DENVER – The University of Denver has accepted a formal invitation to join the West Coast Conference (WCC) beginning in the 2026-27 academic year (July 1, 2026), DU and the conference office announced on Friday.
“This is an exciting day for the University of Denver and an incredible opportunity to continue to advance our exceptional academic and athletic programs,” DU Chancellor Jeremy Haefner said. “The excellence of schools that are part of the West Coast Conference is a perfect complement to DU and will help us continue to recruit the very best students and faculty.”
In addition to the institutional alignment as the university’s primary conference home, Denver’s nine athletic programs that will be joining the West Coast Conference are 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 women’s volleyball. A conference transition plan for Denver’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs is in place and will be announced at a later date.
DU’s move does not impact the conference affiliations for Denver’s hockey (NCHC), gymnastics (Big 12), men’s and women’s lacrosse (BIG EAST) or the men’s and women’s skiing (RMISA) programs. Denver triathlon will stay independent as an NCAA-emerging sport.
🎙️”YES SIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRR”
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗗𝗮𝘆 as @UofDenver is headed to @WCCsports
✍️: https://t.co/28D0edgGpt#DU2WCC | #GoPios pic.twitter.com/DGVT8NjxEK— Denver Athletics (@DU_Pioneers) October 31, 2025
The West Coast Conference now sits at 10 full members in 2026-27 with the addition of DU and will add an 11th when the University of California San Diego begins play in the West Coast Conference in 2027-28. Denver will join current full-time members Loyola Marymount University, University of the Pacific, Pepperdine University, University of Portland, Saint Mary’s College, University of San Diego, University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University and Seattle University.
“In the University of Denver, the West Coast Conference adds a geographically-aligned, perennial top performer among the winningest non-football athletic programs in the nation,” West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson said. “Denver’s commitment to elevate men’s and women’s basketball to a level which matches its nationally recognized success in other sports, while maintaining a focus on student-athlete development and experiences, is among the foundational pillars to this expansion. Their multi-year basketball growth plan shows an intentional focus that meets our basketball-centric identity. The Conference also values the addition of another large metropolitan area and top media market which will broaden our reach and deliver greater opportunity for our membership. The vision of Chancellor Jeremy Haefner and Vice Chancellor for Athletics Josh Berlo to strategically invest in its programs and compete at the highest level aligns with our mission as a premier basketball conference.
“As we welcome the University of Denver to the West Coast Conference, we continue our charge in expansion with the addition of two members in the past 58 days,” Jackson added. “This is our next step in expansion. We will continue to identify opportunities that expand our reach and better position us for additional NCAA bids.”
Who’s excited for next year?
The West Coast Conference & @DU_Pioneers are 😤 pic.twitter.com/rwXVVIFKrz
— West Coast Conference (@WCCsports) October 31, 2025
The move provides Denver’s Home For College Sports with a significant enhancement to the overall reputation of the university and brand association, allying DU with highly regarded, mostly private institutions with stronger academic ranking and profiles that will further strengthen the university’s position in the western United States and beyond. This new membership will not only provide an upgraded competitive athletics home for the nine programs set to join the West Coast Conference but will allow DU to collaborate with like-minded institutions outside of athletics in areas such as academic collaborations, research and admissions.
“It has long been the ambition of the University of Denver and its community to further align ourselves with institutional peers in the West and that day has now come as we join the academically and athletically prestigious West Coast Conference,” Vice Chancellor of Athletics and Ritchie Center Operations Josh Berlo said. “I’d like to thank Commissioner Stu Jackson and the institutional leadership of the West Coast Conference for embracing the University of Denver. Joining the conference will position DU with some of the top-ranked private universities in the West and their highly competitive athletics programs, elevate the university’s brand and national reputation through significantly enhanced broadcast exposure and increase the institutional presence in key markets for student recruitment and alumni engagement in the West.
“On behalf of Denver Athletics, I wish to express our deep appreciation to Chancellor Haefner and the Board of Trustees for their leadership and ardent support of this strategic initiative for the University of Denver to further empower Athletics to contribute to the mission of DU.
“While we are excited for the transition ahead, our focus remains on our current holistic student-athlete experience and successful completion of the 2025-26 academic calendar. Lastly, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the entire Summit League membership for an exceptional 13-year tenure with the conference, particularly under Commissioner Josh Fenton’s leadership. We wish them nothing but the best.”
Denver has also finalized plans to install new individual chairback seating in Hamilton Gymnasium in time for next season (2026-27). Full and half season ticket members for Denver men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball will be guaranteed the best seats in Hamilton for the inaugural season in the West Coast Conference. Become a basketball season-ticket member now, and purchase tickets for THIS SEASON HERE.
The Pios are pretty impressive 👏@DU_Pioneers 🤝 #WCCsports pic.twitter.com/M6sKX67umO
— West Coast Conference (@WCCsports) October 31, 2025
DU has active alumni chapters in every West Coast Conference market, including Southern California, the Bay Area and Seattle. California, Washington and Oregon are all in the top-10 states that University of Denver students and alumni call home.
In terms of greater exposure for the University and its athletic programs, the West Coast Conference has national television deals with ESPN and CBS Sports Network and expanded its relationship with ESPN in 2023 to utilize ESPN+ as the exclusive digital home for more than 900 conference events a year. Originally founded in 1952, the West Coast Conference will now be home to seven institutions inside the U.S. World News Report top-120 universities in the country and will include six of the top 30 DMAs (Designated Marketing Areas) in the United States, including Denver’s 17th spot in the rankings.
About the University of Denver:
Founded in 1864, the University of Denver is a private university that empowers students who want to make a difference. Recognized as one of the top research universities in the country, DU has more than 300 academic programs serving about 12,000 graduate and undergraduate students. DU students benefit from an experience on two campuses—in the city and in the mountains — that channels their passions to serve the public good.
About Denver Athletics:
The University of Denver is home to 35 national championships, ranking Denver as the 14th-most prolific national-title winning athletic department in the country. Denver has finished as the highest athletic department without football (DI-AAA) in the Learfield Directors’ Cup Standings 16 of the last 17 academic years. Since the late Daniel L. Ritchie elevated Denver’s entire athletic lineup to Division I in 1998-99, Denver has 95 conference regular season titles, 126 conference tournament titles and has made 208 NCAA Tournament appearances.
About the West Coast Conference:
The West Coast Conference was formed in 1952 and has grown to become a nationally recognized and competitive force in Division I intercollegiate athletics. We Rise in the West with a footprint that represents the western region’s largest metropolitan areas, including Gonzaga, LMU, Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary’s, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Seattle. Across 16 sports, we are fueled by a conviction to achieve our championship goals with strong core values of integrity, respect, collaboration, innovation, and inclusiveness. For more information, visit WCCsports.com and follow the West Coast Conference on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok @WCCsports.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What other schools are in the West Coast Conference?
The West Coast Conference now sits at 10 full members in 2026-27 with the addition of DU and will add an 11th when the University of California San Diego begins play in the conference in 2027-28. Denver will also join current full-time members Loyola Marymount University, University of the Pacific, Pepperdine University, University of Portland, Saint Mary’s College, University of San Diego, University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University and Seattle University.
What is the legacy of the West Coast Conference?
Originally founded in 1952 and with the majority of its current members having joined by the 1970’s, the West Coast Conference is an exceptionally successful and stable league in Division I athletics. They have had a strong NCAA postseason presence in basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, and volleyball.
Which Denver athletic programs will be joining the West Coast Conference?
Denver’s nine athletic programs that will be joining the West Coast Conference in the conference’s existing sports are 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 women’s volleyball. A conference transition plan for Denver’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs is in place and will be announced at a later date.
What does this move mean for Denver’s other athletic programs not joining the West Coast Conference?
DU’s move does not impact the conference affiliations for Denver’s hockey (NCHC), gymnastics (Big 12), lacrosse (BIG EAST) and skiing (RMISA) programs. Triathlon will also remain independent as an NCAA-emerging sport. The benefit of the transition to those programs is a more recognizable University of Denver brand, especially in the western United States.
How do I purchase tickets for DU athletic events in the West Coast Conference?
In addition to the conference transition, Denver has also finalized plans to install new individual chairback seating in Hamilton Gymnasium, which is scheduled to be completed prior to the start of the West Coast Conference era at Denver next summer. Season ticket members (full and half) for Denver men’s and women’s basketball and Denver volleyball in 2025-26 will be guaranteed a renewal option for the best seats in Hamilton for the inaugural season in the West Coast Conference in 2026-27. Not a season ticket member? Purchase basketball tickets for THIS SEASON HERE. You can access all other sports just as you have in the past through the DU Ticket Office.
How will I watch Denver Athletics contests in the West Coast Conference?
The West Coast Conference has national men’s and women’s basketball as well as women’s volleyball television deals with ESPN and CBS Sports Network. All other conference games for men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball will be streamed live on ESPN+.
How does the West Coast Conference fit the University of Denver’s academic mission?
The move contributes to the institution brand and reputation by uniting highly reputable and mostly private institutions that pride themselves on strong academics, research activity, desirable locations, beautiful campuses, accomplished faculty and staff and nation-wide alumni networks. This move will also allow the DU campus to ally with these institutions outside of athletics in areas such as academic collaborations, research and admissions.
Moreover, the West Coast Conference now has nine institutions in the U.S. News and World Report National Rankings with an average ranking of 98 (without Denver, which sits at No. 117), compared to an average Summit League ranking of 243 (without Denver).
From both an academic and athletic standpoint, this is a move that was part of the late Daniel L. Ritchie’s vision when Denver made the transition to Division I in the late 1990s, and we’re confident he would be pleased with today’s announcement.
How do Denver’s athletic programs compare with those in the West Coast Conference?
The West Coast Conference is the premiere non-football conference west of the Mississippi, aligning Denver with the athletic programs it’s competing against for the I-AAA Learfield Directors’ Cup. Denver has finished as the top athletic department without football in 16 of the last 17 seasons and is excited to compete directly against other athletic programs striving for that honor. In seven of the nine sports set to join the West Coast Conference, Denver has played nearly 120 non-conference games against the legacy West Coast Conference athletic departments to date with considerable success.
What is the “Multi-Year Plan” to elevate the men’s and women’s basketball programs in the WCC era?
This is a comprehensive roadmap that is part of our overall Athletics Strategic Plan. A key element of joining a conference that hosts a higher competitive level of basketball, DU will be investing in the program support and facilities for basketball and many other sport programs. The cornerstone of such support will be through philanthropy and revenue generation.
Will Denver Men’s and Women’s Basketball continue to play in Hamilton?
Yes – This conference transition will guarantee several high-profile men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball games in Hamilton Gymnasium every year. The University is committed to utilizing Magness Arena as a high-demand venue for men’s and women’s basketball contests for select games when appropriate, and demand exceeds that of the capacity in Hamilton.
The University of Denver Soccer Stadium continues to be one of the top natural grass playing surfaces in the country, and installed a new videoboard earlier this month, the first for the facility. Denver men’s and women’s tennis will continue to play at the Denver Tennis Park, which opened seven indoor courts and six outdoor courts ahead of the two programs’ 2019 season. Denver will enjoy the benefits of quality athletic facilities in the West Coast Conference and help positively contribute to that portfolio.
Will Denver make any significant upgrades to Hamilton Gymnasium?
As with the entire campus, the athletic facilities are constantly being evaluated and enhanced as possible. As part of the University’s commitment to its facilities, Denver is scheduled to replace and upgrade the more than decade old seating experience in Hamilton Gymnasium with the installation of individual chairback seats in replacement of the current bleacher bench system. The seating replacement is scheduled to be completed in advance of the 2026-27 season, Denver’s first campaign in the West Coast Conference.
How does this conference transition elevate exposure for the University of Denver through athletic competition?
Exposure extends beyond the competition surface; athletics is a pathway into raising the overall profile of the institution from student recruitment and enrollment to overall brand recognition and exposure to the collaboration of academic research driven mindsets to develop leaders of tomorrow.
With the addition of Denver, the West Coast Conference has representation from six of the top 30 DMAs (Designated Marketing Areas) in the country. With these top metropolitan areas, our university presence and overall profile will increase though athletic competition engagement that includes 30-second university commercials to showcase our great institution and drive demand for those who have an interest in pursuing an education in the Rocky Mountain region.
DU has active alumni chapters in every West Coast Conference market, including Southern California, the Bay Area and Seattle. Membership in the West Coast Conference will give alumni the opportunity to unite, foster institutional pride and inspire their support for the University.
Membership in the West Coast Conference will elevate the profile of the Denver Athletics programs that compete in the league. In addition, the West Coast Conference has national basketball television deals with ESPN and CBS Sports Network, and in 2023, expanded its relationship with ESPN to utilize ESPN+ as the exclusive digital home for more than 900 conference events a year. The conference has 43 total linear national television games per year, and West Coast Conference men’s basketball programs are on national TV 57 times across league and non-league games in 2025-26.
ESPN+ is home to 25 million ESPN+ subscribers in Q1 of 2025, and ESPN’s digital platforms reached 112 million unique visitors in March 2025.
How long will Denver be in the West Coast Conference?
The West Coast Conference has been a long sought-after move for the University of Denver for all the academic and athletic benefits listed above, and DU is thrilled to become a fully vested member of the West Coast Conference for the foreseeable future, a conference with one of the most stable memberships dating back to 1952.
