2025 Conference Champion, NCAA Tournament Team Set to Join New League in 2027

“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.