UC Davis is set to become a non-football member of the Mountain West Conference starting in 2026.
The Aggies will participate in a total of 16 sports that the conference sponsors, which includes both men’s and women’s basketball.
Although the football team will continue playing in the Football Championship Subdivision, it will do so as an affiliate member of the Big Sky Conference.
This weekend, the Aggies are scheduled to play South Dakota in the FCS playoffs.

With their move, UC Davis becomes the fourth institution to join the Mountain West, alongside UTEP, Hawaii (which is a football-only member), and Grand Canyon, which does not have a football program.
The conference is experiencing changes as it is set to lose several of its existing members to the restructured Pac-12, including well-known teams like Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State in 2026.

The school also mentioned that its water polo and beach volleyball teams intend to remain affiliated with the Big West, while being open to exploring other options.
Additionally, there will be no modifications to the membership agreements concerning equestrian, field hockey, or lacrosse programs.