Great Northwest Athletic Conference

The Great Northwest Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association 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.

WWW gnacsports.com

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 was founded. Charter members included the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, the University of Alaska at Anchorage, Central Washington University, Humboldt State University, 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 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 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 as an [NCAA NCAA Division I|Division I independent schools|NCAA D-I Independent] after the 2007–08 academic year.
2008 – Dixie State University joined the GNAC as an affiliate member for football with the 2008 fall season, 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 :
* 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 joined the GNAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer in the 2013 fall season.
2014 – South Dakota Mines added football to its GNAC affiliate membership in the 2014 fall season.
2015 – South Dakota Mines left the GNAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer after the 2014 fall season.
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.
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.
2019 – The University of California San Diego and the University of Central Oklahoma, joined the GNAC as affiliate members for women's rowing in the 2020 spring season.
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 – UC San Diego left the GNAC as an affiliate member for women's rowing after the 2020 spring season, 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, 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.

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	GNAC sport	Primary conference
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:

Former members

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

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Current conference
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	GNAC sport	Primary conference
Azusa Pacific University	Azusa, California	1899	Evangelical Christian	7,133	Cougars	2012	2020	football	Pacific West (PacWest)
Dixie State University		1911	Public	12,556	Red Storm	2008	2016	football	Western (WAC) (Big Sky
	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)
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology	Rapid City, South Dakota	1885	Public	2,493	Hardrockers	2013	2015	men's soccer	Rocky Mountain (RMAC)
	San Diego, California	1960	Public	41,482	Tritons	2019	2020	women's rowing	Big West (BWC) (West Coast (WCC)

;Notes:

Membership timeline

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id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
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bar:2 color:FullxF from:07/01/2001 till:end text:Alaska–Anchorage
bar:3 color:Full from:07/01/2001 till:06/30/2006 text:Central Washington
bar:3 color:FullxF from:07/01/2006 till:06/30/2008
bar:3 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:06/30/2021
bar:3 color:FullxF from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:4 color:Full from:07/01/2001 till:06/30/2006 text:Humboldt State
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bar:4 color:AssocF from:07/01/2008 till:06/30/2019 text:CCAA
bar:4 color:AssocOS from:07/01/2019 till:01/25/2022
bar:4 color:AssocOS from:01/26/2022 till:end text:Cal Poly Humboldt
bar:5 color:FullxF from:07/01/2001 till:end text:Northwest Nazarene
bar:6 color:FullxF from:07/01/2001 till:end text:Saint Martin's
bar:7 color:FullxF from:07/01/2001 till:06/30/2008 text:Seattle
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bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:07/01/2012 till:06/30/2025 text:WAC
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:07/01/2025 till:end text:WCC
bar:8 color:FullxF from:07/01/2001 till:end text:Seattle Pacific
bar:9 color:Full from:07/01/2001 till:06/30/2006 text:Western Oregon
bar:9 color:FullxF from:07/01/2006 till:06/30/2008
bar:9 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:06/30/2021
bar:9 color:FullxF from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:10 color:Full from:07/01/2001 till:06/30/2006 text:Western Washington
bar:10 color:FullxF from:07/01/2006 till:06/30/2008
bar:10 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:06/30/2009
bar:10 color:FullxF from:07/01/2009 till:end
bar:11 color:FullxF from:07/01/2007 till:end text:Montana State–Billings
bar:12 color:AssocF from:07/01/2008 till:06/30/2016 text:Dixie State
bar:13 color:Full from:07/01/2010 till:06/30/2021 text:Simon Fraser
bar:13 color:FullxF from:07/01/2021 till:06/30/2027
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:07/01/2027 till:end text:Canada West
bar:14 color:AssocF from:07/01/2012 till:06/30/2020 text:Azusa Pacific
bar:15 color:AssocOS from:07/01/2012 till:06/30/2016 text:Mary
bar:16 color:AssocOS from:07/01/2012 till:06/30/2013 text:Sioux Falls
bar:17 color:AssocOS from:07/01/2013 till:06/30/2015 text:South Dakota Mines
bar:17 color:AssocF from:07/01/2015 till:06/30/2016
bar:18 color:FullxF from:07/01/2015 till:06/30/2020 text:Concordia–Portland
bar:19 color:AssocOS from:07/01/2019 till:end text:Central Oklahoma
bar:20 color:AssocOS from:07/01/2019 till:06/30/2020 text:UC San Diego
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<#

*

Sports sponsored

Sport	Men's	Women's
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Golf
Rowing
Soccer
Softball
Track & Field Indoor
Track & Field Outdoor
Volleyball

Football champions

Year	Champion	Conf. Record
2001	Western Washington	3-0
2002	Central Washington	3-0
2003	Western Washington	3-0
2004	Central Washington	5-1
2005	Central Washington	6-0
2006	Not Sponsored	N/A
2007	Not Sponsored	N/A
2008	Central Washington	8-0
2009	Central Washington	6-0

Year	Champion	Conf. Record
2010	Central Washington	7-1
2011	Humboldt State	7-1
2012	Central Washington	7-3
2013	Azusa Pacific	9-1
2014	Azusa Pacific	6-0
2015	Humboldt State	6-0
2016	Azusa Pacific	8-0
2017	Central Washington	8-0
2018	Azusa Pacific & Central Washington	7-1
2019	Central Washington & Western Oregon	5-1
2020	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	N/A
2021	Central Washington	4-0