The University of Denver is riding the latest wave of college realignment.
DU is moving from the Summit League to the West Coast Conference in 2026, the university announced Friday. The Pioneers will be a member of the conference in nine sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and volleyball.
The move to the WCC does not affect three of DU’s marquee programs. Hockey will remain in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, gymnastics will remain in the Big 12, and men’s and women’s lacrosse will remain in the Big East. Plus, triathlon will stay independent and DU will announce a conference transition plan for its men’s/women’s swimming and diving programs at a later date.
A move to the WCC fits the bill for DU, a private school, as the league is comprised of private schools on the West Coast. Though Gonzaga, historically the conference’s best basketball school, is leaving for the rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026, the conference is still a step up for the Pioneers in the college athletics landscape.
The Pioneers have belonged to the Summit League since 2013. Prior to that, DU spent a year in the Western Athletic Conference, was in the Sun Belt from 1999-2012, and was independent from 1962-99. Before that, DU was a part of the Mountain States Athletic Conference.
Basketball-wise, the WCC will be a challenge for DU’s men’s basketball team, which struggled to find a consistent footing in the Summit and has never made an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Pioneers begin the 2025-26 season next week under first-year coach Tim Bergstraser, and haven’t had a winning season since 2016-17.
This story will be updated.
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