A detailed view of the West Coast Conference Tournament championship logo at center court at Orleans Arena. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

West Coast Conference announces additions of three championships

Originally posted on Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI
By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 12:56 PM ET

Following its annual spring meeting, the West Coast Conference announced the addition of conference championships in men's soccer, women's soccer and softball on Monday.

The three championship tournaments will begin with the 2026-27 academic year. The men’s and women’s soccer championship formats will feature four teams, with the highest seed hosting each event. The semifinal matches will be played on Wednesday, followed by the championship match on Saturday, in the lead up to the NCAA selection shows for the Division I tournaments.

Similarly, the WCC's new softball event will be a four-team, double-elimination tournament that will be played during the Thursday-Saturday stretch preceding NCAA selection.

“Following a thorough evaluation of each championship proposal, the membership was aligned in adding championship events in men’s soccer, women’s soccer and softball,” West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson said in a news release. “We look forward to hosting high-caliber championships and are excited for our programs to have the opportunity to compete for a title and secure the conference’s automatic qualification to their respective NCAA championship.”

The Gonzaga women's soccer program finished second in the WCC standings last season, as Santa Clara and Pepperdine tied for first place with 21 total points. The Broncos have been a perennial contender in the WCC as of late, pulling off back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Women’s College Cup in 2020 and 2021. Santa Clara won the title in 2020.

In men's soccer, Portland (2022) and LMU (2023) have advanced to the quarterfinals, while San Diego (2024) has reached the third round of the NCAA Championship in recent years.

Three different WCC softball programs have captured a league title over the last three years. After LMU won in 2023 and Saint Mary’s won outright in 2024, the Gaels and Broncos were co-champions this past season, as the Broncos earned the tiebreaker to secure their first bid to the NCAA Championship.