The Western Football Conference was an NCAA Division II scholarship-awarding football conference that existed from 1982 to 1993. Among its member schools were (from 1982 to 1992 unless otherwise noted): The first discussion of the formation of the league was held by administrators in 1976. Its founding, and only, commissioner was Vic Buccola, who had been the athletic director at Cal Poly from 1973 to 1981. He then became a founder and commissioner of the multi-sport American West Conference, which was chartered after the WFC folded in 1993. The WFC folded in part because of a new NCAA rule that prohibited member institutions who competed at the Division I (D-I) level in other sports from competing at the Division II (D-II) level in football. Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly SLO, Southern Utah, and Sacramento State, plus UC Davis for football, were the first announced members of the American West Conference. Of the eight WFC member schools: The WFC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was named for Santa Clara coach Pat Malley. Its recipients include: