In December 2024, the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) announced a series of moves to rebuild its membership starting with Stanton University (Garden Grove, California) applying for membership in the NAIA and aims to join the Cal Pac beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Meanwhile, two schools will join the Cal Pac as associate members: Walla Walla University (College Place, Washington) will join in men’s volleyball starting in 2025-26 and Northern New Mexico College (Española, New Mexico) will move its men’s and women’s basketball and cross country teams to the Cal Pac in 2025-26. NNMC’s teams compete in the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC), which is comprised of NAIA’s independent schools. Additional details can be provided after obtaining a copy of the signed letter of invitation from Northern New Mexico via a Freedom of Information Act request.
The Cal Pac Exodus
The NAIA’s Cal Pac has been one of the hardest-hit conferences in realignment with 9 members set to depart in 2024 or 2025. A majority of schools left for the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (previously known as the Golden State Athletic Conference): Benedictine-Mesa (2024), Embry-Riddle-Prescott (2024), Park-Gilbert (2024), La Sierra (2025), and Soka (2025). UC Merced is the only school leaving the NAIA with a move to the NCAA Division 2 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) commencing in 2025-26.
However, not all departures were about greener pastures. Antelope Valley and Saint Katherine closed in 2024 while Cal Maritime announced it would leave the NAIA after the 2024-25 academic year and will ultimately integrate with Cal Poly by the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year. The five full members of Cal Pac in 2025-26 will be Pacific Union College, Providence Christian College, Simpson University (CA), Stanton University (pending NAIA acceptance), and Westcliff University. Northern New Mexico College is also joining in 2025-26 but will not be considered a full member as they will not reach the minimum number of sports to qualify for full membership.
NNMC Membership, Dues, and Championship Eligibility
As the Cal Pac’s press release stated, NNMC will be an associate member. The Cal Pac sponsors 14 sports and full membership requires sponsorship in 50% of the conference’s championship sports. With NNMC joining in four sports, they do not qualify as a full member but the Cal Pac is waiving the fee application and will not require a membership buy-in from the college. NNMC will owe associate member dues of $2,500 per sport, or $10,000 total, due by August 1, 2025. NNMC will be eligible immediately for Cal Pac championships and will have full voting rights in the four sports joining in 2025-26.
Cal Pac Scheduling and Championship Insights
The letter of invitation provides some interesting details about how the scheduling and championships will work for the next few seasons in basketball and cross country. For basketball, the Cal Pac does not intend to use a double-round-robin format in 2025-26 despite the addition of NNMC. However, the Cal Pac did mention the possibility of neutral site contests involving NNMC and the four California schools. Arizona was the only location mentioned as a possible neutral site in the letter. In 2026-27, the Cal Pac plans to use a double-round-robin format for basketball and NNMC will be part of the home-and-away schedules.
For the basketball championship in 2025-26, the Cal Pac received a waiver from the NAIA that allows the conference direct qualification to the NAIA championships despite having only five members. (Providence Christian College does not sponsor basketball, hence the reference to five basketball members). The Cal Pac plans to invite all five members to the conference championship at a to-be-determined location.
For cross country in 2025-26, all six teams on both the men’s and women’s sides will be invited to the Cal Pac championship likely to be held on the last Monday in October. The Cal Pac only requires participation from the “top four rated teams” meaning NNMC could decide not to participate if they fall outside the top four. The Cal Pac is hopeful NNMC will participate regardless of finishing position as it will lead to more athletes qualifying for NAIA nationals.
More NNMC Sports on the Way?
The Cal Pac’s statement in December 2024 referenced NNMC adding more sports but didn’t specify which sports were being considered. Per the letter of invitation, Northern New Mexico is considering adding women’s volleyball for the 2025-26 academic year. Depending on when/if NNMC adds women’s volleyball, the Cal Pac may not be able to include them in the conference schedule but will attempt to have current Cal Pac schools schedule matches against NNMC. The Cal Pac is not requiring NNMC to pay associate membership dues for women’s volleyball.
Beyond women’s volleyball, there might be additional sports. A Board of Regents document (page 49) from August 30, 2024, shows that tennis was scheduled to be added in 2024-25 alongside cross country. Meanwhile, the school’s athletic website lists men’s and women’s tennis but no additional information is available. It is not known if the programs are competing in 2024-25, and if so, which conference they are in as NNMC’s current conference (CAC) doesn’t sponsor the sport. The Cal Pac doesn’t sponsor tennis either, which means the tennis teams will have to find associate membership elsewhere.
Key Takeaways
The Cal Pac needed to make some moves after 9 schools departed for various reasons. One move was adding a full-time member in 2025-26 (Stanton University) and two associate membership moves were with Walla Walla and NNMC. Another key point from the Letter of Invitation from the Cal Pac to Northern New Mexico is the plan to add as many as three basketball-playing members in 2026-27. The Cal Pac’s December 2024 press release stated, “It is hoped as many as four additional schools – all already in the program – can add to the Cal Pac’s footprint in the next two years.” Stanton in 2025-26 and the three basketball-playing teams in 2026-27 would get the conference its four members over the next two years.
Here is a rundown of the items discussed above from the letter of invitation from the Cal Pac to Northern New Mexico College and these are subject to change pending the final agreement between the college, conference, and the impact of any additional membership moves.
- Northern New Mexico will join the Cal Pac in 2025-26 as an associate member for men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s cross country.
- NNMC is expected to have annual dues of $10,000 total for its four sports in 2025-26.
- NNMC might add women’s volleyball in 2025-26.
- The Cal Pac is not planning to have a double-round-robin format for basketball for the 2025-26 season but plans to use a double-round-robin format for the 2026-27 season.
- The Cal Pac is looking at new members including as many as three that will sponsor basketball.
Multiple attempts to reach Northern New Mexico’s athletics department for further comment on the Cal Pac moves and future athletics plans were unsuccessful.
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