The Northwest Conference (NWC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in the states of Oregon and Washington. It was known as the Pacific Northwest Conference from 1925 to 1984.
History
The original Northwest Conference was formed on February 8, 1908 when Whitman College invited the other leading educational institutions of the Northwest to form an athletic conference. The resulting conference placed small, private Whitman College alongside the five large, public, state universities of and agricultural colleges of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
In 1915, Washington, Oregon, and Oregon Agricultural joined with California to form the Pacific Coast Conference but continued to hold dual-membership in the Northwest Conference. Over the next several years, the PCC added more large schools from the Northwest and California. The Northwest Conference likewise expanded by adding Montana, Willamette, Pacific, and Gonzaga.
This two-conference situation lasted until December 1925. At the annual dual meeting of the Northwest Conference and Pacific Coast Conference schools, the large colleges and universities announced they would continue solely in the PCC. At the same time, the smaller colleges announced that they had already organized into a new conference, adding members and retaining the name and eligibility requirements of the prior Northwest Conference. Officials of both conferences "emphasized the fact that the move was entirely harmonious and for mutual advantage." Only Gonzaga was left without a conference.
The charter members of the new Northwest Conference included Willamette University, Pacific University, Whitman College, the College of Puget Sound (now the University of Puget Sound), Linfield College (now Linfield University), and the College of Idaho. In 1931, Albany College joined, left in 1938, and re-joined in 1949 using its present name of Lewis & Clark College. Pacific Lutheran University was added in 1965, and Whitworth University in 1970. In 1978, the College of Idaho dropped out of the conference. Whitworth also left in 1984, but then returned in 1988. In 1996, George Fox University joined when the conference moved to the NCAA and Puget Sound re-joined in that same year since 1948. From 2006 to 2010, Menlo College was also a part of the conference as an associate member in football.
For 60 years, the NWC sponsored sports exclusively for men, but in 1984 it joined with the Women's Conference of Independent Colleges to become the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges, shortening the name to its current moniker in 1996 when it joined the NCAA.
The College of Idaho reinstated its football program in 2014 after a 37-year hiatus and joined the Frontier Conference for football. College of Idaho is now a member of the NAIA's Cascade Collegiate Conference for other sports. Whitworth left the NWC in 1984 but returned in 1988. George Fox University and Seattle University joined the conference in 1997. Seattle dropped out again in 1999 to become members of NCAA Division II. Menlo College joined the conference in 2005 as a football-only member.
Chronological timeline 1925 – The NWC was founded as the Pacific Northwest Conference (PNWC). Charter members include the College of Idaho, Linfield College, Pacific University, the College of Puget Sound, Whitman College and Willamette University, beginning the 1925–26 academic year. 1931 – Albany College (now Lewis & Clark College) joined the PNWC in the 1931–32 academic year. 1938 – Lewis & Clark left the PNWC after the 1937–38 academic year. 1948 – Puget Sound left the PNWC after the 1947–48 academic year. 1949 – Lewis & Clark rejoined the PNWC in the 1949–50 academic year. 1965 – Pacific Lutheran College (now Pacific Lutheran University) joined the PNWC in the 1965–66 academic year. 1970 – Whitworth College (now Whitworth University) joined the PNWC in the 1970–71 academic year. 1978 – The College of Idaho left the PNWC after the 1977–78 academic year. 1984: Whitworth left the PNWC after the 1983–84 academic year. The PNWC merged with the Women's Conference of Independent Colleges (WCIC) to become the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges (NCIC), therefore adding women's sports in the conference, beginning the 1984–85 academic year. 1988 – Whitworth rejoined the NCIC in the 1988–89 academic year. 1995 – George Fox College (now George Fox University) joined the NCIC in the 1995–96 academic year. 1996: Puget Sound rejoined the NCIC in the 1996–97 academic year. The NCIC has rebranded its name to become the Northwest Conference (NWC), beginning the 1996–97 academic year. The NWC has joined full membership in the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) after years spent in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), beginning the 1996–97 academic year. 1997 – Seattle University joined the NWC in the 1997–98 academic year. 1999 – Seattle left the NWC to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Pacific West Conference (PacWest) after the 1998–99 academic year. 2006 – Menlo College joined the NWC as an associate member for football in the 2006 fall season (2006–07 academic year). 2011 – Menlo left the NWC as an associate member for football after the 2010 fall season (2010–11 academic year). 2017 – Mills College joined the NWC as an associate member for women's rowing for the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year) 2022 - Mills left the NWC as an associate member for women's rowing after the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year); as the school merged with Northeastern University and put their athletics programs on hold.
Member schools Current members The NWC currently has nine full members, all are private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Football? George Fox University Newberg, Oregon 1885 Quakers 4,039 Bruins 1996 Yes Lewis & Clark College Portland, Oregon 1867 Nonsectarian 2,205 River Otters 1931;1949 Yes Linfield University McMinnville, Oregon 1858 Baptist 1,755 Wildcats 1926 Yes Pacific University Forest Grove, Oregon 1849 United Church of Christ 3,589 Boxers 1926 Yes Pacific Lutheran University Parkland, Washington 1890 Lutheran ELCA 3,100 Lutes 1965 Yes University of Puget Sound Tacoma, Washington 1888 United Methodist 2,600 Loggers 1926;1996 Yes Whitman College Walla Walla, Washington 1859 Nonsectarian 1,544 Blues 1926 No Whitworth University Spokane, Washington 1890 Presbyterian 2,220 Pirates 1970;1988 Yes Willamette University Salem, Oregon 1842 Methodist Mission 2,402 Bearcats 1926 Yes
Notes
Former members The NWC had two former full members, both were private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Colors Currentconference College of Idaho Caldwell, Idaho 1891 Presbyterian 1,042 Yotes 1926 1978 Cascade (CCC) Seattle University Seattle, Washington 1891 Catholic 7,755 Redhawks 1997 1999 West Coast (WCC)
Notes
Former associate members The NWC had two former associate members, both were private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Colors Currentconference NWCsport Menlo College Atherton, California 1927 Nonsectarian 750 Oaks 2006 2011 Pacific West (PacWest) Football Mills College Oakland, California 1852 Nonsectarian 1,345 Cyclones 2017 2022 N/A Women's rowing Notes
Membership timeline
Sports
The Northwest Conference sponsors championship competition in nine men's and 11 women's NCAA sanctioned sports. +Teams in the Northwest Conference competitionSportMen'sWomen'sBaseball9–Basketball99Cross country99Football8–Golf99Lacrosse–8Soccer99Softball–8Swimming99Tennis88Track and field99Volleyball–9Rowing–4
McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy Each year the NWC awards one of its member institutions the NWC McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy, based on a points system. The award is named in honor of Jane McIlroy, former athletic director of Linfield (1950-82), and John Lewis of Willamette (1947-72).
In each sport, the conference champion is awarded 18 points, second place is awarded 16 points, and so on. The school with the most points at the conclusion of the academic year wins the trophy. Football, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, men's baseball, women's softball, and men's and women's track and field are the 18 sports in which points are awarded.
Whitworth have won the award 16 times, more than any other school. Pacific Lutheran have won the trophy 15 times, Linfield has won the trophy three times while Puget Sound and George Fox have won it twice. +McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy winnersYearInstitution2026Whitworth2025Whitworth2024Whitworth2023George Fox2022George Fox2021No trophy awarded2020No trophy awarded2019Whitworth2018Whitworth2017Whitworth2016Whitworth2015Whitworth2014Whitworth2013Whitworth2012Whitworth2011Whitworth2010Whitworth2009Whitworth2008Whitworth2007Puget Sound2006Puget Sound2005Whitworth2004Linfield2003Linfield2002Pacific Lutheran2001Linfield2000Pacific Lutheran1999Pacific Lutheran1998Pacific Lutheran1997Pacific Lutheran1996Pacific Lutheran1995Pacific Lutheran1994Willamette1993Pacific Lutheran1992Pacific Lutheran1991Pacific Lutheran1990Pacific Lutheran1989Pacific Lutheran1988Pacific Lutheran1987Pacific Lutheran1986Pacific Lutheran
National championships YearSportInstitutionLocationAssociation/Division2023Women's GolfGeorge FoxHowey-in-the-Hills, FloridaNCAA Division III2018Women's Track & FieldGeorge FoxLa Crosse, WisconsinNCAA Division III (Co-Champions with UMass Boston)2013BaseballLinfieldAppleton, WisconsinNCAA Division III2012SoftballPacific LutheranSalem, VirginiaNCAA Division III2011SoftballLinfieldSalem, VirginiaNCAA Division III2009Women's BasketballGeorge FoxHolland, MichiganNCAA Division III2007SoftballLinfieldSalem, VirginiaNCAA Division III2004FootballLinfieldSalem, VirginiaNCAA Division III2004BaseballGeorge FoxAppleton, WisconsinNCAA Division III1999FootballPacific LutheranSalem, VirginiaNCAA Division III1999Women's SwimmingPuget SoundFederal Way, WashingtonNAIA1998Women's SwimmingPuget SoundFederal Way, WashingtonNAIA1997Men's SoccerSeattleBirmingham, AlabamaNAIA1997Men's SwimmingPuget SoundFederal Way, WashingtonNAIA1996Men's SwimmingPuget SoundSan Antonio, TexasNAIA1996Women's SwimmingPuget SoundSan Antonio, TexasNAIA1995Men's SwimmingPuget SoundSan Antonio, TexasNAIA1995Women's Cross CountryPuget SoundKenosha, WisconsinNAIA1994Women's Cross CountryPuget SoundKenosha, WisconsinNAIA1993FootballPacific LutheranPortland, OregonNAIA Division II1993Women's Cross CountryPuget SoundKenosha, WisconsinNAIA1993VolleyballPuget SoundSan Diego, CaliforniaNAIA1993Men's BasketballWillametteNampa, IdahoNAIA Division II1992Women's Cross CountryPuget SoundKenosha, WisconsinNAIA1992SoftballPacific LutheranPensacola, FloridaNAIA1991Women's SoccerPacific LutheranBoca Raton, FloridaNAIA1990Women's SwimmingPuget SoundCanton, OhioNAIA1989Women's SoccerPacific LutheranDue West, South CarolinaNAIA1989Women's SwimmingPuget SoundBrown Deer, WisconsinNAIA1988Women's Cross CountryPacific LutheranKenosha, WisconsinNAIA1988Women's SoccerPacific LutheranAbilene, TexasNAIA1988SoftballPacific LutheranPensacola, FloridaNAIA1987FootballPacific LutheranTacoma, WashingtonNAIA Division II1986FootballLinfieldMcMinnville, OregonNAIA Division II1984FootballLinfieldMcMinnville, OregonNAIA Division II1982FootballLinfieldMcMinnville, OregonNAIA Division II1980FootballPacific LutheranTacoma, WashingtonNAIA Division II1971BaseballLinfieldPhoenix, ArizonaNAIA1966BaseballLinfieldSt. Joseph, MissouriNAIA1960BaseballWhitworth†Sioux City, IowaNAIA † - Whitworth was not a member of the NWC until 1970.
Football champions
1926 – College of Idaho 1927 – College of Idaho 1928 – Whitman