Hawaii joins Big West

The Big West Conference will add Hawaii as a 10th school effective July 1, 2012, the conference announced Friday.

Hawaii joins UC Irvine and eight other existing Big West schools in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s water polo, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf and women’s cross country.

“We are excited and pleased with the addition of Hawaii to the Big West Conference,” said Dr. Michael Drake, UCI chancellor and chair of the Big West board of directors that made the decision. “In assessing Hawaii, the board carefully considered and was impressed by both its legacy of athletic success and its commitment to academic excellence.

Hawaii’s women’s program was a member of the Big West from 1984 to 1996 before joining the Western Athletic Conference.

Hawaii already competes against UCI in men’s volleyball in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

— From staff reports