Seattle University to Join West Coast Conference in 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Finney, Associate AD for Strategic Communications
206-445-2237 |  finneysa@seattleu.edu

SEATTLE—Seattle University has accepted an invitation to join the West Coast Conference (WCC) beginning July 1, 2025, President Eduardo Peñalver announced Friday.

“I am thrilled to share that Seattle University will be joining the West Coast Conference,” Peñalver said. “This is an exciting moment for our student athletes, alumni and university that places SU in excellent position for the future in the rapidly changing world of college sports. We are especially well-aligned with the WCC and its member schools from an academic, athletics and geographic standpoint.” 

The acceptance into the WCC is a homecoming of sorts, reuniting Seattle University with fellow West Coast Jesuit and Catholic universities with whom the university has forged deep institutional ties over many decades.

“We are excited to return home to the West Coast Conference,” said Director of Athletics Shaney Fink. “Our student athletes will receive an unparalleled experience, reaping the rewards of competing against talented peers at mission-aligned universities within a tight geographic footprint.”

"This is a monumental day for the West Coast Conference and our membership as we welcome Seattle University back to the WCC,” said WCC Commissioner Stu Jackson. “The WCC Presidents’ Council is committed to further positioning the West Coast Conference among the nation’s premier NCAA Division I conferences. With the leadership of President Eduardo Peñalver and Director of Athletics Shaney Fink, Seattle is well-positioned to thrive. The Conference expands its footprint in the Pacific Northwest and visibility nationally with the addition of one of the nation’s top media markets. Seattle is an important part of the Conference’s history, and we are thrilled for their return to the WCC.”

In 1971, after decades of success as a Major Independent (non-conference affiliated), Seattle University joined fellow West Coast Jesuit universities Loyola Marymount University, Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco as a member of the WCC (known at the time as the West Coast Athletic Conference). The conference went on to expand its membership to include fellow Jesuit institution Gonzaga University and fellow West Coast Catholic universities the University of Portland and the University of San Diego.

Seattle University withdrew from the WCC and NCAA Division I in 1981, returning to NCAA Division I in 2008 and joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 2012. Seattle University will remain in the WAC through the 2024-25 year, officially ending its 12-year tenure on June 30, 2025.

“We are grateful for our membership in the WAC and for the outstanding competitive experience,” said Peñalver.

More information will become available in the coming months regarding conference membership plans for Redhawk programs not sponsored by the WCC.

In addition to Seattle University’s invitation, the WCC has also added Grand Canyon University to its conference membership. The two additions give the WCC 11 full members beginning in 2025-26. Oregon State and Washington State will compete as affiliate members in 12 sports for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.