UCSB Athletics is leaving Big West to join WCC

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -(KEYT) - UC Santa Barbara has called a Monday press conference to announce that the Gauchos are accepting an invitation to join the West Coast Conference.

UCSB will play one more season in the Big West and begin competition in the WCC beginning in the 2027-'28 season.

"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 Chancellor Dennis Assanis. "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."

West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson, UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Dennis Assanis and UC Santa Barbara Arnhold Director of Athletics Kelly Barsky will be at the press conference at 11 a.m. inside the ICA Building.

"This is a transformative moment for UC Santa Barbara Athletics, one that will bring together and excite our campus and community," said Kelly Barsky, The Arnhold Director of Athletics. " We are appreciative of the invitation from the West Coast Conference, and believe this is the right time to join with their expanded West Coast Regional profile and demonstrated academic and athletic excellence. We are grateful for our longstanding history with The Big West Conference, and as we enter into this new chapter both celebrate the history of our Gaucho programs as well as look forward to elevating our exposure, growing our programs and deepening our service to our student-athletes and community."

"We are delighted and honored to welcome UC Santa Barbara into the West Coast Conference," said Christopher Callahan, President of University of the Pacific and Chair of the West Coast Conference Presidents' Council. "UC Santa Barbara brings to the conference athletic excellence and superb academics while preserving our geographic profile, enabling our schools to stay true to the mission of providing superior student-athlete experiences in all of our sports."

"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. "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 pattern that aligns with the conference mission. Our regional expansion has been guided by strengthening our competitive excellence and national exposure, with a continued 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."

(UCSB Athletics provided quotes for this story).