Get to Know the (Former) FCS: Great West Conference (2004-2011)
Years in Existence: 2004-2011 (2012 as a conference at all)
Former Headquarters: Naperville, Illinois
Former Commissioner(s): Ed Grom (2004-2012)
History
The Great West Football Conference, as it initially was named, was charted by four members transitioning up from Division II ( North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State, Southern Utah) and two members who had been playing as I-A independents after the demise of the (short lived) American West Conference (Cal Poly and UC Davis).
The conference came about as a geographical and logistical necessity for those involved at the time. Although the Big Sky and Gateway (now MVFC) were both existed as mid-western/western conferences in similar footprints, both were already at eight members and unwilling to consider expansion. Particularly to take in these newer transitioning programs unproven in D1 play.
Things changed fairly quickly as members demonstrated success on the field. By 2006 the Big Sky had offered a spot to Northern Colorado, which accepted following the end of the 2006-07 season. The following year the Gateway Football Conference would offer membership to NDSU and SDSU, who would leave to begin play in what became the renamed Missouri Valley Football Conference starting the 2008 season.
That same year saw the Great West announce the addition of two new members transitioning up from D-II, essentially swapping the “Dakota States” for the “University of Dakotas” when UND and USD were added. This allowed the conference to maintain the membership at five football teams for the 2008 season. The addition of these two also saw the conference expand beyond football, and thus change its name from the Great West Football Conference to just the Great West Conference.
But by now, conference movements (both expansion and transition) were well underway in the Big Sky, MVFC, and Summit (non-football). Which in turn meant that the remaining Great West members provided for excellent membership extensions.
In 2010 South Dakota would make known their intention to move all non-football sports to the Summit League by 2012. Cal Poly and UC Davis would announce shortly after that they’d be making a full move to the Big Sky starting in 2012. Southern Utah and North Dakota would announce the same shortly later, leaving only South Dakota unaffiliated in football.
The Coyotes had been in discussion of canceling their move to the Summit and going to the Big Sky as well, but the MVFC reached out and offered them a spot starting the 2012 season, which they accepted. This spelled the end of the conference’s involvement in football, with the last year of play being the 2011-12 season.
Membership
The Great West had a total of 8 football members in its existence, with the 6 charter members being the largest the conference ever was at one time.
| Former Member Schools | Location | Years of Football Membership | Mascot | Current Football Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | San Luis Obispo, California | 2004-2011 | Mustangs | Big Sky |
| UC Davis | Davis, California | 2004-2011 | Aggies | Big Sky |
| Northern Colorado Northern Colorado | Greeley, Colorado | 2004-2006 | Bears | Big Sky |
| North Dakota | Grand Forks, North Dakota | 2008-2011 | Fighting Sioux (now Fighting Hawks) | FCS Independent (transitioning from Big Sky to MVFC) |
| North Dakota State | Fargo, North Dakota | 2004-2007 | Bison | MVFC |
| South Dakota | Vermillion, South Dakota | 2008-2011 | Coyotes | MVFC |
| South Dakota State | Brookings, South Dakota | 2004-2007 | Jackrabbits | MVFC |
| Southern Utah | Cedar City, Utah | 2004-2011 | Thunderbirds | UAC |
Conference Success and Strength
Conference Championships
FCS National Championships
During the years of the Great West, no member won a playoff game, let alone a national championship. In fact, only Cal Poly, Southern Utah, and UC Davis (in their last four years) were even post-season eligible due to the other members’ transition from D2 to D1 restricting their eligibility for post-season play.
Posted Jul 29, 2023, 1:30 PM UTC