The addition of Thompson Rivers University and UBC Okanagan to Canada West soccer next season will result in changes to the schedule and, in the case of the women's league, realignment.
Thompson Rivers is located in Kamloops and UBC Okanagan is in Kelowna.
On the men's side, both teams will join Canada West's Pacific Division, which will move forward with seven clubs - including the Prince George-based UNBC Timberwolves. Others in the Pacific Division are UBC, UVic, the University of the Fraser Valley (Abbotsford) and Trinity Western University (Langley). Teams will face each other twice, so each will play a 12-game regular season. The top four will qualify for playoffs and the two winners will cross over to meet the two winners in the six-team Prairie Division.
On the women's side, 2013 saw 13 teams playing in a single conference. Next season, the league will be split into a seven-team Pacific Division and an eight-team Prairie Division and will follow the same regular-season and playoff format as on the men's side.
The official schedule is expected to be released next week.
According to Alan Alderson, head coach of the UNBC men's soccer team, the format will be in effect for one year and will then be re-evaluated with an eye toward possible changes.
Alderson expects the Pacific group to be highly-competitive. Nonetheless, his club will be taking direct aim at a playoff berth.
"I think we're on pace to continue closing the gap and our optimistic hope is that we pass some teams this year," said Alderson, whose squad went 2-9-3 last season - its second as a member of Canada West - and finished last in the Pacific.
Andy Cameron, head coach of the UNBC women, also knows his team will be in tough in the Pacific Division but said the Timberwolves are in position to keep pace with their opponents.
"It just got a whole lot tougher because we play UBC, Trinity Western and UVic twice now, instead of once, but I think we're good enough that we can compete with them," he said.
Last season, UNBC had a 1-9-2 record and placed 11th. Meanwhile, UBC, Trinity Western and UVic were all top-four finishers, and Trinity went on to win the national title.
