Northridge finally found a solid conference affiliation in 1996, joining the Big Sky Conference. Cassidy was replaced by Bobby Braswell, a Northridge alum who was previously an assistant coach at Oregon. Braswell brought with him an up-tempo, high-pressure style of play that kept the Matadors among the national leaders in steals and turnovers forced during his tenure. The turnaround was immediate, as CSUN went 14–15 and reached the Big Sky Tournament championship game, falling just short of an NCAA berth in an 82–79 loss to Montana.