Four out, four in: GSAC to get a new look in 2024-25

By Andrew Cross

The Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) has been a staple of the NAIA and the collegiate athletic world for the past 28 years. With founding members like Azusa Pacific University, California Lutheran University and Westmont College, the conference has been mainly located in Southern California. It has undergone many changes, with several of these schools leaving for NCAA Division II. But perhaps the most significant shift in the GSAC is underway, with four new members being added for the 2024-25 season.

California schools Menlo College, Westmont College, Vanguard College and William Jessup University have all announced that they will leave the GSAC for NCAA DII. This is a seismic change in the conference landscape as Westmont and Vanguard were founding members.  

To deal with this massive loss, the GSAC has added four new schools: Benedictine–Mesa, Embry Riddle, Park–Gilbert and Saint Katherine. Three of these schools are from the state of Arizona, which significantly changes the outlook of the conference. The conference now has more schools in Arizona than in its home location of California. That brings into question the future of the GSAC itself. What will it look like? Will it even be called the GSAC?

“The GSAC as a brand will be kept. The objective of the presidents and athletic directors who are making these decisions is to keep GSAC because that’s nationally recognized,” TMU sports information director Dave Caldwell said, “The letters will still be the same but mean something different.”

This new group of schools presents a unique challenge for upcoming TMU sports. Benedictine–Mesa is the three-time defending national runner-up in men’s volleyball and has been consistently ranked in the NAIA top five. That will be a key opponent for Mustang volleyball down the line. Embry Riddle boasts an impressive men’s and women’s cross-country team that both have been ranked in the top-25. Saint Katherine’s women’s volleyball team went 20-0 in 2023 to win their conference and should also give the Mustangs a good run in the new conference.