Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

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Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded1915
CommissionerJennifer Dubow
Sports fielded
  • 21
    • men's: 10
    • women's: 11
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams9
HeadquartersLaguna Niguel, California
RegionSouthern California
Official websitethesciac.org
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) is a college athletic conference that operates in the NCAA's Division III. The conference was founded in 1915 and it consists of twelve small private schools that are located in southern California and organized into nine athletic programs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer are combined teams for sports purposes.

The SCIAC currently sponsors men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball and men's and women's water polo.

History[edit]

SCIAC logo before 2010.

A forerunner conference to the SCIAC was the Intercollegiate Football Association of Southern California, which existed in the 1890s. It included Occidental, Caltech (then called Throop Polytechnic), USC, Chaffey College and Los Angeles High School.

The SCIAC was founded in 1915 with five member schools with the goals to promote amateurism in athletics. The five founding members, all of whom are still members, are Throop College of Technology (now California Institute of Technology), Occidental College, Pomona College, the University of Redlands, and Whittier College. Although all five original charter members are still affiliated with the SCIAC, only two, Occidental and Redlands, have had uninterrupted membership. The acronym SCIAC (standing for Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Council) was in use during 1913 and 1914 until that organization became the CIF Southern Section.[1]

On May 12, 2011, the SCIAC announced that Chapman University would become the ninth member, beginning with the 2011–12 academic year. The addition of Chapman marks the first expansion of the conference since California Lutheran University joined in 1991.[2] At one time, most of the colleges were the southern California affiliates of various Christian sects such as the Quakers and the Presbyterians. Today, only California Lutheran University maintains an affiliation with a church.

There are three former members of the SCIAC: University of California, Los Angeles, San Diego State University and University of California, Santa Barbara. All former members now compete in NCAA Division I athletics.

Chronological timeline[edit]

  • 1915 - The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) was founded. Charter members included Occidental College, Pomona College, the University of Redlands, Throop College of Technology (now California Institute of Technology) and Whittier College, effective beginning the 1915-16 academic year.
  • 1920 - The Southern Branch of the University of California (now the University of California at Los Angeles, or UCLA) joined the SCIAC, effective in the 1920-21 academic year.
  • 1926 - La Verne College (now the University of La Verne) and San Diego State Teachers College (now San Diego State University) joined the SCIAC, effective in the 1926-27 academic year.
  • 1927 - UCLA left the SCIAC, effective after the 1926-27 academic year.
  • 1931 - Santa Barbara State College (now the University of California at Santa Barbara) joined the SCIAC, effective in the 1931-32 academic year.
  • 1934 - Caltech and Pomona left the SCIAC, effective after the 1933-34 academic year.
  • 1938 - La Verne and UC Santa Barbara left the SCIAC, effective after the 1937-38 academic year
  • 1938 - Caltech and Pomona re-joined the SCIAC, effective in the 1938-39 academic year.
  • 1939 - San Diego State left the SCIAC, effective after the 1938-39 academic year.
  • 1943 - Whittier left the SCIAC, effective after the 1942-43 academic year.
  • 1946 - Whittier re-joined the SCIAC, effective in the 1946-47 academic year.
  • 1947 - Claremont Men's College (now Claremont McKenna College) joined the SCIAC, effective in the 1947-48 academic year.
  • 1950 - Chapman College (now Chapman University) joined the SCIAC, effective in the 1950-51 academic year.
  • 1952 - Chapman left the SCIAC, effective after the 1951-52 academic year.
  • 1958 - Claremont combined with Harvey Mudd College for athletics to become Claremont–Mudd, effective in the 1958-59 academic year.
  • 1971 - Pomona combined with Pitzer College for athletics to become Pomona–Pitzer, while La Verne re-joined back to the SCIAC, both effective in the 1971-72 academic year.
  • 1976 - Claremont–Mudd combined with Scripps College for athletics to become Claremont–Mudd–Scripps, effective in the 1976-77 academic year.
  • 1991 - California Lutheran University joined the SCIAC, effective in the 1991-92 academic year.
  • 2011 - Chapman re-joined back to the SCIAC, effective in the 2011-12 academic year.
  • 2020 - Occidental dropped its football program before the start of the 2020 fall season (2020-21 academic year).
  • 2023 - Whittier dropped its football program after the 2022 fall season (2022-23 academic year).

Member schools[edit]

Current member schools[edit]

The SCIAC currently has nine full members, all are private schools:[3]

Institution Location[a] Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Membership Football
California Institute of Technology
(Caltech)
Pasadena 1891 Nonsectarian 2,086[b] Beavers 1915–16 to 1933–34; 1938–39 to present No
California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks 1959 Lutheran ELCA 3,298 Kingsmen &
Regals
1991–92 to present Yes
Chapman University Orange 1861 DoC & UCC 10,001 Panthers 1950–51 to 1951–52; 2011–12 to present Yes
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Claremont McKenna College
Harvey Mudd College
Scripps College
Claremont
1946
1955
1926
Nonsectarian
1,328
746
878
Stags &
Athenas
1976–77 to present
1947–48 to present
1958–59 to present
1976–77 to present
Yes
University of La Verne La Verne 1891 Nonsectarian[c] 1,685 Leopards 1926–27 to 1937–38,
1971–72 to present
Yes
Occidental College Los Angeles 1887 Nonsectarian[d] 1,839 Tigers 1915–16 to present No
Pomona-Pitzer
Pomona College
Pitzer College
Claremont
1887
1963
Nonsectarian

1,690[4]
950
Sagehens 1971–72 to present
1915–16 to 1933–34; 1938–39 to present
1971–72 to present
Yes
University of Redlands Redlands 1907 Nonsectarian[e] 4,400 Bulldogs 1915–16 to present Yes
Whittier College Whittier 1887 Secular[f] 1,540 Poets 1915–16 to 1942–43; 1946–47 to present No
Notes
  1. ^ All cities are located in the State of California.
  2. ^ Including graduate students.
  3. ^ Historically affiliated with the Brethren.
  4. ^ Historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.
  5. ^ Historically affiliated with the American Baptist Churches.
  6. ^ Historically affiliated with the Quakers.

Former member schools[edit]

The SCIAC had three former full members, all were public schools:[3]

Institution Location[a] Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Current
conference
University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA)
Los Angeles 1919 Public 39,271 Bruins 1920–21 1926–27 Pac-12
(NCAA D-I)
San Diego State University San Diego 1897 31,303 Aztecs 1926–27 1938–39 Mountain West
(NCAA D-I)
University of California, Santa Barbara
(UC Santa Barbara, UCSB)
Santa Barbara 1891 22,850 Gauchos 1931–32 1937–38 Big West
(NCAA D-I)
Notes
  1. ^ All cities were located in the State of California.

Membership timeline[edit]

California Lutheran UniversityChapman UniversityChapman UniversityClaremont CollegesClaremont CollegesClaremont McKenna CollegeUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of La VerneUniversity of La VerneSan Diego State UniversityUniversity of California, Los AngelesWhittier CollegeWhittier CollegeUniversity of RedlandsPitzer CollegePomona CollegePomona CollegeOccidental CollegeCalifornia Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of Technology

All-sports champions[edit]

[5]

Year Overall Champion
2021–22 Pomona-Pitzer
2020–21 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019–20 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2018–19 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2017–18 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2016–17 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2015–16 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2014–15 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2013–14 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2012–13 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2011–12 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2010–11 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2009–10 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2008–09 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2007–08 Redlands
2006–07 Redlands
2005–06 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2004–05 Redlands
2003–04 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2002–03 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2001–02 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2000–01 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1999–2000 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1998–99 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1997–98 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1996–97 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1995–96 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1994–95 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1993–94 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1992–93 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1991–92 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1990–91 Pomona-Pitzer
1989–90 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1988–89 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1987–88 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1986–87 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1985–86 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1984–85 Occidental
1983–84 Occidental
1982–83 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1981–82 Pomona-Pitzer
1980–81 Pomona-Pitzer
1979–80 Pomona-Pitzer
1978–79 Occidental
1977–78 Pomona-Pitzer
1976–77 Pomona-Pitzer
1975–76 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1974–75 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
1973–74 Redlands
1972–73 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "CIF History — Sports on the Side". Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  2. ^ "Chapman University Welcomed as the Ninth Member of the SCIAC". May 12, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "History of SCIAC". Sciac. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  4. ^ "Student Body". Pomona College. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "Pomona-Pitzer Claims SCIAC All-Sports Combined Trophy". May 18, 2022.

External links[edit]