The Northwest Athletic Conference is the parent organization for thirty-six (36) community colleges located in Idaho, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The NWAC has a variety of administrative responsibilities including conference tournament management, eligibility, publications, rule enforcement and sports information.

The growth of the community colleges over the past few decades has been impressive. The colleges in the Northwest are comprehensive in nature and provide a variety of academic and vocational offerings as well as many enrichment activities for their students. As our student-athletes have transitioned into a work environment, many have provided testimony about the significant benefit and value that participation in community college athletics provided for them. Enrollment in community colleges continues to grow as does interest, participation and membership within the NWAC. 

Mission and Goal Statement

It is the mission of the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) to foster athletic participation in an environment that supports equitable opportunities for student-athletes consistent with the educational objectives of member colleges. 

To this end, the NWAC will promote the importance of character, competition and community by:

A.  Teaching student-athletes how to achieve individual success while contributing to the objective of a group.

B.  Providing student-athletes quality opportunities to compete ethically with honor and sportsmanship.

C.  Supporting academic and athletic growth.

D.  Instilling a respect for diversity within the development of team.

E.  Promoting positive relations within the institution, between the colleges, and their communities.

F.  Teaching the importance of preparation and the balancing of an active schedule.

 NWAC horizontal logo

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NWAC vertical logo

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 NWAC logos (3MB zip file)

NWAC logo usage guidelines (PDF)

Above are several versions of the NWAC logo. If you have questions regarding proper usage of these logos, please contact the NWAC office at nwacsports@clark.edu.

Do not alter either logo in any way.

NWAC History and Growth

The conference offered football, basketball, baseball, tennis, track and golf. In 1963, wrestling entered the picture followed by cross country in 1965 and soccer in 1974. The first two years of the WSJCAC went without any bylaws until the spring of 1948 when Executive Secretary Jim Ennis of Everett JC along with Dave DuVall of Skagit Valley and Maury Phipps of Grays Harbor wrote the original constitution governing scholarship limits, grade eligibility requirements and overall philosophy of the conference's athletic programs.

1946: WSJCAC is Born 
Although athletic competition between junior colleges existed in the 1930's, the first structured league and championship events in men's sports first came about when the Washington State Junior College Athletic Conference was formed in 1946. The nine charter members of the WSJCAC were Centralia, Clark, Everett, Grays Harbor, Lower Columbia, Olympic, Skagit Valley (known then as Mt. Vernon JC), Wenatchee Valley and Yakima Valley. Columbia Basin became the tenth member in 1955.

1963: The OCCAA is Established in Oregon 
It was about this time when community college athletics came to life in the State of Oregon. In the winter of 1963, five schools met to exchange ideas on the possible formation of a league. The Oregon Community College Athletic Association then began play in 1963-64 with Blue Mountain, Southwestern Oregon, Central Oregon, Clatsop and Treasure Valley as charter members. The conference more than doubled in size when Clackamas, Lane, Mt. Hood, Umpqua and three others joined in 1968-69.

1964: Washington's WSJCAC Renamed WAACC 
In 1961, the Washington State Legislature cleared away a legal roadblock which had forbidden the establishment of junior colleges in those counties that had four-year colleges. That started a spurt of expansion as the conference doubled in size. In 1964, the conference was renamed the Washington Athletic Association of Community Colleges.

1970: The NWAACC is Established
The WAACC was renamed the NWAACC when Mt. Hood left the OCCAA to join their Washington neighbors in 1970. It was during the seventies that women's sports started to grow. Previously they were governed by the Northwest College Women's Sports Association. Women's sports were combined with the men's sports when the umbrella organization of the NWAACC was formed for the 1978-79 season.

The job of handling both the men's and women's athletics was too much for volunteer athletic directors who performed the task in the past. After the 1978-79 season, a five-member committee from the conference hired Frank Bosone as their first Executive Director. Bosone retired in 1992 and was succeeded by Dick McClain. In 2011, Marco Azurdia assumed the role of Executive Director.

1983: Merger - OCCAA Joins NWAACC
Northwest community college athletics was forever changed when seven schools from the OCCAA joined the NWAACC for the 1983-84 season. The merger between the Washington and Oregon colleges has helped the NWAACC become a strong organization. Since 1984, nine other colleges have added intercollegiate athletics and/or became NWAACC members.

2014: NWAACC becomes NWAC
The Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) is renamed to Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC).