The Northern Pacific Conference (Nor-Pac) was formed for baseball for the 1975 season and comprised the NCAA programs in the Northwest not in the Pacific-8 Conference. [1] [2] [3] The Big Sky Conference had dropped sponsorship of the sport after the 1974 season, [4] [5] and its three remaining baseball programs ( Gonzaga, Idaho, Boise State) joined Portland State, Portland, Seattle U., and Puget Sound. [1] [2] [3] [6] [7] An eighth team, Eastern Washington, was added after the 1979 season. [8] [9] [10]
Idaho and Boise State dropped varsity baseball after the 1980 season, [11] [12] as did Seattle U., and the five-team Nor-Pac played a seventh and final season in 1981. [10] Puget Sound dropped its program and the remaining four (GU, EWU, PSU, UP) joined the Northern division of the Pac-10 (as affiliate members, baseball only) for 1982; [13] [14] [15] Oregon also discontinued baseball after 1981, [16] [17] which had left just three teams ( Washington, Washington State, and Oregon State). In the Pac-10, the champion of the seven-team Northern division met the runner-up of the stronger six-team Southern division in a best-of-three series for the conference's second berth in the NCAA tournament.
Eastern Washington dropped baseball in 1990, [18] [19] and Portland State eight years later; after 1995, Gonzaga and Portland moved their baseball to the West Coast Conference (WCC), where their other sports were. [20] Baseball returned at Oregon in 2009, [21] Seattle U. in 2010, and briefly at Boise State for a pandemic-shortened 2020 season before being eliminated a second time due to a budget reduction..
Year | Champion | Runner-up | Members | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Puget Sound | Gonzaga | 7 | [22] |
1976 | Gonzaga | Boise State | 7 | [23] |
1977 | Portland State | Gonzaga | 7 | [24] |
1978 | Gonzaga | Portland State | 7 | [25] |
1979 | Portland | Portland State | 7 | [26] |
1980 | Gonzaga | Portland | 8 | [27] |
1981 | Gonzaga (4) | E. Washington | 5 | [28] [29] |
The Northern Pacific Conference (Nor-Pac) was formed for baseball for the 1975 season and comprised the NCAA programs in the Northwest not in the Pacific-8 Conference. [1] [2] [3] The Big Sky Conference had dropped sponsorship of the sport after the 1974 season, [4] [5] and its three remaining baseball programs ( Gonzaga, Idaho, Boise State) joined Portland State, Portland, Seattle U., and Puget Sound. [1] [2] [3] [6] [7] An eighth team, Eastern Washington, was added after the 1979 season. [8] [9] [10]
Idaho and Boise State dropped varsity baseball after the 1980 season, [11] [12] as did Seattle U., and the five-team Nor-Pac played a seventh and final season in 1981. [10] Puget Sound dropped its program and the remaining four (GU, EWU, PSU, UP) joined the Northern division of the Pac-10 (as affiliate members, baseball only) for 1982; [13] [14] [15] Oregon also discontinued baseball after 1981, [16] [17] which had left just three teams ( Washington, Washington State, and Oregon State). In the Pac-10, the champion of the seven-team Northern division met the runner-up of the stronger six-team Southern division in a best-of-three series for the conference's second berth in the NCAA tournament.
Eastern Washington dropped baseball in 1990, [18] [19] and Portland State eight years later; after 1995, Gonzaga and Portland moved their baseball to the West Coast Conference (WCC), where their other sports were. [20] Baseball returned at Oregon in 2009, [21] Seattle U. in 2010, and briefly at Boise State for a pandemic-shortened 2020 season before being eliminated a second time due to a budget reduction..
Year | Champion | Runner-up | Members | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Puget Sound | Gonzaga | 7 | [22] |
1976 | Gonzaga | Boise State | 7 | [23] |
1977 | Portland State | Gonzaga | 7 | [24] |
1978 | Gonzaga | Portland State | 7 | [25] |
1979 | Portland | Portland State | 7 | [26] |
1980 | Gonzaga | Portland | 8 | [27] |
1981 | Gonzaga (4) | E. Washington | 5 | [28] [29] |