The UC Davis Aggies athletics program will join the Mountain West Conference in 2026 as a non-football affiliate.
This decision follows a wave of conference realignment, during which the Mountain West lost several member schools to the Pac-12.
“We are thrilled to join the Mountain West Conference, and we look forward to an incredible experience for our student-athletes and for our fans,” UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May said in a press statement.
UC Davis is currently a member of the Big West Conference, with its football program affiliated with the Big Sky Conference in the FCS. The Aggies football team will remain in the Big Sky when they join the Mountain West.
The Aggies have been part of the Big West Conference since 2007, a few years after becoming a Division I program in 2004.
In its time in the Big West, the UC Davis men’s basketball team won the 2014-15 and 2017-18 regular-season titles and the 2017 Big West Tournament under head coach Jim Les.
The Big West lost another member earlier this year, with Hawaii announcing it would join the Mountain West. The Rainbow Warriors will join the conference in 2026.
Notable mid-major school Grand Canyon will also join the Mountain West as a non-football affiliate in 2026.
With the Big West losing multiple schools, it is unclear if the conference will add more schools in the future.
The UC Davis men’s basketball team is currently 5-4 this season.
