Northern Pacific Conference (baseball)

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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 Boise State in 2020.

Champions

YearChampionRunner-upMembersNotes
1975 Puget Sound Gonzaga7 [22]
1976 Gonzaga Boise State7 [23]
1977 Portland State Gonzaga7 [24]
1978GonzagaPortland State7 [25]
1979 Portland Portland State7 [26]
1980GonzagaPortland8 [27]
1981Gonzaga (4)E. Washington5 [28] [29]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Idaho, Gonzaga join new baseball circuit". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. June 24, 1974. p. 16.
  2. 1 2 "Portland State, Portland to play in baseball league". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1974. p. 12.
  3. 1 2 Jordan, Jeff (January 19, 1975). "Idea's time has arrived". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 3, sports.
  4. ↑ "Idaho off probation, loop titles dwindle". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 5, 1974. p. 13.
  5. ↑ "Baseball axed in Big Sky". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 29, 1974. p. 15.
  6. ↑ "Vandals boast vets for baseball season". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 12, 1975. p. 13.
  7. ↑ "Baseball: College - Northern Pacific". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). May 1, 1979. p. 25.
  8. ↑ "EWU baseball team joins Nor-Pac league". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). June 6, 1979. p. 1B.
  9. ↑ "Baseball: College - NorPac standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). May 7, 1980. p. B5.
  10. 1 2 "Baseball: Northern Pacific". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (standings). May 16, 1981. p. 13.
  11. ↑ "Boise State drops baseball program". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. May 6, 1980. p. C1.
  12. ↑ Goodwin, Dale (May 13, 1980). "Baseball's 'out' at Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 19.
  13. ↑ Van Sickel, Charlie (May 30, 1981). "Nor-Pac League dead; schools to join Pac-10". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 12.
  14. ↑ "Pac-10 merger confirmed". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). August 14, 1981. p. 24.
  15. ↑ Rodman, Bob (August 14, 1981). "Expanded ND baseball appears ready to roll". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). p. 3B.
  16. ↑ Rodman, Bob (May 7, 1981). "A gloomy day for Ducks' oldest program". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.
  17. ↑ "UO axes baseball, gymnastics". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). May 7, 1981. p. 1C.
  18. ↑ Boling, Dave (May 31, 1990). "Baseball, wrestling to go at EWU". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
  19. ↑ "EWU cuts two sports; audit ends". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). June 19, 1990. p. C1.
  20. ↑ Bergum, Steve (May 3, 1995). "Gonzaga leaving Pac-10 North". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C3.
  21. ↑ "University of Oregon is bringing back baseball". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. July 14, 2007. p. 1B.
  22. ↑ "WSU, UPs picked for NCAA action". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 19, 1975. p. 17.
  23. ↑ "Idaho leaves cellar; Cougs triumph, too". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 12, 1976. p. 37.
  24. ↑ "Northern Pacific baseball final standings". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 9, 1977. p. 19.
  25. ↑ "Warriors in regionals, Zags gain title". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 18, 1978. p. 53.
  26. ↑ "Northern Pacific standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, California). May 10, 1979. p. 42.
  27. ↑ "Zags, Cougs, Bucs first". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 12, 1980. p. 21.
  28. ↑ "Zags bucking big odds tonight". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 22, 1981. p. 21.
  29. ↑ "Northern Pacific final standings". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 19, 1981. p. 19.
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