Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Explained

Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Founded:	1915
Association:	NCAA
Division:	Division III
Teams:	9
Sports:	21
Mens:	10
Womens:	11
Region:	Southern California
Headquarters:	Laguna Niguel, California
Commissioner:	Jennifer Dubow
Website:	thesciac.org
Map:	SCIAC-USA-states.png
Map Size:	250
Color:	78bde7;
Font Color:	000000

The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) is an intercollegiate 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

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

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

Current member schools

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

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Membership	Football
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	Pasadena	1891	Nonsectarian	2,086	Beavers	1915–16 to 1933–34; 1938–39 to present	No
California Lutheran University	Thousand Oaks	1959	Lutheran ELCA	3,298	Kingsmen &<br />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 &<br />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	1,685	Leopards	1926–27 to 1937–38, 1971–72 to present	Yes
Occidental College	Los Angeles	1887	Nonsectarian	1,839	Tigers	1915–16 to present	No
*Pomona-Pitzer* —Pomona College —Pitzer College	Claremont	1887 1963	Nonsectarian	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	4,400	Bulldogs	1915–16 to present	Yes
Whittier College	Whittier	1887	Secular	1,540	Poets	1915–16 to 1942–43; 1946–47 to present	No

Notes:

Former member schools

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

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Current conference
(UCLA)	Los Angeles	1919	Public	39,271	Bruins	1920–21	1926–27	Big Ten
San Diego State University	San Diego	1897		31,303	Aztecs	1926–27	1938–39	Mountain West
(UC Santa Barbara, UCSB)	Santa Barbara	1891		22,850	Gauchos	1931–32	1937–38	Big West

Notes:

Membership timeline

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PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:yellow from:1915 till:1934 text:Caltech (1915–1934) bar:1 color:yellow from:1938 till:end text:Caltech (1938–present)

bar:2 color:yellow from:1915 till:end text:Occidental (1915–present)

bar:4 color:yellow from:1915 till:1934 text:Pomona (1915–1934) bar:4 color:yellow from:1938 till:1971 text:Pomona (1938–1971) bar:4 color:yellow from:1971 till:end text:Pomona-Pitzer (1971–present)

bar:5 color:yellow from:1915 till:end text:Redlands (1915–present)

bar:6 color:yellow from:1915 till:1943 text:Whittier (1915–1943) bar:6 color:yellow from:1946 till:end text:Whittier (1946–present)

bar:7 color:yellow from:1920 till:1927 text:UCLA (1920–1927)

bar:8 color:yellow from:1926 till:1939 text:San Diego State (1926–1939)

bar:9 color:yellow from:1926 till:1938 text:La Verne (1926–1938) bar:9 color:yellow from:1971 till:end text:La Verne (1971–present)

bar:10 color:yellow from:1931 till:1938 text:UC Santa Barbara (1931–1938)

bar:11 color:yellow from:1947 till:1962 text:Claremont (1947–1958) bar:11 color:yellow from:1962 till:1981 text:Claremont-Mudd (1958–1976) bar:11 color:yellow from:1981 till:end text:Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1976–present)

bar:12 color:yellow from:1950 till:1952 text:Chapman (1950–1952) bar:12 shift:(-10) color:yellow from:2011 till:end text:Chapman (2011–present)

bar:13 color:yellow from:1991 till:end text:Cal Lutheran (1991–present)

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TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(175,30) # tabs:(0-center) text:"SCIAC membership history"

All-sports champions

^[4]

Year	Overall Champion
2023–24	Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2022–23	Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
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

Notes and References

Web site: CIF History — Sports on the Side . June 25, 2014 . August 14, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140814194130/http://www.sportsontheside.net/history/ . dead .
Web site: Chapman University Welcomed as the Ninth Member of the SCIAC . May 12, 2011 . July 23, 2011.
News: History of SCIAC . Sciac . December 2, 2007.
Web site: Pomona-Pitzer Claims SCIAC All-Sports Combined Trophy . May 18, 2022 .