IRVINE, CA—Dennis Farrell, Commissioner of the Big West Conference for 27 years, today announced that he will be retiring from the position following the 2019-2020 academic year.



Farrell, who became the conference’s fourth commissioner on July 1, 1992, has been with the conference, formerly known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, since 1980.



“I’m announcing my retirement at this time in order to provide the conference ample time to plan, recruit, and hire the next commissioner,” said Farrell. A national search for his successor will be conducted.



During Farrell’s tenure with the Big West, he has seen numerous changes in membership of the conference in addition to the name change from PCAA in 1988. Today, the conference is comprised of four members of the University of California system (UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Barbara), four members of the California State University system (Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, and Long Beach State), and the University of Hawaii, Manoa.



On July 1, 2020, CSU Bakersfield and UC San Diego will join the Big West to boost the conference’s membership to 11. The Big West now sponsors championships in a total of 18 sports (eight men’s and 10 women’s).



Also during Farrell’s four decades with the conference, the Big West has won 13 national team championships in men’s basketball (UNLV in 1990), baseball (Cal State Fullerton in 1995 and 2004), softball (Cal State Fullerton in 1986), men’s soccer (UC Santa Barbara in 2006), women’s volleyball (Pacific in 1985 and 1986, Hawaii in 1987, and Long Beach State in 1989, 1993, and 1998), and most recently men’s volleyball (Long Beach State in 2018 and 2019).



“Over the years the Big West has seen numerous changes to the membership composition and sports championship offerings of the conference and each change has brought new excitement and energy,” said Farrell.



“The excitement will continue this coming July when CSU Bakersfield and UC San Diego join the Big West. The future of the Big West Conference is as bright as it has ever been during its 50 years of existence.”



Prior to assuming the role of commissioner, Farrell served the conference in various capacities as an assistant/associate commissioner. Originally hired by then Commissioner Lewis A. Cryer as the PCAA’s information director, Farrell also served the conference as its primary rule interpreter, championship administrator, schedule coordinator, and director of the league’s successful postseason basketball tournament throughout the 1980’s and into the early 1990’s.



Farrell has been active in representing the Big West on both the national and regional level and served on the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee for four years (2010-2014) and as the chair of the committee for the last two. He currently serves on the Collegiate Commissioners Association’s National Letter of Intent Appeals Committee.



From 1994 to 1997 he represented the Big West on the important NCAA Council and from 1991 to 1997 he sat on the NCAA Two-Year College Relations Committee, including serving as its chair from 1992 to 1995.



“I’ve been blessed to have had a career in intercollegiate athletics with such an outstanding group of universities in a region of the country that I love,” said Farrell. “In my youth I could have never dreamed that I would have such a stimulating career in a field that I love.”



Before joining the Big West, Farrell was the sports information director for nearly three years at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, CA. A 1974 graduate of San Diego State University, Farrell worked for the Daily Californian newspaper in El Cajon and radio station KDEO while attending college.



From 1975 to 1977 he was employed as the sports editor of the Saddleback Valley News in Mission Viejo. He also worked in the sports department of the Orange County edition of the Los Angeles Times.