Helena Frye
The West Coast Conference, or WCC, is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. The WCC men's basketball tournament is the annual concluding tournament for the NCAA college basketball in the West Coast Conference. The winner of the tournament each year is guaranteed a place in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for that season. The WCC has helped propel teams like Gonzaga to national prominence, and the WCC tournament has used several formats throughout its history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Form | West Coast Conference |
| Known As | California Basketball Association, West Coast Athletic Conference |
| Type | Collegiate athletic conference |
| Affiliation | NCAA Division I |
| Members | Nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington |
| Member Institutions | Private, faith-based institutions, including Catholic Church and Jesuit affiliates |
| Notable Members | Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, BYU, University of the Pacific |
| Sports | Basketball, soccer, tennis |
| Tournaments | WCC Men's Basketball Tournament, WCC Women's Basketball Tournament |
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What You'll Learn
WCC stands for West Coast Conference
WCC stands for the West Coast Conference, a collegiate athletic conference consisting of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington. It was known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956, then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 when it dropped the word "Athletic" to become the West Coast Conference. The WCC is affiliated with NCAA Division I and is considered a mid-major athletic conference.
The WCC has a rich history in basketball, with San Francisco winning two consecutive national titles in the 1950s and being considered a major basketball power until the early 1980s. The conference has also produced other notable basketball teams and players, including Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga, and Bill Russell of the University of San Francisco, who the "Russell Rule" is named after.
The West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament is the annual concluding tournament for the NCAA college basketball teams in the WCC. The winner of the tournament is guaranteed a place in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for that season. The format of the tournament has evolved over the years to accommodate a growing number of teams, and the games are broadcast nationally on ESPN and ESPN2.
The WCC has also been stable during periods of massive upheaval in conference affiliations. For example, during the upheaval of the 1990s, the WCC remained very stable, with the last change of membership before 2010 occurring in 1980. The WCC has also shown a commitment to diversity, being the first Division I conference to adopt a conference-wide diversity hiring commitment with the "Russell Rule".
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The WCC is a collegiate athletic conference
WCC stands for the West Coast Conference, a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. It consists of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington. All of the current full members are private, faith-based institutions.
The conference was first known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956, playing its first game on January 2, 1953. After two seasons, it expanded to include Los Angeles schools Loyola (now Loyola Marymount) and Pepperdine, becoming the West Coast Athletic Conference in 1956. The name was shortened in 1989, dropping the word "Athletic."
The WCC has a rich history in basketball, with San Francisco winning two consecutive national titles in the 1950s with Bill Russell. Although the conference's stature declined in the 1960s, San Francisco remained a "major" basketball power until the early 1980s.
More recently, Gonzaga has gained recognition as a major basketball power, with 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, the longest streak for any school in the Western United States. They have played for the conference title every year since 1998 and advanced to the national championship game in 2016-17 and 2021.
The WCC men's basketball tournament is the annual concluding tournament for NCAA college basketball in the conference. The winner of the tournament is guaranteed a place in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for that season. The top two seeds receive byes into the semifinals.
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The WCC participates at the NCAA Division I level
The West Coast Conference (WCC) participates at the NCAA Division I level and is considered a mid-major athletic conference. The WCC is a collegiate athletic conference consisting of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington. All current full members are private, faith-based institutions, with seven being Catholic Church affiliates and five of those schools being Jesuit institutions.
The WCC has a rich history in basketball, with San Francisco winning two consecutive national titles in the 1950s with all-time great Bill Russell. The conference has also seen success in men's basketball in recent years, with Gonzaga's rise to national prominence. Gonzaga has been to 23 consecutive NCAA tournaments, the longest streak for any school in the Western United States.
The WCC's annual concluding tournament is the West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament. The winner of this tournament is guaranteed a place in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for that season. The WCC tournament began in 1987 and has used several formats throughout its history. The current format is a traditional 10-team tournament, with seeds 1-6 receiving a bye to the quarterfinals.
The WCC has also shown strength in other sports, such as soccer and tennis, with nine national championships in soccer and five individual champions and one team champion in tennis. The conference has also demonstrated a commitment to diversity, being the first Division I conference to adopt a conference-wide diversity hiring commitment with the "Russell Rule".
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The WCC has a strong history in basketball
WCC stands for the West Coast Conference, a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. It consists of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington. All the current full members are private, faith-based institutions, with seven being Catholic Church affiliates.
Historically, the WCC's strongest sports have been soccer and tennis, but it has also made a significant impact in men's basketball. San Francisco won two consecutive national titles in the 1950s with the all-time great Bill Russell, and was considered a "major" basketball power until the early 1980s. The WCC's stature declined in the 1960s, but it has since made a resurgence, with Loyola Marymount's run to the Elite Eight in 1990, and Gonzaga's rise to national prominence, making the WCC a household name.
Gonzaga has been to 23 consecutive NCAA tournaments, the longest streak for any school in the Western United States, and has played for the WCC conference title every year since 1998. They reached the national championship game in 2016-17, the deepest run by a WCC team since San Francisco's three consecutive Final Fours from 1955 to 1957. Saint Mary's has also made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including a "Sweet Sixteen" finish in 2010.
The WCC men's basketball tournament is the annual concluding tournament for NCAA college basketball in the conference. The winner is guaranteed a place in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for that season. The WCC has a rich history in basketball, with a strong presence at the national level, and a number of notable member schools with successful basketball programs.
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The WCC men's basketball tournament is held annually
WCC stands for the West Coast Conference, a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. It consists of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington, and all current full members are private, faith-based institutions.
The WCC has adopted various formats throughout its history, with seeding based on conference records and tiebreakers. The original format was a standard single-elimination bracket, reseeded after the first round so that the highest and lowest remaining seeds played one another. In 2014, the WCC adopted a new format to include a tenth team (Pacific), with seeds 1-6 receiving a bye to the quarterfinals. The 2019 and subsequent tournaments returned to a format similar to that used from 2003 to 2011, with slight terminology changes for the rounds before the semifinals.
The WCC men's basketball tournament has witnessed notable moments, including Loyola Marymount's run to the Elite Eight in 1990 following the death of Hank Gathers during the tournament. Gonzaga has also gained recognition as a major basketball power, with 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and a consistent presence in WCC tournament finals. Saint Mary's has had notable upsets, including defeating the number 1 ranked Zags squad in the 2019 WCC final and the 2024 WCC Championship game.
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Frequently asked questions
WCC stands for West Coast Conference.
The West Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. It consists of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington.
The WCC was known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956. It then became the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 when the name was shortened by dropping the word "Athletic".
WCC schools have had notable success in basketball. San Francisco won back-to-back national titles in the 1950s, and Gonzaga has gained recognition as a major basketball power, with 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
