UCI's Intercollegiate Athletic Program features 19 sports, with 10 men's teams, eight 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 12-school 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, and volleyball.
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 40 Big West conference championships since 1977: 19 in cross country, 11 in tennis, eight in water polo, and two in track and field.
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 13 years, 1,151 UCI student-athletes have earned the award.
TEAM UCI features Anteater student-athletes, coaches, and staff members participating in community outreach activities, such as visiting local elementary and middle schools to provide motivational talks.
Intercollegiate Athletics also features a UCI Hall of Fame, honoring former athletes, coaches, and administrators. Twenty-five Anteaters have received recognition by election to the Hall of Fame, which is located in the Bren Events Center.
The University is proud of the 23 outstanding UCI men and women who have participated in Olympic competition, including the 1992 silver medalist in the long jump, Mike Powell. UCI has had four former-student-athletes on each of the last three U.S. Olympic water polo teams. Currently there are approximately a dozen former Anteater athletes competing professionally throughout the world.
The Intercollegiate Athletic offices are located in Crawford Hall; telephone (714) 824-6931.
The Campus Recreation program offers noncredit instruction, intramural activities, club sports, fitness, and informal recreation opportunities to all officially enrolled students, as well as faculty and staff.
Recreational instruction provides UCI students, faculty, and staff with an opportunity to enhance their campus experience by developing and maintaining a physically active lifestyle through participation in noncredit classes. Martial arts classes represent many parts of the world with offerings in the well known arts of Karate, Judo, and Tai Chi, to the more exotic forms of Iaido, Wushu, and Kali Eskrima. Opportunities in fitness range from basic step aerobics, jogging, weight training, and party dancing, to cardio jam/hip hop, yoga, and aqua fitness. Sports activities vary from the classic "lifetime" sports such as tennis, golf, volleyball, and softball to specialty sports like rock climbing, roller hockey, ice skating, and fencing. Classes are taught by members of UCI's Division I coaching staff along with expert specialty instructors.
Intramural activities feature men's, women's, and co-rec team sports, and many special events and tournaments. Team sports include flag football, volleyball, basketball, softball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, and team tennis. A sampling of special events and tournaments include: badminton, racquetball, tennis, track and field, three-on-three basketball, two-person volleyball, swimming, and wrestling. The emphasis is on participation, and activities are offered at all ability levels from novice to advanced.
Intramural teams are formed by students each quarter. A "free agent" option is available for students wishing assistance identifying teams who need additional players. Students may come by the Campus Recreation Office on the first day of classes each quarter to reserve their space in an intramural league.
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' Lido's and 30' Shields. Weekend and weekday classes are offered all year long. When not used for instruction, the boats may be checked out by students and other members of the UCI community. This program is offered to those who complete a basic proficiency test and pay a nominal fee. The UCI Sailing Club also sponsors a variety of activities including races and cruises.
The Masters Swim Progam provides structured, coached workouts for students, faculty, and staff. This program is designed for all age and ability levels. Morning and evening workouts are scheduled.
For students interested in competing in sports not offered through Intercollegiate Athletics, club sports are available. 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, bike racing, fencing, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, roller hockey, rugby, scuba diving, ski racing, triathlon, wrestling, and women's water polo. 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.
Informal recreation is facility time made available to serve the diverse needs of the UCI community on a drop-in basis. The facilities in and around Crawford Hall are the primary location for these opportunities. Activitites include: badminton, indoor and outdoor basketball, jogging, racquetball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and weight lifting. All UCI students and Recreation Card holders can participate in informal recreation activities. Hours are listed in the quarterly Recreation Release. Gym activity times are also updated monthly in the Monthly Gym Schedule. Reservations may be made for racquetball courts 24 hours in advance. Special reservation requests can be made for other facilities on a limited basis. Equipment such as basketballs, volleyballs, racquets, and other items may be checked out on a daily basis in the Sports Equipment Service Center; telephone 824-6401 for information regarding facility hours or equipment rental.
Additional information is available from the Campus Recreation Office, 1368 Crawford Hall, telephone (714) 824-5346, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.campusrec.uci.edu/~cr/index.html.
On-campus facilities include the Bren Events Center, which seats 5,000 for intercollegiate basketball and volleyball events. Crawford Hall features activity areas for badminton, basketball, combatives, fencing, volleyball, and weight training. Anteater Field, a lighted stadium that seats 1,000, is home to the UCI soccer teams. The track stadium seats 2,500 and the tennis stadium, which seats 500, features 12 courts, six of which are lighted. The campus also has lighted outdoor basketball courts; six indoor four-wall handball/ racquetball/squash courts; a swimming pool; and multipurpose recreational fields.
Off-campus facilities include a sailing and crew base in Newport Beach and access to nearby facilities for bowling, roller skating, ice skating, and equestrian use. City and State beaches on the Pacific Ocean are also within minutes of the campus.
