UCI's Intercollegiate Athletic Program features 20 sports, with 10 men's teams, nine women's teams, and one coed sailing team. Men's sports include basketball, crew, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo. UCI's men's teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, and the University is a member of the Big West Conference. UCI also competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in men's soccer, men's volleyball, and water polo. UCI's sailing team competes in the Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association (ICYRA), and crew competes in the Pacific Coast Championships. The UCI women's teams also are members of NCAA Division I and the Big West Conference, competing in basketball, crew, cross country, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo, which is in its initial year at the University. Beginning in academic year 2001-02, men's baseball will return to UCI, along with an additional one or two women's sports.
UCI has captured 21 national team championships in eight different sports since opening in 1965, with 63 individuals winning national titles and well over 400 earning All-American honors. UCI has won 42 Big West conference championships since 1977. Each spring, the University presents the Big West Scholar-Athlete Award to those student-athletes who maintained a 3.0 GPA over the previous three quarters. In the last 17 years, 1,634 UCI student-athletes have earned the award.
The mission of UCI Intercollegiate Athletics is to facilitate and enrich the education and personal growth of its students through their participation in competitive NCAA Division I athletics. Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to the welfare of student-athletes and staff, and advocates an environment that promotes excellence in athletic and academic performance, sportsmanship, diversity, and gender equity. Intercollegiate Athletics also supports the University of California's mission of public service and serves to generate a unifying spirit among students, faculty, staff, and alumni that transcends communities, cultures, and generations.
The Intercollegiate Athletic offices are located in Crawford Hall; telephone (949) 824-6931.
On-campus facilities include the Bren Events Center, which seats 5,000 for intercollegiate basketball, and Crawford Hall, the home of UCI Athletics. In addition to supporting the University's training and student-athlete academic support services, Crawford Hall gymnasium seats 1,000 for volleyball. Outdoor facilities include the Anteater Stadium, a 2,500-seat facility for soccer and track, and the 12-court, 500-seat Tennis Stadium. Additional facilities include Anteater Field, which will be home to the baseball program when it returns to UCI in 2001-02, and a five-acre multipurpose field complex.
In the spring of 1999, UCI opened the $3-million, 64-meter Anteater Aquatic Complex to house the intercollegiate water polo, swimming, and diving teams. This new aquatics facility is designed with a movable bulkhead and is large enough to accommodate multiple activities simultaneously.
Campus Recreation provides UCI students, faculty, and staff with an opportunity to enhance their campus experience by developing and maintaining a physically active lifestyle through informal recreation, noncredit instruction, intramural sports, club sports, fitness, and sailing opportunities. Most of these programs are offered in the new Anteater Recreation Center and at Crawford Hall.
The Anteater Recreation Center (ARC), opened in January 2000, is a complete state-of-the-art sports and fitness facility. The construction and operation of ARC have been funded through student fees. Registered students have access to the facilities with current UCI identification and are not required to pay any additional membership fee. Faculty and staff may purchase ARC memberships.
Informal Recreation is the facility time made available to serve the diverse needs of the UCI community on a drop-in basis. The facilities in and around ARC are the primary location of these opportunities, which include use of the 10,000-square-foot weight room with 141 cardiovascular and weight machines, and more than 15 tons of free weights, lap and free swimming, racquetball, table tennis, badminton, basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, and jogging on the indoor track.
Recreational noncredit instruction classes include martial arts, fitness, sports classes, and specialty classes. Martial art classes include Karate, Judo, Tai Chi, Iaido, Wushu, and Kung Fu. Drop-in opportunities in fitness range from basic step aerobics, jogging, weight training, and party dancing, to cardio cycling, hip hop, yoga, and massage. Sports activities vary from the classic "lifetime" sports such as tennis, golf, volleyball, and softball to specialty sports like rock climbing, ice skating, and fencing. Classes are taught by members of UCI's Division I coaching staff along with expert specialty instructors.
Intramural sports activities feature men's, women's, and co-rec team sports, and many special events and tournaments. Team sports include basketball, flag football, floor hockey, indoor soccer, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Special events and tournaments include badminton, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, and wrestling. The emphasis is on participation, and activities are offered at all ability levels from novice to advanced. Registration begins on the first day of each quarter. Participants may sign up as a team or as individuals.
Sailing instruction is offered at the Intercollegiate Sailing Base located on Newport Harbor, six miles from campus. Classes are offered from beginning to advanced levels on UCI's fleet of 14' Lidos and 30' Shields. Weekend and weekday classes are offered throughout the year. Through the Sailing Club (UCISA), students and other members of the UCI community may check out boats for personal use. This club is available for eligible participants who complete a basic proficiency test and pay a nominal fee.
Club sports are for students interested in competing in sports not offered through Intercollegiate Athletics. Club sports are student run and University facilitated. Some clubs are organized for competition against other universities' clubs, while others are oriented toward mutual interest and instruction. Active clubs include: badminton, cycling, cricket, fencing, golf, roller hockey, rugby, table tennis, volleyball, water polo, and surfing. Experience is not a prerequisite for membership in any club sport. New clubs can be formed by any student in a sport not currently offered.
All UCI students and ARC membership holders may register and participate in the preceding activities. Up-to-date information, including hours of operation, and class schedules are available in the quarterly Recreation Release and on the Campus Recreation Web site at http://www.campusrec.uci.edu/. Equipment such as basketballs, volleyballs, racquets, and other items may be checked out on a daily basis from Gear Up; telephone (949) 824-6401.
Additional information is available from Campus Recreation Services, 680 California Avenue; telephone (949) 824-5346.
