#GCCWaterPolo — The Golden Coast Conference (GCC) is proud to announce that the University of California, Davis and San José State University will join the conference as full members in women’s water polo beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.

Current members of the GCC include Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, University of the Pacific, San Diego State, and Santa Clara. The move strengthens the GCC’s position as one of the top women’s water polo leagues in the NCAA, further enhancing its competitive depth and regional footprint.

“We are extremely excited to welcome UC Davis and San Jose State to the Golden Coast Conference in 2026-27,” said GCC Commissioner Dan Smith.  Being able to add two additional Top-20 teams will be a tremendous asset to our league as we continue to position the GCC as one of the premier women’s water polo conference’s in the country.  Both of these great institutions will help strengthen our conference and will be immediate contenders for a conference title.  We couldn’t be happier with their addition to our league.”

Throughout their history, UC Davis women’s water polo has built a reputation of success in the pool, the classroom, and on the international stage. In 2025 alone, the team earned five Big West postseason awards, 18 players landed on the ACWPC All-Academic team, a school record, and sophomore Chelsea Johnson was selected to compete for her home country of Australia in the 2025 World Aquatics U20 Water Polo Championships. 

“We’re excited to join the Golden Coast Conference and appreciate Commissioner Dan Smith and the Board for extending this invitation,” said UC Davis Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca. “This move provides our women’s water polo program with a strong competitive home and aligns us with institutions that share our commitment to the sport’s future. We look forward to building new rivalries and contributing to the continued success of the GCC.”

As for SJSU, they have consistently finished in the nation’s top 10, doing so 20 times since the early 2000s, including 2001–2014, 2020–2021. The program regularly produced All-America honorees across decades (2007, 2020, 2021), including 22 different student-athletes have been named an All-American a total of 38 times since 1998. Last season eight Spartans were honored again in the 2025 MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athlete selections, continuing the strong tradition of success in the pool and in the classroom.

 “The opportunity to join the GCC provides our program with a competitive and geographic fit that makes sense for our student-athletes and our future,” said Jeff Konya, San José State Director of Athletics. “We look forward to contributing to the continued growth and prestige of the conference.”

Founded in 2014, the Golden Coast Conference is committed to fostering the sport of women’s water polo through high-level competition, sportsmanship, and the development of student-athletes. The 2025-26 campaign will be the 13th season of the GCC. With the addition of UC Davis and San José State, the GCC continues to evolve as a national leader in women’s collegiate water polo.