The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. It has historically operated in the northwestern United States, but also includes schools in Alaska, Montana, and British Columbia.

The GNAC is the only NCAA conference in any division with a Canadian university as a member.

History The conference formed in 2001 when its original ten members split from the Pacific West Conference.

Chronological timeline 2001 – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) was founded. Charter members included the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, the University of Alaska at Anchorage, Central Washington University, Humboldt State University (now California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt), Northwest Nazarene University, Saint Martin's, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Western Oregon University and Western Washington University, beginning the 2001-02 academic year. 2006 – Humboldt State left the GNAC to join the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) after the 2005-06 academic year. This would result in the GNAC dropping football, with Western Washington and Central Washington becoming football affiliates of the now defunct North Central Conference (NCC) and Western Oregon competing as a D-II Independent. 2007 – Montana State University at Billings joined the GNAC in the 2007-08 academic year. 2008 – Seattle left the GNAC to join the Division I ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-I Independent (who would later join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), beginning the 2012-13 school year) after the 2007–08 academic year. 2008 – Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) joined the GNAC as an affiliate member for football (with Humboldt State returning for that sport) with the 2008 fall season (2008-09 academic year), leading to the GNAC to begin sponsoring football once again. 2010 – Simon Fraser University joined the GNAC in the 2010-11 academic year, becoming the first Canadian institution of higher education. 2012 – Three institutions joined the GNAC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2012 fall season (2012-13 academic year): Azusa Pacific University for football and the University of Mary and the University of Sioux Falls for men's soccer 2013 – South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (South Dakota Mines) joined the GNAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer in the 2013 fall season (2013-14 academic year). 2014 – South Dakota Mines added football to its GNAC affiliate membership in the 2014 fall season (2014-15 academic year). 2015 – South Dakota Mines left the GNAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer after the 2014 fall season (2014-15 academic year). 2015 – Concordia University-Portland joined the GNAC in the 2015-16 academic year. 2016 – Dixie State and South Dakota Mines left the GNAC as affiliate members for football after the 2015 fall season (2015-16 academic year). 2019 – Humboldt State left the GNAC as an affiliate member for football as the school announced it was dropping the sport after the 2018 fall season (2018-19 academic year). 2019 – The University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) and the University of Central Oklahoma (along with Humboldt State returning for that sport), joined the GNAC as affiliate members for women's rowing in the 2020 spring season (2019-20 academic year). 2020 – Concordia-Portland left the GNAC as the school ceased operations after the 2019-20 academic year. 2020 – Azusa Pacific left the GNAC as an affiliate member for football as the school announced it was dropping the sport after the 2020 fall season (2020-21 academic year). 2020 – UC San Diego left the GNAC as an affiliate member for women's rowing after the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year), coinciding with the start of its transition to NCAA Division I. 2022 – Central Washington, Western Oregon and Simon Fraser, the only 3 football-sponsoring schools remaining in the GNAC, announce that they will be joining the Lone Star Conference as football affiliates after the 2021 fall season (2021-22 academic year), bringing an end to the GNAC as a football conference for a second time. 2025 – Simon Fraser announced their intention to pursue membership with Canada's U Sports and the Canada West Universities Athletic Association following the conclusion of the 2026-27 athletic year. 2027 – The University of Jamestown will join the GNAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer in the 2027 fall season (2027-28 academic year).

Member schools Current members The GNAC currently has ten full members, all but three are public schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Anchorage, Alaska 1954 Public 10,687 Seawolves 2001 Fairbanks, Alaska 1917 Public 7,451 Nanooks 2001 Central Washington University Ellensburg, Washington 1891 Public 8,509 Wildcats 2001 Montana State University Billings Billings, Montana 1927 Public 4,129 Yellowjackets 2007 Northwest Nazarene University Nampa, Idaho 1913 Nazarene 1,646 Nighthawks 2001 Saint Martin's University Lacey, Washington 1895 Catholic 1,505 Saints 2001 Seattle Pacific University Seattle, Washington 1891 Free Methodist 2,261 Falcons 2001 Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada 1965 Public 26,776 Red Leafs 2010 Western Oregon University Monmouth, Oregon 1856 Public 3,823 Wolves 2001 Western Washington University Bellingham, Washington 1893 Public 14,700 Vikings 2001

Notes

Affiliate members The GNAC currently has two affiliate members, both are public schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors GNACsport Primaryconference University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Oklahoma 1890 Public 12,554 Bronchos 2019 women's rowing Mid-America (MIAA) Arcata, California 1913 Public 6,045 Lumberjacks 2019 women's rowing California (CCAA)

Notes

Future affiliate members The GNAC will have one new affiliate member, a private school:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joining Colors GNACsport Primaryconference University of Jamestown Jamestown, North Dakota 1883 Presbyterian 1,372 Jimmies 2027 men's soccer Northern Sun (NSIC)

Former members The GNAC had three former full members, all but one were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Currentconference Concordia University-Portland Portland, Oregon 1905 Lutheran LCMS N/A Cavaliers 2015 2020 Closed in 2020 Arcata, California 1913 Public 5,858 Lumberjacks 2001 2006 California (CCAA) Seattle University Seattle, Washington 1891 Jesuit 7,107 Redhawks 2001 2008 West Coast (WCC)

Notes

Former affiliate members The GNAC had seven former affiliate members, all but three were public schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left GNACsport Primaryconference Azusa Pacific University Azusa, California 1899 EvangelicalChristian 7,133 Cougars 2012 2020 football Pacific West (PacWest) Dixie State University 1911 Public 12,556 Red Storm 2008 2016 football Western (WAC) Arcata, California 1913 Public 5,858 Lumberjacks 2006 2019 football California (CCAA) Bismarck, North Dakota 1959 Catholic 3,794 Marauders 2012 2016 men's soccer Northern Sun (NSIC) Sioux Falls, South Dakota 1883 Baptist 1,594 Cougars 2012 2013 men's soccer Northern Sun (NSIC) South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, South Dakota 1885 Public 2,493 Hardrockers 2014 2016 football Rocky Mountain (RMAC) 2013 2015 men's soccer San Diego, California 1960 Public 41,482 Tritons 2019 2020 women's rowing Big West (BWC)

Notes

Membership timeline

Sports sponsored

+ Conference sports Sport Men's Women'sBaseball Basketball Cross Country Golf Rowing Soccer Softball Track & Field Indoor Track & Field Outdoor Volleyball

Men's sponsored sports by school SchoolBaseballBasketballCrossCountryGolfSoccerTrack& FieldIndoorTrack& FieldOutdoorTotalGNACSportsAlaska2Alaska-Anchorage4Central Washington5Montana State-Billings6Northwest Nazarene7Saint Martin's7Seattle Pacific5Simon Fraser6Western Oregon6Western Washington6Totals51010569956

Women's sponsored sports by school SchoolBasketballCrossCountryGolfRowingSoccerSoftballTrack& FieldIndoorTrack& FieldOutdoorVolleyballTotalGNACSportsAlaska3Alaska-Anchorage5Central Washington7Montana State-Billings8Northwest Nazarene8Saint Martin's8Seattle Pacific8Simon Fraser8Western Oregon7Western Washington9Affiliate MembersCal Poly Humboldt1Central Oklahoma1Totals10106487991081

Other sponsored sports by school SchoolMenWomenCo-edFootballIceHockeyLacrosseSwimming& DivingWrestlingGymnasticsSwimming& DivingWrestlingRifleSkiingAlaskaINDPCSCPRCRMISAAlaska AnchorageINDMPSFRMISACentral WashingtonLSCNorthwest NazareneRMACSimon FraserRMACINDRMACRMACWestern OregonLSC

Football champions

Year Champion Conf.Record 2001 Western Washington 2002 Central Washington 2003 Western Washington 2004 Central Washington 2005 Central Washington 2006 Not Sponsored 2007 Not Sponsored 2008 Central Washington 2009 Central Washington

Year Champion Conf.Record 2010 Central Washington 2011 Humboldt State 2012 Central Washington 2013 Azusa Pacific 2014 Azusa Pacific 2015 Humboldt State 2016 Azusa Pacific 2017 Central Washington 2018 Azusa Pacific & Central Washington 2019 Central Washington & Western Oregon 2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Central Washington

Basketball champions

Conference facilities +SchoolBasketball arenaCapacityAlaska FairbanksAlaska Airlines Court1,648Alaska AnchorageAlaska Airlines Center5,000Central WashingtonNicholson Pavilion2,519Montana State - BillingsAlterowitz Gymnasium2,330Northwest NazareneJohnson Sports CenterSaint Martin'sMarcus Pavilion4,960Seattle PacificRoyal Brougham Pavilion2,650Simon FraserWest Gym1,500Western OregonPE Gym2,473Western WashingtonSam Carver Gym2,534

References

External links