CWU is a charter member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, which has established itself as one of the top NCAA Division II athletic conferences in the nation during its history.

Conference teams have had a remarkable 65 NCAA Division II top-10 national team finishes in 14 of the 16 sports it sponsors. Conference student-athletes have also earned 53 GNAC CoSIDA Academic All-American awards.

The GNAC’s 10 members are located in one of the most picturesque areas of North America, covering five US states and one Canadian province.