IRVINE, Calif. – A discussion of the issues underpinning the transformation of intercollegiate athletics highlighted The Big West annual fall meeting, held December 6-8 in Irvine, Calif. Adding Big West women's volleyball, softball and baseball championships and reinstituting a 20-game men's and women's basketball scheduling model were also approved by the Big West Board of Directors.

The 11 CEOs of Big West institutions constitute the Big West Board of Directors. The meeting was chaired by Framroze Virjee, President of Cal State Fullerton.

"We had a very productive series of meetings at a very dynamic moment in time in the development of intercollegiate athletics," Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said. "Thanks to the leadership of our Council and Board of Directors, The Big West is stronger, more competitive and well-informed for the transformative changes to come."

NCAA Transformation                                  
The Council and Board of Directors examined the future direction of intercollegiate athletics nationally through the work of the NCAA Transformation Committee and The Big West's position within a new paradigm. The Board prioritized academic progress, student-athlete engagement inclusive of championship experiences, student-athlete involvement in the governance process, a focus on the overall physical and mental health, safety and well-being of all student-athletes and its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Board also reaffirmed its position that all Division I conferences shall be represented on the NCAA DI Board of Directors moving forward.

Addition of Big West Championships        
The Board of Directors approved the addition of three new Big West championships which will provide all 19 Big West sports with a post-season championship by 2025.

• Beginning in 2023, Big West women's volleyball teams will play an 18-game conference schedule beginning leading to a six-team championship in late November. The championship tournament will be hosted by Long Beach State its first year. Future championship locations will be announced later.
• The inaugural Big West softball championship will be a six-team, double-elimination event in early May of 2025. The championship location will be announced later.
• The Board affirmed the addition of a Big West baseball championship as early as 2025. This event will make The Big West the final NCAA Division I conference to hold a postseason baseball championship. The baseball championship format and location will be announced by the spring of 2023.

"Adding championships in women's volleyball, softball and baseball is a tremendously exciting move for The Big West," Butterly noted. "Expanding opportunities for our student-athletes to compete for Big West and NCAA championships is a positive step in improving the overall student-athlete experience in The Big West."

Men's & Women's Basketball Scheduling 
In the 2022 spring meetings, the Board agreed to institute an 18-game schedule in men's and women's basketball beginning with the 2023-24 season, thereby allowing The Big West to take part in "Wild Card Week", a national non-conference wildcard scheduling initiative.

Since the Wild Card Week concept did not come to fruition, The Big West will keep a 20-game conference schedule for men's and women's basketball in 2023-24, with the season beginning after December 25, 2023.

"A 20-game conference season allows The Big West to complete a true round-robin schedule heading into The Big West Basketball Championships," Butterly said. "While The Big West was fully supportive of the national non-conference scheduling idea, having two additional conference games will provide our fans access to the historic rivalries and traditions that The Big West was built upon."

The 2024 Big West Basketball Championships will be played at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev. on March 12-16, 2024. The 2024 Big West Basketball Championships will include 20 men's and women's teams.

About The Big West                                
The Big West is an NCAA Division I member with 11 members unified in empowering every student-athlete in competition and in life and uniting its university communities through championship experiences. Formed in 1969, The Big West membership consists of Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Hawai'i, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. The Big West is united in the pursuit of boundless opportunities, enduring integrity, bold activism, fearless innovation and the pacific spirit of freedom, exploration and progress.

The Big West sponsors 18 sports at the NCAA Division I level: baseball, softball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball, women's beach volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field and women's water polo, with men's water polo set to become the 19th conference-sponsored sport in 2023-24. For more information, visit BigWest.org or follow The Big West on Twitter @BigWestSports.