A NEW DAY IS DAWNING FOR THE
In 2010, the league announced that the University of Hawai’i would become a full-fledged member beginning with the 2012-13 academic year. In 2011, the Big West took another significant step with the addition of San Diego State for 2013-14. “The first big thing was when we moved into the Honda Center for the league basketball tournament,” said UCSB Director of Athletics Mark Massari. “Then we added Hawai’i and a year later, San Diego State. The Big West has scored a big trifecta. Those two schools have very good brands and will only serve to lift the visibility of the conference.” “The Big West Conference’s success at attracting both Hawai‘i and San Diego State is due to its strong stability, especially during a very unstable period of national conference realignment,” said Dr. F. King Alexander, the President of Long Beach State and Chair of the Big West Board of Directors. “SDSU will bring to the Big West a very large market adding to the national standing of the conference. They are a very good university with a rich history and will fit in very well with the other 10 strong institutions.” Both San Diego State and Hawai’i bring strong and balanced all-around athletics programs into the Big West. Hawai’i is a traditional power in baseball, women’s volleyball, softball and women’s water polo. The Aztecs are outstanding in many sports, but it is their emergence in men’s basketball over the last several years that is most notable. “(Coach) Steve Fisher has built a national level program in San Diego,” said UCSB head coach Bob Williams. “They are getting top-level recruits and consistently beating top-level competition. Their addition to the league is a major one.” “We are extremely excited about joining the Big West Conference,” said SDSU President Dr. Elliot Hirshman. “The Big West provides extraordinary opportunities for our student‐athletes, coaches and staff, alumni and supporters and the entire community.” “The Big West is a great fit for San Diego State geographically, academically and athletically,” Aztec Director of Athletics Jim Sterk said. For San Diego State, joining the Big West is like coming home. The Aztecs were one of the original members of the conference when it was known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. Hawai’i was part of the league on the women’s side for a number of years in the late 1980s through the early1990s. This will mark the first time Hawai’i has had its men’s programs in the league. 38 • DARE Summer 2012
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL