GSAC & NAIA Affiliations
On a national level, Vanguard University is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The NAIA is comprised of over 300 fully accredited colleges and universities of small to moderate size enrollment. The Association is organized into fourteen geographical regions throughout the fifty states and parts of Canada. Vanguard University competes in Region Two, formerly known as District 3 or the Far West Region, of the NAIA. Region Two consists of 27 institutions that field at least one intercollegiate sport.
Vanguard University was a charter member of the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) beginning in 1986. The GSAC consists of eleven colleges and universities who have agreed to meet specific guidelines set by the conference in order to compete for a GSAC championship in each sport. The 11 GSAC institutions are Azusa Pacific University, Biola University, California Baptist University, Concordia University, Fresno Pacific University, Hope International University, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego Christian College (formerly known as Christian Heritage College), The Master's College, Vanguard University of Southern California, and Westmont College.
Non-conference opponents usually include schools such as Cal State LA, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount University, UC Irvine, Chapman University, San Diego State University, CSU San Bernardino, CSU Monterey Bay, UC Riverside, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Bakersfield, Hawaii Pacific University, CSU Northridge, UC San Diego, University of Redlands, Claremont Mudd-Scripps, California Lutheran, University of San Diego, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, University of LaVerne, University of Hawaii, Hilo, Notre Dame de Namur, Alliant International, La Sierra University, Bethany College, Patten University, and Cal State San Marcos. Each year there are a number of out-of-state teams who will travel to California to take on the Vanguard Lions.
Each sport at Vanguard competes for a Golden State Athletic Conference championship. A GSAC title guarantees a berth in the Region Two playoffs, or an automatic qualification for NAIA championship competition held at various sites throughout the United States.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) currently administers a program of intercollegiate athletics to more than 350 fully-accredited, four-year colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada.
The NAIA is focused on its the member's intercollegiate athletic programs being an integral part of the total educational program. The Association is geared to those colleges and universities of moderate enrollment that administer their varsity sports programs on a sound educational and financial basis. Throughout its history, the NAIA has provided strong leadership for all aspects of intercollegiate sports. Since their introduction of intercollegiate championship basketball in 1937, the NAIA has distinguished itself in many ways. They were the first national organization to offer intercollegiate postseason opportunities to black athletes (1948), the first to grant membership to predominately black institutions (1953), and the first to establish national championships for women (1980).
The NAIA currently offers 23 national championships in 13 sports. Schools compete throughout fourteen geographical regions. Vanguard University and the members of the GSAC conference are part of Region Two.
The Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) is one of the most unique and successful conferences in the country. The GSAC is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the nation's first collegiate athletic association to offer national championships.
Established in 1986 by like-minded institutions, the GSAC members are all church-related Christian colleges. They are purposely aligned to be similar in enrollment, academics, athletics and student life. The GSAC uniquely links sports sponsorship to enrollment and adjust athletic scholarships and financial aid to the cost of education at each institution, thereby maintaining a constant ratio for all members.
Conference members have won 20 National Championships and individual athletes from eight schools have won individual NAIA titles. GSAC schools consistently have teams ranked in the NAIA Top 20 in all sports, and compete regularly for regional and national honors. In addition, numerous GSAC schools have hosted NAIA national championships, giving the conference great exposure and the chance to showcase their beautiful locations, from the Central and Southern California coasts to the Central California Valley.
The GSAC, in its second decade of competition, is becoming a major conference and a primary force in shaping the direction of the NAIA, the nation's oldest collegiate athletic association. The GSAC sponsors championships for men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's track, men's and women's tennis, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball.