needed to keep the conference relevant after Gonzaga leaves for the Pac-12. UC San Diego went 30-5 last year under coach Eric Olen, earning a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament and nearly toppling No. 5 seed Michigan in the first round.

UCSD became the first school to have both its men's and women's basketball teams make the NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility following a five-year transition to the D1 level.

“We are excited to join the West Coast Conference, propelling our Triton scholar-athletes to new heights of excellence alongside top-tier teams in a range of sports and advancing our long-term strategic vision,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “This move expands our reach across major West Coast metropolitan areas, amplifying our audience, media coverage and national presence. Plus, we’re excited to compete against cross-town rivals, the University of San Diego Toreros, ensuring that local fans can cheer on our San Diego teams in a variety of sports every year."

Gonzaga will compete in the WCC for the rest of the 2025-26 season before joining the new-look Pac-12 on July 1, 2026, alongside Oregon State, Washington State, Texas State, and five former Mountain West schools: Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, and Fresno State.