Seattle U is officially back in the West Coast Conference

SEATTLE – Forty-five years after leaving the West Coast Conference, Seattle University is back in the WCC, becoming an official member Tuesday.

Seattle University played in the WCC in the 1970s before leaving in 1980 when the school dropped out of NCAA Division I athletics and became an NAIA Division II member. It was no secret that when the university began the transition back to Division I 15 years ago that it wanted to get back in the WCC.

Instead, the Redhawks ended up in the Western Athletic Conference. In May 2024, it was announced that Seattle U and fellow WAC member Grand Canyon would be joining the WCC on July 1, 2025.

“When we rejoined Division I athletics (in 2010), we did that with the hope and expectation to be able to rejoin the West Coast Conference,” Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver said when the announcement was made. “Today is the culmination of that effort. It’s such a great fit for Seattle University geographically, obviously, but also in terms of the mission and nature of the universities that make up the West Coast Conference.”

It certainly will be a step up in men’s basketball competition for Seattle U, sharing a conference with basketball powers Gonzaga (the Bulldogs are moving to the Pac-12 next year) and Saint Mary’s and a rising San Francisco team. Washington State and Oregon State are also playing in the WCC this season.

Stu Jackson will be closely following how Seattle U does, not only in his job as the commissioner of the West Coast Conference, but also as a Seattle U alumnus, who played basketball in the WCC for Seattle U as a fifth-year senior in 1977-78.

“Putting my commissioner’s hat on, we are just thrilled to have them rejoin the West Coast Conference,” Jackson said. “Seattle U is back where they belong, as a member and a partner of a group of schools that share its mission and its values. Having exhibited success athletically, in our minds, just makes them a great fit for our conference.

“Putting my personal hat on, my heart is warm, knowing that the institution that I graduated from is going to be a part of our conference.”

Jackson played three seasons at Oregon and was one of the famed Kamikaze Kids under coach Dick Harter, but between his junior and senior year, he tore his ACL and PCL, which was considered a career-ending injury in those days.

So Jackson decided to focus fully on academics and applied to Seattle University. He made a call to Bill O’Connor, the Seattle U men’s basketball coach, to see if he could help out the coaching staff if he came to the university.

The answer was yes.

“When I enrolled at Seattle U, right away Bill gave me an opportunity to be a part of the Seattle U coaching staff in a student role, and for that, I’m forever thankful to him,” said Jackson, who became a head coach in the NBA (the Knicks and the Vancouver Grizzlies) and at the University of Wisconsin.

In his second year at Seattle U, Jackson continued to help the coaching staff while still rehabbing “and I got to a point where I thought, ‘I think I can give them some minutes.’ ”

“So about a third of the way into the season, I suited up and played the rest of that season,” said Jackson, who played in 19 games and averaged 12.0 points (second on the team). “It gave me an opportunity to close that loop of my career. I scored my 1,000th point as a collegiate player that year. So all in all, it was a pretty great experience.”

Jackson, who got his degree in business management, said Seattle University will face a tough assignment in men’s basketball this season, but said he is confident that the Redhawks can put themselves in position to contend for conference titles in all sports.

“I surely believe that they can, or else we would not have invited them,” Jackson said.

Jackson talked about the longtime success of the soccer programs at Seattle U, the WAC title for the Seattle U men’s golf team this spring and the men’s basketball team winning at least 20 games three of the past four seasons under coach Chris Victor – a former Eastern Washington assistant.

“Coach Victor is a wonderful coach, so I think in time they’re going to be very competitive in the West Coast Conference,” Jackson said of men’s basketball.

Jackson said he is a proud alum of Seattle U and spent time on campus late last year meeting with Peñalver and Seattle U Athletic Director Shaney Fink.

“Going forward, I’m going to be there a lot more,” Jackson said.