Northern Pacific Conference (baseball)

The Northern Pacific Conference (Nor-Pac) was formed for baseball for the 1975 season and comprised the NCAA programs in the Northwest not in the Pacific-8 Conference.[1][2][3] The Big Sky Conference had dropped sponsorship of the sport after the 1974 season,[4][5] and its three remaining baseball programs (Gonzaga, Idaho, Boise State) joined Portland State, Portland, Seattle U., and Puget Sound.[1][2][3][6][7] An eighth team, Eastern Washington, was added after the 1979 season.[8][9][10]

Idaho and Boise State dropped varsity baseball after the 1980 season,[11][12] as did Seattle U., and the five-team Nor-Pac played a seventh and final season in 1981.[10] Puget Sound dropped its program and the remaining four (GU, EWU, PSU, UP) joined the Northern division of the Pac-10 (as affiliate members, baseball only) for 1982;[13][14][15] Oregon also discontinued baseball after 1981,[16][17] which had left just three teams (Washington, Washington State, and Oregon State). In the Pac-10, the champion of the seven-team Northern division met the runner-up of the stronger six-team Southern division in a best-of-three series for the conference's second berth in the NCAA tournament.

Eastern Washington dropped baseball in 1990,[18][19] and Portland State eight years later; after 1995, Gonzaga and Portland moved their baseball to the West Coast Conference (WCC), where their other sports were.[20] Baseball returned at Oregon in 2009,[21] Seattle U. in 2010, and briefly at Boise State for a pandemic-shortened 2020 season before being eliminated a second time due to a budget reduction..

Champions

YearChampionRunner-upMembersNotes
1975Puget SoundGonzaga7[22]
1976GonzagaBoise State7[23]
1977Portland StateGonzaga7[24]
1978GonzagaPortland State7[25]
1979PortlandPortland State7[26]
1980GonzagaPortland8[27]
1981Gonzaga (4)E. Washington5[28][29]

References

  1. "Idaho, Gonzaga join new baseball circuit". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. June 24, 1974. p. 16.
  2. "Portland State, Portland to play in baseball league". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1974. p. 12.
  3. Jordan, Jeff (January 19, 1975). "Idea's time has arrived". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 3, sports.
  4. "Idaho off probation, loop titles dwindle". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 5, 1974. p. 13.
  5. "Baseball axed in Big Sky". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 29, 1974. p. 15.
  6. "Vandals boast vets for baseball season". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 12, 1975. p. 13.
  7. "Baseball: College - Northern Pacific". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). May 1, 1979. p. 25.
  8. "EWU baseball team joins Nor-Pac league". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). June 6, 1979. p. 1B.
  9. "Baseball: College - NorPac standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). May 7, 1980. p. B5.
  10. "Baseball: Northern Pacific". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (standings). May 16, 1981. p. 13.
  11. "Boise State drops baseball program". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. May 6, 1980. p. C1.
  12. Goodwin, Dale (May 13, 1980). "Baseball's 'out' at Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 19.
  13. Van Sickel, Charlie (May 30, 1981). "Nor-Pac League dead; schools to join Pac-10". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 12.
  14. "Pac-10 merger confirmed". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). August 14, 1981. p. 24.
  15. Rodman, Bob (August 14, 1981). "Expanded ND baseball appears ready to roll". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). p. 3B.
  16. Rodman, Bob (May 7, 1981). "A gloomy day for Ducks' oldest program". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.
  17. "UO axes baseball, gymnastics". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). May 7, 1981. p. 1C.
  18. Boling, Dave (May 31, 1990). "Baseball, wrestling to go at EWU". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
  19. "EWU cuts two sports; audit ends". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). June 19, 1990. p. C1.
  20. Bergum, Steve (May 3, 1995). "Gonzaga leaving Pac-10 North". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C3.
  21. "University of Oregon is bringing back baseball". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. July 14, 2007. p. 1B.
  22. "WSU, UPs picked for NCAA action". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 19, 1975. p. 17.
  23. "Idaho leaves cellar; Cougs triumph, too". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 12, 1976. p. 37.
  24. "Northern Pacific baseball final standings". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 9, 1977. p. 19.
  25. "Warriors in regionals, Zags gain title". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 18, 1978. p. 53.
  26. "Northern Pacific standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, California). May 10, 1979. p. 42.
  27. "Zags, Cougs, Bucs first". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 12, 1980. p. 21.
  28. "Zags bucking big odds tonight". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 22, 1981. p. 21.
  29. "Northern Pacific final standings". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 19, 1981. p. 19.
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