Northwest Athletic Conference

Last updated
Northwest Athletic Conference
FormerlyNorthwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges
ConferenceNone
Founded1946;80 years ago (1946)
CommissionerMarco Azurdia
Sports fielded
  • 15
    • men's: 6
    • women's: 7
No. of teams37
Headquarters Longview, Washington, U.S.
Region Pacific Northwest
Official website

The Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC), formerly the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC), is a non-profit two-year college conference for community colleges in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, along with the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Contents

The NWAC, now with 37 members, is the largest community college conference in the United States. It is not affiliated with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), but acknowledges on the NWAC website athletes representing conference schools in the NJCAA wrestling tournament.

History

The NWAC ("En-Wack") was originally formed in 1946 as the Washington State Junior College Athletic Conference (WSJCAC). In 1961, the State Legislature removed a legal roadblock that had barred the establishment of junior colleges in counties with four-year colleges. After the Legislature took action, the number of schools in the WSJCAC nearly doubled. Three years later, the conference was renamed the Washington Athletic Association of Community Colleges (WAACC).

In 1970 the conference admitted its first non-Washington member, Mt. Hood Community College of Gresham, Oregon, which had left the Oregon Community College Athletic Association (OCCAA). At that time, the WAACC became the Northwest AACC, reflecting its two-state membership.

The NWAACC merged with its Oregon counterpart in 1983, resulting in a 26-member circuit stretching from southwestern Oregon to the Canada–US border.

On July 1, 2014, the conference announced that they were becoming the Northwest Athletic Conference. [1]

1946: WSJCAC birth

Although athletic competition between junior colleges existed in the 1930s, the first structured league and championship events in men's sports came in 1946 when the Washington State Junior College Athletic Conference (WSJCAC) was formed. Following the nine charter members, Columbia Basin College joined in 1955.

Initially, the conference offered football, basketball, baseball, tennis, track and golf. In 1963 wrestling was added, followed by cross country in 1965 and soccer in 1974.

The WSJCAC existed without bylaws until the spring of 1948, when Executive Secretary Jim Ennis of Everett JC, Dave DuVall of Skagit Valley and Maury Phipps of Grays Harbor, wrote the conference's original constitution. The document set forth the overall philosophy of the conference's athletic program, and prescribed scholarship limits and grade eligibility requirements.

1963: birth of Oregon's conference

In 1963, five Oregon schools joined to form the Oregon Community College Athletic Association (OCCAA). Charter members were Blue Mountain, Central Oregon, Clatsop, Southwestern Oregon and Treasure Valley community colleges. The conference more than doubled in size in the 1968–69 school year, when Chemeketa, Clackamas, Lane, Linn-Benton, Mt. Hood, Portland and Umpqua community colleges joined the circuit.

1970s: the NWAACC and the rise of women's athletics

During the 1970s, the newly renamed NWAACC saw the growth of women's sports at its member institutions. Women's athletics were governed by the Northwest College Women's Sports Association (NCWSA) until 1978, when the NCWSA was absorbed by the NWAACC.

Volunteer athletic directors had overseen conference functions and activities until the addition of women's athletics. The subsequent increased workload caused the NWAACC to convene a five-member hiring committee, which in 1979 appointed Frank Bosone as the conference's first executive director. Bosone retired in 1992 and was succeeded by Dick McClain, a longtime baseball coach in Corvallis, Oregon.

1983: merger

Community college athletics in the Pacific Northwest changed dramatically in 1983, when seven OCCAA members joined the NWAACC. The merger between the Washington and Oregon colleges has helped the NWAACC become a strong organization. Since 1984, nine other colleges have added intercollegiate athletics and/or became NWAACC members.

2014: renaming

The NWAACC was renamed the Northwest Athletic Conference on July 1, 2014 [2] and has 36 member schools.

Member schools

Current members

The NWAC currently has 37 full members, all are public schools:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedDivision
Bellevue College Bellevue, Washington 1966Public [a] 37,000Bulldogs?Northern
Big Bend Community College Moses Lake, Washington 1962Public [a] 5,400Vikings?Eastern
Blue Mountain Community College Pendleton, Oregon 1962Public [b] 10,600Timberwolves1983 [c] Eastern
Centralia College Centralia, Washington 1925Public [a] 4,803Trailblazers1946 [d] Western
Chemeketa Community College Salem, Oregon 1969Public [b] 50,000Storm1983Southern
Clackamas Community College Oregon City, Oregon 1966Public [b] 25,029Cougars1983Southern
Clark College Vancouver, Washington 1933Public [a] 14,000Penguins1946 [d] Western
Columbia Basin College Pasco, Washington 1955Public [a] 13,000Hawks1955Eastern
Columbia Gorge Community College The Dalles, Oregon 1977Public1,039 [3] Chinooks2024Eastern
Douglas College New Westminster, British Columbia 1971Public25,000Royals?Northern
Edmonds College Edmonds, Washington 1967Public [a] 12,000Tritons?Northern
Everett Community College Everett, Washington 1941Public [a] 19,666Trojans1946 [d] Northern
Grays Harbor College Aberdeen, Washington 1930Public [a] 2,088Chokers1946 [d] Western
Green River College [e] Auburn, Washington 1963Public [a] 9,212Gators?Western
Highline College Des Moines, Washington 1961Public [a] 18,993Thunderbirds?Western
Klamath Community College Klamath Falls, Oregon 1996PublicBadgers2025Southern
Lane Community College Eugene, Oregon 1964Public [b] 18,678Titans1983Southern
Linn–Benton Community College Albany, Oregon 1966Public [b] 12,360Roadrunners1983Southern
Lower Columbia College Longview, Washington 1934Public [a] 8,465Red Devils1946 [d] Western
Mt. Hood Community College Gresham, Oregon 1966Public [b] 8,370Saints1970Southern
Olympic College Bremerton, Washington 1946Public [a] 12,285Rangers1946 [d] Northern
Peninsula College Port Angeles, Washington 1961Public [a] 10,000Pirates?Northern
Pierce College [f] Lakewood, Washington 1967Public [a] 21,643Raiders?Western
Portland Community College Portland, Oregon 1961Public [b] 50,000Panthers?Southern
Rogue Community College Grants Pass, Oregon 1970Public [b] ?Ospreys?Southern
Shoreline Community College Shoreline, Washington 1964Public [a] 13,795Dolphins?Northern
Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, Washington 1926Public [a] 5,136Cardinals1946 [d] Northern
South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, Washington 1962Public [a] 4,665Clippers?Western
Southwestern Oregon Community College Coos Bay, Oregon 1941Public [b] 14,500Lakers1983 [c] Southern
Spokane Colleges Spokane, Washington 1963Public [a] 38,600Sasquatch?Eastern
Tacoma Community College Tacoma, Washington 1965Public [a] 15,000Titans?Western
Treasure Valley Community College Ontario, Oregon 1962Public [b] ?Chukars? [c] Eastern
Umpqua Community College Winchester, Oregon 1964Public [b] 13,300Riverhawks1983Southern
Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla, Washington 1967Public [a] 13,000Warriors?Eastern
Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee, Washington 1939Public [a] 3,353Knights1946 [d] Eastern
Whatcom Community College Bellingham, Washington 1967Public [a] 11,457Orcas?Northern
Yakima Valley College [g] Yakima, Washington 1941Public [a] 10,000Yaks1946 [d] Eastern

North Idaho College - Officially left the NWAC in the beginning of the 2023-2024 athletic season with basketball teams being recognized as independent, then with the start of the 2024-2025 season the remaining sports all joined the NJCAA.

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Part of the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Part of the Oregon Community College Association.
  3. 1 2 3 Charter member of the OCCAA.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Charter member of the WSJCAC/WAACC/NWAACC/NWAC.
  5. Formerly known as Green River Community College until 2014.
  6. Formerly known as Fort Steilacoom Community College until 1986.
  7. Formerly known as Yakima Valley Community College until 2022.

Sports

The NWAC sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in the following sports:

Conference sports
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Green check.svgY
Red x.svgN
Basketball
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Cross Country
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Golf
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Soccer
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Softball
Red x.svgN
Green check.svgY
Track and field (outdoor)
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Volleyball
Red x.svgN
Green check.svgY

Yearly football standings

1947 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett $800900
Wenatchee Valley 521???
Lower Columbia 530???
Yakima Valley 422???
Grays Harbor 440???
Clark (WA) 341???
Centralia 350???
Mount Vernon 170???
Olympic 170???
  • $ Conference champion
1948 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett $710820
Centralia 620???
Grays Harbor 620???
Lower Columbia 620???
Olympic 341???
Yakima Valley 341???
Clark (WA) 260???
Skagit Valley 260???
Wenatchee Valley 080???
  • $ Conference champion
1949 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett +710???
Grays Harbor +710910
Olympic 610???
Lower Columbia 430???
Clark (WA) 440???
Wenatchee Valley 350???
Yakima Valley 251???
Centralia 161???
Skagit Valley 080???
  • + Conference co-champions
  • The conference game between Olympic and Lower Columbia was ruled a no contest.
1950 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Olympic $7001000
Clark (WA) 520???
Everett 421532
Centralia 223???
Grays Harbor 331???
Wenatchee Valley 250???
Yakima Valley 142???
Lower Columbia 061???
  • $ Conference champion
1951 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Olympic $700812
Lower Columbia 610???
Everett 421???
Grays Harbor 430???
Yakima Valley 331???
Centralia 250???
Clark (WA) 160???
Wenatchee Valley 070???
  • $ Conference champion
1952 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett $6001000
Grays Harbor 510???
Olympic 420???
Lower Columbia 330450
Yakima Valley 140???
Wenatchee Valley 041???
Centralia 051???
  • $ Conference champion
1953 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett $600611
Olympic 420???
Centralia 321???
Grays Harbor 330???
Lower Columbia 240???
Wenatchee Valley 240???
Yakima Valley 051???
  • $ Conference champion
1954 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett $600710
Olympic 411???
Centralia 321???
Grays Harbor 321???
Lower Columbia 231???
Yakima Valley 150???
Wenatchee Valley 060???
  • $ Conference champion
1955 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wenatchee Valley $501711
Everett 420620
Grays Harbor 321???
Lower Columbia 330530
Yakima Valley 330???
Olympic 240???
Centralia 060???
  • $ Conference champion
1956 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wenatchee Valley $610???
Grays Harbor 511???
Olympic 421???
Yakima Valley 331???
Everett 340???
Centralia 142???
Lower Columbia 142???
Columbia Basin 151???
  • $ Conference champion
1957 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Olympic +610820
Wenatchee Valley +610???
Everett 511???
Yakima Valley 421???
Centralia 250???
Grays Harbor 250???
Columbia Basin 160???
Lower Columbia 160???
  • + Conference co-champions
1958 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Olympic $501621
Wenatchee Valley 420620
Grays Harbor 420530
Everett 321531
Lower Columbia 240350
Yakima Valley 240350
Columbia Basin 060170
  • $ Conference champion
1959 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wenatchee Valley $501701
Columbia Basin 510810
Olympic 330350
Everett 231431
Lower Columbia 231431
Yakima Valley 132332
Grays Harbor 051251
  • $ Conference champion
1960 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett $510510
Yakima Valley 312412
Grays Harbor 420420
Columbia Basin 321421
Olympic 231241
Wenatchee Valley 240440
Lower Columbia 060070
  • $ Conference champion
1961 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Columbia Basin $600900
Olympic 420540
Everett 321441
Grays Harbor 321341
Wenatchee Valley 240440
Yakima 240450
Lower Columbia 060260
  • $ Conference champion
1962 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Columbia Basin $501711
Wenatchee Valley 402802
Yakima 330440
Olympic 330341
Grays Harbor 231251
Everett 240341
Lower Columbia 060170
  • $ Conference champion
1963 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Columbia Basin $500801
Olympic 320630
Grays Harbor 320530
Everett 230260
Yakima 140440
Wenatchee Valley 140270
  • $ Conference champion
1964 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Columbia Basin +510710
Yakima +510710
Grays Harbor 420720
Everett 231441
Wenatchee Valley 240350
Olympic 132342
Shoreline 051171
  • + Conference co-champions
1965 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Columbia Basin $600900
Wenatchee Valley 420431
Shoreline 321351
Grays Harbor 330531
Yakima 231332
Everett 240270
Olympic 060080
  • $ Conference champion
1966 Washington Junior College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett +501711
Columbia Basin +501621
Grays Harbor 321721
Shoreline 321351
Yakima 240270
Wenatchee Valley 150360
Olympic 060280
  • + Conference co-champions
1967 Washington Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Everett $610630
Grays Harbor 520720
Columbia Basin 430450
Olympic 430450
Yakima 331351
Spokane 340360
Wenatchee Valley 151261
Shoreline 160270
  • $ Conference champion
1968 Washington Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Spokane $700800
Everett 511711
Grays Harbor 430540
Columbia Basin 331441
Wenatchee Valley 340450
Yakima 241261
Shoreline 250270
Olympic 061171
  • $ Conference champion
1969 Washington Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Spokane Falls xy510730
Yakima 510630
Columbia Basin 330520
Wenatchee Valley 060090
Western Division
Grays Harbor xy$510820
Olympic 240360
Everett 150450
WCCC championship game: Grays Harbor 16, Spokane Falls 12
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1970 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Columbia Basin xy$710910
Spokane Falls 530630
Yakima 530630
Walla Walla 260360
Wenatchee Valley 260360
Western Division
Grays Harbor xy710820
Everett 530540
Mt. Hood 260270
Olympic 170270
NWCCC championship game: Columbia Basin 26, Grays Harbor 14
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1971 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Wenatchee Valley xy$710910
Columbia Basin 520621
Spokane Falls 530630
Yakima 350360
Walla Walla 170270
Western Division
Grays Harbor xy521631
Mt. Hood 530630
Olympic 332342
Everett 080180
NWCCC championship game: Wenatchee Valley 35, Grays Harbor 14
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1972 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Columbia Basin xy$611811
Spokane Falls 530630
Walla Walla 332432
Yakima 350450
Wenatchee Valley 251351
Western Division
Grays Harbor xy620730
Everett 440540
Olympic 440450
Mt. Hood 170270
NWCCC championship game: Columbia Basin 26, Grays Harbor 13
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1973 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Spokane Falls xy$611811
Walla Walla 440540
Wenatchee Valley 260360
Yakima 260270
Columbia Basin 170180
Western Division
Everett xy611721
Mt. Hood 620720
Grays Harbor 530630
Olympic 350450
NWCCC championship game: Spokane Falls 7, Everett 3
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1974 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Spokane Falls xy$620820
Walla Walla 530630
Columbia Basin 350360
Yakima 350360
Wenatchee Valley 170180
Western Division
Olympic xy620730
Grays Harbor 620630
Mt. Hood 350450
Everett 350360
NWCCC championship game: Spokane Falls 7, Olympic 3
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1975 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Columbia Basin xy530630
Spokane Falls 440540
Walla Walla 350440
Wenatchee Valley 350360
Yakima 080090
Western Division
Mt. Hood xy$8001000
Grays Harbor 620720
Olympic 530540
Everett 260360
NWCCC championship game: Mt. Hood 12, Columbia Basin 8
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1976 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Spokane Falls xy$630730
Walla Walla 630630
Columbia Basin 540540
Wenatchee Valley 360360
Yakima Valley 180180
Western Division
Mt. Hood xy900910
Clackamas 540540
Grays Harbor 540540
Treasure Valley 360360
Olympic 270270
NWCCC championship game: Spokane Falls 19, Mt. Hood 7
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1977 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
Columbia Basin xy710730
Yakima Valley 530540
Spokane Falls 440540
Wenatchee Valley 440540
Walla Walla 440450
Western Division
Mt. Hood xy$710810
Clackamas 350350
Olympic 170170
Treasure Valley 170170
NWCCC championship game: Mt. Hood 21, Columbia Basin 6
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1978 Northwest Community College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
Spokane Falls xy^430441
Wenatchee Valley 250350
Yakima Valley 160260
Olympic 160170
Southern Division
Columbia Basin xy$^7001000
Mt. Hood ^610730
Treasure Valley ^430450
Walla Walla 340341
NWCCC championship game: Columbia Basin 20, Mt. Hood 10
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • ^ – NWCCC playoff participant
1979 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Walla Walla $600810
Columbia Basin 420720
Yakima Valley 420620
Olympic 330540
Spokane Falls 240270
Wenatchee Valley 150170
Treasure Valley 150180
  • $ Conference champion
1980 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Olympic $510820
Spokane Falls 510630
Walla Walla 420720
Wenatchee Valley 330540
Yakima Valley 330460
Treasure Valley 150180
Columbia Basin 060180
  • $ Conference champion
1981 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
Spokane Falls xy412532
Olympic 412522
Wenatchee Valley 340360
Southern Division
Walla Walla xy$610820
Yakima Valley 160270
Columbia Basin 160160
NWAACC championship game: Walla Walla 10, Spokane Falls 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1982 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
Spokane Falls xy$430540
Olympic 330440
Wenatchee Valley 240350
Southern Division
Walla Walla xy610720
Yakima Valley 330530
Columbia Basin 150150
NWAACC championship game: Spokane Falls 23, Walla Walla 19
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
1983 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wenatchee Valley $800901
Walla Walla 620820
Olympic 350550
Yakima Valley 260370
Spokane Falls 170280
  • $ Conference champion
1984 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Spokane Falls $710820
Walla Walla 620720
Wenatchee Valley 440450
Olympic 350370
Yakima Valley 080090
  • $ Conference champion
1985 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Walla Walla +620820
Spokane Falls +620720
Wenatchee Valley 530640
Yakima Valley 260270
Olympic 170270
  • + Conference co-champions
1986 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Walla Walla $800900
Yakima Valley 530550
Spokane Falls 440440
Wenatchee Valley 350350
Olympic 080090
  • $ Conference champion
1987 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Walla Walla $510730
Wenatchee Valley 330441
Yakima Valley 240450
Spokane Falls 240350
  • $ Conference champion
1988 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Walla Walla $420650
Spokane Falls 330540
Wenatchee Valley 330440
Yakima Valley 240450
  • $ Conference champion
1989 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Walla Walla $510720
Wenatchee Valley 420630
Spokane Falls 330450
Yakima Valley 060270
  • $ Conference champion

References

  1. NWAACC becomes NWAC, Marco Azurdia, Executive Director, NWAC website,
  2. NWAACC becomes NWAC, Marco Azurdia, Executive Director, NWAC website, July 1, 2014
  3. "Columbia Gorge Community College | Data USA". datausa.io. Retrieved 2025-08-04.