As the world centers its attention on North America and the FIFA World Cup 2026™, the West Coast Conference is playing a large role in the event with multiple conference members serving as Team Base Camp Training Site hosts.  
 
Of the 14 Team Base Camps held at a collegiate facility in the United States, the West Coast Conference is the only league to host multiple national teams. The ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, American, Mountain West and America East each have one conference member serving as a Team Base Camp host, while four non-Division I institutions are serving as Team Base Camp hosts.
 
“The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and it is a tremendous honor to have multiple West Coast Conference institutions play a prominent role in hosting a national team for this prestigious event,” said West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson. “The selection of our member institutions as Team Base Camp hosts and a designated practice site for the Round of 16 is a testament to the exceptional campuses, outstanding facilities and welcoming communities in our conference that will provide a world-class experience for these national teams. We are thrilled for this unique opportunity to showcase these institutions and their elite soccer venues to the world.”
 
Four institutions, including UC Santa Barbara who will be a competing conference member beginning in 2027-28, is hosting a Team Base Camp. Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego is serving as the Team Base Camp for New Zealand, who will begin group stage play on June 15 against IR Iran at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Merlo Field at Clive Charles Soccer Complex on the campus of the University of Portland is the Team Base Camp for Jordan, who will begin competition on June 16 against Austria at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Gonzaga University’s Luger Field is the Team Base Camp for Egypt, as it prepares for its group stage opener against Belgium on June 15 at Lumen Field in Seattle. UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium is the Team Base Camp for Austria, as it prepares to face Jordan on June 16 at Levi’s Stadium.
 
Seattle University’s Championship Field is a designated team practice site ahead of the July 6 Round of 16 match at Lumen Field in Seattle.  
 
National teams arrived at their respective Team Base Camp over the course of the past week and will train at the campus venues throughout the tournament.
 
Following the Final Draw for the tournament last December, the qualified teams began submitting their choices from over 60 site options. The Team Base Camps feature 39 sites in the United States, seven in Mexico and two in Canada.
 
The West Coast Conference is no stranger to elite soccer play and environments in men’s soccer. Last season, both four-time conference champion San Diego and Portland were national seeds in the NCAA Tournament with the Pilots advancing to the quarterfinals while playing every tournament match at home in the friendly confines of Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. With three NCAA Tournament selections last season, the West Coast Conference has been a multi-bid league nine of the past 10 seasons.
 
In addition, UC Santa Barbara has traditionally been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament, most recently competing in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Gauchos were national champions in 2006 and national runner-up in 2004.
 
The FIFA World Cup, which features national teams from 48 countries, begins on June 11 and ends with the final on July 19.