Looking for a place to call home
They had everything they needed. Except a league.
Unfortunately for the women’s gymnastics teams of California State University Fullerton, the University of California Santa Barbara and Utah State University, the Big West Conference decided to discontinue sponsoring the sport at the conclusion of last season.
Rob Halvaks, associate commissioner of the BWC, said the conference had no choice but to stop the sport.
“We had a rule of four members,” Halvaks said. “When Boise State left [the conference] it only left Fullerton, Santa Barbara and Utah State.”
Halvaks said in 1987 the conference made the rule of needing four participants per sport to have sponsorship. As of July 1, 2001, the necessary number was increased to five.
The gymnastics programs may have survived if Cal State Northridge and the University of California Riverside – recent additions to the Big West Conference – sponsored the sport, BWC information director Mike Daniels said.
The schools did not have programs though, and members of the conference were soon forced to find a new place to call home.
Santa Barbara, the only former BWC member who decided to compete in a league other than the newly-formed Western Gymnastics Conference, joined the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
Bill Mahoney, UCSB assistant athletic director of media relations, said the team decided to join the MPSF for one season before discontinuing the sport permanently.
“[It’s] not a conference we had been used to competing in,” Mahoney said.
Members of the MPSF include schools from the state of Washington and Alaska, trips the Gauchos were not used to making.
Mahoney said after the Big West stopped sponsoring gymnastics, UCSB decided to continue competing for one season to allow its student athletes time to transfer if they wanted to.
Despite the loss of being a Big West Conference sponsored sport last season, the Gauchos suffered an even greater loss on Sept. 11, 2001. Newly-hired gymnastics coach Mari-Rae Sopper died in the American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon.
Former UCSB gymnast Alanna Trimble was named coach after the death of Sopper.
Cal State Fullerton, Utah State and former BWC member Boise State decided to form the Western Gymnastics Conference in order to give the gymnasts a season-ending meet, something crucial for preparing for the regional competition, Aggie Head Coach Ray Corn said.
Corn said the schools wanting to participate in the new conference went to the university athletics directors with the proposal.
All were granted approval.
“[USU Athletics director Rance Pugmire] thought it was a great idea and said go for it,” Corn said. “We were asked to join the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. We elected not to because there are a lot of former Division II schools in there.”
Corn said he was not trying to be “snobbish” by declining the invitation but thought the gymnastics program would benefit more by having a smaller conference meet and not dealing with eastern and western divisions.
Pugmire, who gave significant credit to Corn for the foundation of the new conference, said the schools wanted to show their support for the Western Gymnastics Conference.
“It’s ingenious on [part] of the head coaches,” Pugmire said.
Aside from allowing preparation for the regional meet, Corn said having a conference is important because it gives the teams a voice in the NCAA.
“When you have an identifiable conference within the gymnastics body, you have a voice,” Corn said. “NCAA gymnastics has recognized us as an independent conference. Now we have a voice.”
Members of the conference can try to change bylaws, make nominations and make proposals, Corn said. He said independent teams have no say.
Corn said he was not the president of the WGC but has been acting as an organizer this season since the Aggies will be hosting the inaugural tournament meet.
“There’s a rotation system,” Corn said. “Whoever hosts it next year will be the organizer.”
Boise State director of sports information Lori Hays said she was not surprised by the formation of the new conference.
“It just made sense to do,” Hays said.
Hays said Julie Knight (CSF Head Coach), Sam Sandmire (BSU Head Coach) and Corn wanted to stay together and find some way to honor their athletes.
“It’s difficult to be an independent school,” Hays said.
She said having a conference benefits all who are involved and helps promote the sport.
Southern Utah University, which had previously been a member of the Western Athletic Conference, is also a member of the Western Gymnastics Conference.
Thunderbirds Head Coach Scott Bauman said it was smart to join the conference because there were four schools in close proximity without any affiliation.
“It’s excellent to compete in a conference,” Bauman said.
Hays said she thought Cal State Fullerton, Boise State, Utah State and possibly Southern Utah would always be the base of the conference but would probably welcome new members if a school showed interest.
The WGC opened its doors to the Denver University, which Hays said was looking for somewhere to land.
Denver previously competed independently, but is excited and thankful for the opportunities offered as a conference member this season, DU Head Coach Melissa Kutcher said.
Kutcher said the administration at Denver did not approve of the school permanently joining the conference, but was willing to let the team participate on a tentative basis.
Whether the Pioneers will be back next year is still up in the air.
“Who knows what can happen between now and then,” Kutcher said.
The five members of the Western Gymnastics Conference will meet Friday at 7 p.m. in the Spectrum for the inaugural conference meet.
College students may purchase a ticket for $2 with a valid ID. Tickets for the general public will also be available at $8 apiece for reserved seating, $6 for general admission seating and $3 for youths.
Denver currently leads the conference with an overall 12-3 record. The Pioneers are followed by Cal State Fullerton (8-9), Boise State (7-11), Utah State (5-13) and Southern Utah (4-11).