Desert Conference

{{Short description|Junior college athletic conference in Southern California}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

The Desert Conference was a junior college athletic conference with member schools located in Southern California that operated from 1961 to 1981. It was formed in 1961 with four charter members: Barstow Community College, Imperial Valley College, Palo Verde College, and Victor Valley College.{{cite news |last=Claire |first=Fred |title=Prep Potpourri |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/progress-bulletin/151115460/ |newspaper=Progress-Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |date=June 11, 1961 |page=2, section 4 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} The College of the Desert joined the conference in 1962.{{cite news |last=Abbey |first=Bob |title='Phys-Ed' Schedules Active Event Calendar; School Joins Junior College Desert Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-desert-sun/151115366/ |newspaper=The Desert Sun |location=Palm Springs, California |date=September 20, 1961 |page=13 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

The Desert Conference was abolished by California's Commission on Athletics (COA) in 1981. In a releaguing process, the members of the conference moved to the newly-formed Foothill Conference.{{cite news |last=Froloff |first=Bill |title=New conference means both good news and bad news for COD football grids |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-desert-sun/151115168/ |newspaper=The Desert Sun |location=Palm Springs, California |date=August 5, 1981 |page=C1 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}