2025 Conference Champion, NCAA Tournament Team Set to Join New League in 2027
UC Santa Barbara Athletics has accepted an invitation to rejoin the West Coast Conference (WCC) on July 1, 2027, as announced by the league on Friday. With the Gauchos becoming the 12th full-time member and the third newest addition in seven months, the conference will expand to its largest in history.
Welcome to the West Coast Conference, @UCSBathletics 👋
— West Coast Conference (@WCCsports) April 11, 2026
🗒️ https://t.co/Wnl04XpI4K#WeRiseintheWest pic.twitter.com/mLCiFW742Y
“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 in the WCC press release.
"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, which currently competes in the Big West, will find familiarity in the change, having previously served as a WCC member from 1965 to 1969. Existing conference foe UC San Diego announced last September that it will also move to the WCC beginning in July 2027.
Additionally, the University of Denver will make the transition as well, wrapping up its time in the Summit League. The Pioneers are set to take on a WCC slate starting July 1, 2026. With the expansion, WCC school campuses will span from the Pacific Ocean to the Colorado Rockies.
All UC Santa Barbara sports programs, sponsored by the conference, will match up against their new WCC counterparts for the 2027-28 season. Seven men's sports (basketball, soccer, baseball, cross country, tennis, golf, and water polo) and six women's sports (basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, cross country, and tennis) complete the breakdown.
“UC Santa Barbara is recognized as one of the nation’s leading public research universities, delivering an academically rigorous and socially rewarding experience, and committed to excellence,” said UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Dennis Assanis in the WCC press release.
“We are thrilled to join the West Coast Conference, creating broader exposure and visibility for our athletics and academic programs. Sharing our story of success with new audiences will provide expanded opportunities for world-class academic and athletics experiences for our Gaucho community.”
WCC institutions that compete in softball include Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, Seattle U, Oregon State, Loyola Marymount (LMU), San Diego, and Pacific. The league has seen three different regular-season winners in the last three years: Santa Clara (2025), Saint Mary's (2024), LMU (2023).
UC Santa Barbara is coming off its first-ever Big West Championship tournament title in 2025 with legendary Jo Evans at the helm. Through 17 league games of the 2026 campaign, the Gauchos currently rank second in the standings with a conference record of 13-4.
Maddy Lewis was a four-year starting infielder for UC San Diego Softball (2015–19), helping lead the Tritons to two conference championships, a West Region title, and a trip to the Division II National Championship in her senior season. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Communication, where she also wrote for the student newspaper, The Guardian. After college, Maddy spent two years as a Sports Information Director, working closely with the softball, basketball and running programs, deepening her appreciation for the stories behind the stats. She has continued her playing career on the international stage as a member and captain of the Israeli Women’s National Softball Team for the past four years, facing top talent at European Championships, Canada Cups, and the Maccabi Games. Beyond competing, Maddy remains deeply committed to growing the game. She co-hosts the Jewish Softball: More Than A Game podcast, offers private instruction in the Bay Area and has coached teams at the Triple Crown Sports International Challenge and the JCC Maccabi Games. With a passion for storytelling and softball, she is dedicated to giving back to the sport that has shaped her both on and off the field and making an impact on the next generation in any way she can.
Follow maddoglew