UC Riverside Highlanders | |
---|---|
University | University of California, Riverside |
Conference | Big West (primary) Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (indoor track & field) |
NCAA | Division I |
Athletic director | Wes Mallette |
Location | Riverside, California |
Varsity teams | 15 |
Basketball arena | Student Recreation Center Arena |
Baseball stadium | Riverside Sports Complex |
Soccer stadium | UC Riverside Soccer Stadium |
Other venues | Ag/Ops Course Amy S. Harrison Field SRC Tennis Courts UC Riverside Track Facility |
Mascot | Scotty Highlander |
Nickname | Highlanders |
Colors | Blue and gold [1] |
Website | gohighlanders |
The UC Riverside Highlanders represent the University of California, Riverside (UCR) in Riverside, California in 15 men's and women's intercollegiate athletics. [2] The Highlanders compete in NCAA Division I; they are members of the Big West Conference. [3]
In 2020, the future of UCR's sports program was placed into doubt, as the university's leadership were considering cutting the entire athletics department in response to financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in May 2021, the university announced that they had decided against eliminating athletics and would instead continue sponsoring all sports at the Division I level. [4]
Men's sports | Women's sports |
---|---|
Baseball | Basketball |
Basketball | Cross country |
Cross country | Golf |
Golf | Soccer |
Soccer | Softball |
Tennis | Tennis |
Track and field1 | Track and field1 |
Volleyball | |
1 – includes both indoor and outdoor |
The UC Riverside Highlanders baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of the University of California, Riverside. [5] The team is a member of the Big West Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. UC Riverside's first baseball team was fielded in 1958. The team plays its home games at the 2,500-seat Riverside Sports Complex.
The UC Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team represents the University of California, Riverside. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. [6] UC Riverside's first men's basketball team was fielded during the 1958–59 season. The team plays its home games at the 3,168-seat Student Recreation Center Arena.
The UC Riverside Highlanders women's basketball team represents the University of California, Riverside. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. [7] UC Riverside's first women's basketball team was fielded during the 1977–78 season. The team plays its home games at the 3,168-seat Student Recreation Center Arena.
The UC Riverside Highlanders men's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 0–2 through two appearances. [8] [9]
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | First Round | Pacific | L 0–1 |
2022 | First Round | Portland | L 1-2 |
The UC Riverside Highlanders women's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 0–1 through one appearance. [10]
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | First Round | Colorado | L 0–1 |
The UC Riverside Highlanders football team played from 1955 until the program was disbanded in 1975. The team played at Highlander Stadium.
The UC Riverside Highlanders competed in the NCAA Tournament across 6 active sports (2 men's and 4 women's) 10 times at the Division I level. [11]
UC Riverside has never won a national championship at the NCAA Division I level. [12]
UC Riverside won 4 national championships at the NCAA Division II level. [12]
Below is one national championship that was not bestowed by the NCAA:
UC Riverside had 1 Highlander win an NCAA individual championship at the Division I level. [12]
NCAA individual championships | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Order | School year | Athlete(s) | Sport | Source |
1 | 2015–16 | Vesta Bell | Women's indoor track and field | [13] |
At the NCAA Division II level, UC Riverside garnered 11 individual championships. [12]
"Scotty Highlander" is the mascot for UC Riverside. The original mascot was an aggressive little bear wearing a kilt for the school's logo. In 1998, a referendum to move to NCAA Division I was passed and the students approached the administration requesting a new mascot and the old mascot was replaced. In 2011, the mascot was updated again with students voting online and a new "Scotty Highlander" mascot, featuring a roaring bear wearing a plaid Tam o' Shanter was chosen. [2]
All schools in the University of California System have a combination of blue and gold as their school colors. [2] UC Riverside follows this tradition.
The University of California, Riverside is a public land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The main campus sits on 1,900 acres (769 ha) in a suburban district of Riverside with a branch campus of 20 acres (8 ha) in Palm Desert. In 1907, the predecessor to UCR was founded as the UC Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside which pioneered research in biological pest control and the use of growth regulators.
The UC Riverside Student Recreation Center is available to UCR students for physical fitness, sport activities and general recreational use. The Student Recreation Center Arena is located in the building. It is home to the UC Riverside Highlanders men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball teams.
The UC Irvine Anteaters are the athletic teams fielded by the University of California, Irvine. Its athletics programs participate in the NCAA's Division I, as members of the Big West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. For earlier years of the school's existence, the teams participated at the Division II level with great success as explained below.
The San Diego State Aztecs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW); they will become a member of the Pac-12 Conference in 2026. The Aztec nickname was chosen by students in 1925; team colors are scarlet (red) and black. The university currently fields 17 varsity teams.
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The UC Davis Aggies are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Davis.
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The Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams of California State University, San Bernardino. The athletic department was established in 1984 and the school's athletic mascot is the Coyotes, sometimes shortened as “Yotes” during cheers. The school's official colors are coyote blue and black.
The San Francisco State Gators are the athletic teams that compete at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California. The nickname applies to the college's intercollegiate NCAA Division II teams. The nickname was published in the student newspaper, "The Leaf", but was long referred to in media alternatively as the "Staters" and the "Golden Gaters". The use of Gaters eventually evolved into the Gators as known today.
The UC Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team represents the University of California, Riverside in Riverside, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference and is led by coach Mike Magpayo. The Highlanders play their home games at the Student Recreation Center Arena. The program had its greatest success as a Division II program, making it to three Final Fours and the national title game in 1995.
The Cal State San Marcos Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent California State University, San Marcos. The Cougars compete in NCAA Division II as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
The UC Riverside baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of the University of California, Riverside, located in Riverside, California, United States. The program has been a member of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference since the start of the 2002 season. The program's home venue is the Riverside Sports Complex, located on the university's campus. Justin Johnson serves as the team's interim head coach starting with the 2021 season. The program has won two Division II national championships. It has appeared in four Division II College World Series and 12 NCAA tournaments. It has won eight California Collegiate Athletic Association championships and one Big West Conference championship. As of the start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season, 16 former Highlanders have appeared in Major League Baseball.
The UC Riverside Highlanders women's basketball team represents the University of California, Riverside in Riverside, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference. They play their home games at the Student Recreation Center Arena.
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The 2021–22 UC Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team represented the University of California, Riverside in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by second-year head coach Mike Magpayo, played their home games at the on-campus Student Recreation Center Arena in Riverside, California, and competed as members of the Big West Conference.