The Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) is proud to officially welcome La Sierra University and Soka University as its ninth and tenth full members, effective July 1, 2025. The two institutions, originally announced as future members in Fall 2024, now formally join the GSAC’s expanding and dynamic athletic landscape.
About La Sierra University
Located in Riverside, Calif., La Sierra is a private Seventh-day Adventist institution with a student body of approximately 2,000. Known for its commitment to holistic education—intellectual, spiritual, social, and physical—La Sierra is expanding its athletic footprint in a major way.
Beginning in 2025-26, the Golden Eagles will compete in 13 GSAC-sponsored sports, including:
- Men’s & Women’s Basketball
- Men’s & Women’s Soccer
- Men’s & Women’s Cross Country
- Baseball, Softball, Women’s Volleyball
- New Additions: Flag Football, Beach Volleyball, Men’s Volleyball, and Men’s Golf
La Sierra’s athletics department supports over 275 student-athletes and is committed to character-driven competition and student development.
About Soka University
Nestled in Aliso Viejo, Calif., just miles from the Pacific Ocean, Soka is a private liberal arts college founded on Buddhist principles of peace, human rights, and the sanctity of life. With a student-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a global student body, Soka emphasizes academic rigor and global citizenship.
The Lions will bring 11 varsity programs to the GSAC, including:
- Men’s & Women’s Soccer
- Men’s Volleyball
- Men’s & Women’s Golf
- Men’s & Women’s Cross Country
- Men’s & Women’s Track & Field
- Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving
Soka’s athletics program is rooted in its mission to foster global citizens through sportsmanship, leadership, and service.
Impact on the GSAC
The addition of La Sierra and Soka to the GSAC is poised to make a significant impact on the league’s competitive landscape, geographic balance, and institutional diversity. Both schools are located in Southern California. Their inclusion strengthens the GSAC’s California-Arizona corridor, reducing travel burdens and fostering regional rivalries. These additions will increase the total number of GSAC-sponsored sports and deepen the level of competition across multiple disciplines.
With these additions, the GSAC’s 2025-26 full membership will include:
- Arizona Christian University
- Benedictine University Mesa
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (AZ)
- Hope International University
- La Sierra University
- Life Pacific University
- OUAZ
- Park University Gilbert
- Soka University of America
- The Master’s University
