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UC Irvine Anteaters

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This article is about the collegiate athletics teams known by this nickname. For the mascot, see University of California, Irvine § Anteater as mascot. For the collective student body known by this demonym, see Student activities and traditions at UC Irvine. For specific members of the student body, see List of University of California, Irvine people § Students and alumni.
UC Irvine Anteaters
Logo
UniversityUniversity of California, Irvine
ConferenceBig West (primary)
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (women's indoor track & field)
NCAADivision I
Athletic directorPaula Smith (Interim)
LocationIrvine, California
Varsity teams18
Basketball arenaBren Events Center
Baseball stadiumAnteater Ballpark
Soccer stadiumAnteater Stadium
Other venues
  • Anteater Aquatics Complex
  • Big Canyon Country Club
  • Dove Canyon Country Club
  • Microsemi Field
  • UC Irvine Tennis Stadium
MascotPeter the Anteater
NicknameAnteaters
Fight song"Anteaters, Go!" and "The Big C"
ColorsBlue and gold[1]
   
Websiteucirvinesports.com

The UC Irvine Anteaters are the athletic teams fielded by the University of California, Irvine (UC 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.

UC Irvine fields teams in men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country running, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, women's indoor track & field, men's and women's outdoor track & field, men's and women's volleyball, and men's and women's water polo. The Anteaters have won 28 national championships in nine different team sports. 64 Anteaters have won individual national championships, and 53 Anteaters have competed in the Olympics.

Conference affiliations

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Sports sponsored

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Men's sports Women's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross country Golf
Golf Soccer
Soccer Tennis
Tennis Track and field
Track and field1 Volleyball
Volleyball Water polo
Water polo
1 – outdoor only

Baseball

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Main article: UC Irvine Anteaters baseball
UC Irvine team in 2010

UC Irvine's baseball team won two national championships at the College Division and the Division II level in 1973 and 1974, prior to moving to Division I. The program was eliminated in 1992 due to state budget cuts, but was reinstated in 2002.

Since the return of its baseball program in 2002, UCI has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the country. In 2007, UCI participated in the College World Series for the first time in school history. The Anteaters eliminated both Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State before losing to Oregon State, earning a 3rd-place finish. In 2014, the Anteaters returned to the College World Series and earned a 5th-place finish.

Basketball

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Main articles: UC Irvine Anteaters men's basketball and UC Irvine Anteaters women's basketball

During the 1982 season the men's basketball team were led by two-time first team All-American Kevin Magee. That season, the team was ranked as high as No. 19 in the nation for NCAA Division I basketball. During the 1986 season the Anteaters were led by future NBA player and former head coach of the Washington Wizards, Scott Brooks.

The Anteaters hired Golden State Warriors assistant Russell Turner as the head men's basketball coach in 2010. Turner was named Big West Conference Coach of the Year after he led the Anteaters to the 2013-2014 conference regular season championship.

The Anteaters won their first ever NCAA tournament game in school history on March 22, 2019, upsetting No. 4 Kansas State Wildcats 70-64.

Cross country

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The UC Irvine Anteaters men's cross country team appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times, with their highest finish being 11th place in the 1986–87 school year.[2] The UC Irvine Anteaters women's cross country team appeared in the NCAA Tournament four times, with their highest finish being 4th place in the 1990–91 school year.[3]

Big West logo in UCI's colors
Year Gender Ranking Points
1977 Men No. 15 376
1983 Women No. 16 390
1986 Men No. 11 281
1987 Men No. 14 323
1987 Women No. 8 213
1989 Women No. 10 279
1990 Women No. 4 210

Golf

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UCI sign at Crawford Hall – the athletic complex

During the early years when the UC Irvine Anteater men's golf team participated at the Division II level, the teams were highly successful for five consecutive years from 1973 through 1977. Coach Jerry Hulbert formed teams consisting of local southern California players. The teams played in the NCAA Division II team national championship for each of these five years, including winning the national team championship in 1975. Anteater team member Jerry Wisz also won the individual national championship that year. At these national championships, the teams finished fourth in 1973, second in 1974, second in 1976, and thirteenth in 1977. Seven players from the 1972 through 1976 teams earned All-American honors awarded by the Golf Coaches Association of America, with two of these players awarded for two consecutive years. After reaching the Division I level, the Anteater teams have played in the NCAA National Regionals fourteen times, including reaching the national championship three of those seasons. In coach Paul Smolinski's quite successful twenty-three years as head coach, his teams have played in twelve NCAA regionals, and two NCAA national championships (2001 & 2008). Arguably his best player John Chin, who along with the above-mentioned Jerry Wisz have been the two best players in the entire school history, earned NCAA Division I All-American honors in 2010. John has played as a member of the PGA Tour and what is currently named the Korn Ferry Tour.

Soccer

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Main article: UC Irvine Anteaters men's soccer

UCI soccer plays its home games at Anteater Stadium. The men's team has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation and has made six Division I NCAA tournament appearances with berths in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2018. In addition, since the introduction of the Big West Conference Tournament for soccer in 2008 the Anteaters have won the tournament championship four times. The women's team has made two Division I NCAA tournament appearances with berths in 2010 and 2011.

Notable Anteater soccer alumni include United States men's national team member Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC) and Rouzy (LA Galaxy).

The UC Irvine Anteaters men's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 6–6 through six appearances.[4]

Year Round Opponent Result
2008 Second Round
Third Round		 Cal Poly
St. John's		 W 3–0
L 2–3
2009 Second Round Stanford L 0–1
2011 Second Round Saint Mary's L 1–2
2013 Second Round
Third Round		 North Carolina
Maryland		 W 1–0
L 0–1
2014 First Round
Second Round
Third Round		 UNLV
Stanford
Providence		 W 3–0
W 1–0
L 0–1
2018 First Round
Second Round		 Grand Canyon
Stanford		 W 2–1
L 0–2
2023 First Round Loyola Marmount L 2-4

The UC Irvine Anteaters women's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 6–5–1 through five appearances.[5]

Year Round Opponent Result
2010 First Round
Second Round
Third Round		 Arizona State
Wake Forest
Washington		 W 2–1
W 2–0
L 0–1
2011 First Round San Diego D 2–2 (PK 3-5)
2021 First Round
Second Round		 UCLA
Wisconsin		 W 1-0
L 0-3
2022 First Round
Second Round
Third Round		 USC
Brown
No. 1 Alabama		 W 2-0
D 1-1 (PK 4-2)
L 1-3
2023 First Round
Second Round
Third Round		 No. 2 UCLA
Gonzaga
Nebraska		 W 1-0
W 2-1
L 0-4

Men's Volleyball

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See also: UC Irvine Anteaters men's volleyball

UC Irvine men's volleyball have made the NCAA Tournament a total of eight times, winning four National Championships (2007, 2009, 2012, 2013). As of 2024, the Anteaters hold a record of 9–4 (.692) in those eight NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Anteaters made their first final four appearance in 2006, losing in the NCAA semi-finals to Penn State. They won their first national championship in 2007 by defeating IPFW 3–1 in the NCAA final. UCI won its second national championship in 2009 after defeating USC 3-2 in a five-set comeback victory in the NCAA final. The Anteaters won their third NCAA men's volleyball title in 2012 after defeating USC again in the NCAA final, this time in a 3-0 sweep at the Galen Center. UCI's longtime head coach John Speraw had guided the Anteaters to three national championships in six years but immediately after winning the 2012 national title he left UCI after accepting the head coaching position at UCLA.

UC Irvine alum and former assistant coach David Kniffin took over the Anteater program in 2013 and became just the second head coach in NCAA men's volleyball history to win a national championship in his first season. In the 2013 NCAA final the Anteaters defeated BYU in a 3-0 sweep to win back-to-back national championships.

Year Round Opponent Result
2006 Semifinal Penn State L 2–3
2007 Semifinal
Championship		 Penn State
IPFW		 W 3–1
W 3–1
2009 Semifinal
Championship		 Ohio State
USC		 W 3–0
W 3–2
2012 Semifinal
Championship		 Penn State
USC		 W 3–1
W 3–0
2013 Semifinal
Championship		 Loyola (Chicago)
BYU		 W 3–0
W 3–0
2015 Semifinal Loyola (Chicago) L 0–3
2018 Quarterfinal Ohio State L 0–3
2024 Quarterfinal
Semifinal		 Penn State
UCLA		 W 3–0
L 2–3

Women's Volleyball

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The UC Irvine Anteaters women's volleyball team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 1–3 through three appearances.[6]

Year Round Opponent Result
1988 First Round Long Beach State L 2–3
2003 First Round
Second Round		 Missouri
UCLA		 W 3–2
L 0–3
2004 First Round Arizona L 0–3

Water polo

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UC Irvine's men's water polo team won three NCAA Division I national championships in 1970, 1982, and 1989.[7]

UCI's head men's water polo coach for many years was Ted Newland. As the Anteaters' head coach from 1966-2005, Newland had a lifetime record of 714–345–5. In his 39 years at the helm the Anteaters won three national championships, and the team was consistently rated among the nation's top 5 programs. Many world-class water polo players have been affiliated with UCI, with more than 70 NCAA All-Americans and 13 Olympians being produced by the program. Four Anteaters were a part of the United States team that won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The UC Irvine Anteaters men's water polo team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 29–18 through twenty-one appearances.[8]

In 2023, the UC Irvine Anteaters men's water polo team won the inaugural Big West Men's Water Polo Tournament. With Cal State Fullerton’s addition of a men’s water polo program, the Big West met the criteria to create a men’s water polo conference with its six participating institutions and will now have the ability to have its own championship.[9] The winner receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship.

The UC Irvine women's water polo team is coached by 2004 Olympian Dan Klatt since 2005 and has led the team to 8 NCAA Tournament Appearances in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023, finishing as high as 4th place in 2012. In addition, the team has won 9 Big West Titles and 9 Big West Tournament Titles under Klatt.[10]

Year Round Opponent Result
1969 First Round California L 4–5
1970 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 USC
Long Beach State
UCLA		 W 7–4
W 9–6
W 7–6
1971 First Round CSU Fullerton L 4–5
1972 First Round
Semifinals		 UC Santa Barbara
UCLA		 W 16–12
L 10–15
1973 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 Long Beach State
USC
California		 W 7–5
W 9–5
L 4–8
1974 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 UC Santa Barbara
UCLA
California		 W 10–6
W 5–3
L 6–7
1975 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 UC Davis
Stanford
California		 W 19–4
W 9–8
L 8–9
1976 First Round
Semifinals		 Pittsburgh
UCLA		 W 18–4
L 9–14
1977 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 Arizona
Stanford
California		 W 14–7
W 9–7
L 6–8
1978 First Round
Semifinals		 Loyola (IL)
California		 W 14–5
L 5–7
1980 First Round
Semifinals		 Bucknell
California		 W 13–4
L 7–9
1981 First Round
Semifinals		 UC Santa Barbara
Stanford		 W 9–8
L 6–13
1982 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 Brown
California
Stanford		 W 13–2
W 8–5
W 7–4
1983 First Round
Semifinals		 Loyola (IL)
USC		 W 12–8
L 8–9
1985 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 Brown
UCLA
Stanford		 W 15–8
W 7–6
L 11–12
1987 First Round
Semifinals		 Stanford
California		 W 8–6
L 3–7
1988 First Round USC L 11–13
1989 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 UALR
Stanford
California		 W 13–6
W 8–7
W 9–8
1991 First Round
Semifinals		 Long Beach State
California		 W 11–8
L 10–13
1992 First Round
Semifinals		 Pepperdine
California		 W 11–8
L 5–8
1993 First Round
Semifinals		 Pacific
Stanford		 W 12–10
L 8–10
2023 First Round Princeton L 7-12

Championships

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Appearances

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The UC Irvine Anteaters competed in the NCAA Tournament across 18 active sports (10 men's and 8 women's) 110 times at the Division I level.[11]

  • Baseball (10): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2021, 2024
  • Men's basketball (2): 2015, 2019
  • Women's basketball (2): 1995, 2024
  • Men's cross country (3): 1977, 1986, 1987
  • Women's cross country (4): 1983, 1987, 1989, 1990
  • Men's golf (3): 1992, 2001, 2008
  • Women's golf (3): 2005, 2007, 2009
  • Men's soccer (7): 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2023
  • Women's soccer (5): 2010, 2011, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Men's tennis (13): 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2022, 2024
  • Women's tennis (3): 2007, 2010, 2013
  • Men's indoor track and field (1): 1977
  • Men's outdoor track and field (8): 1968, 1969, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2011, 2012
  • Women's outdoor track and field (5): 1982, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992
  • Men's volleyball (8): 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2024
  • Women's volleyball (3): 1988, 2003, 2004
  • Men's water polo (22): 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2023
  • Women's water polo (8): 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023

Team

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The Anteaters of UC Irvine earned 7 NCAA championships at the Division I level.[12]

Results

School year Sport Opponent Score
1970–71 Men's water polo UCLA 7–6
1982–83 Men's water polo Stanford 7–4
1989–90 Men's water polo California 9–8
2006–07 Men's volleyball Purdue Fort Wayne 3–1
2008–09 Men's volleyball USC 3–2
2011–12 Men's volleyball USC 3–0
2012–13 Men's volleyball BYU 3–0

UC Irvine won 15 national championships at the NCAA Division II level.[12]

  • Baseball: 1973, 1974
  • Men's cross country: 1975, 1976
  • Men's golf: 1975
  • Men's outdoor track and field: 1976
  • Men's swimming and diving: 1969, 1970, 1971
  • Men's tennis: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977

Below are sixteen national club team championships:

  • Co-ed archery (1): 2016 (USIAC)
  • Men's archery (1): 2016 (USIAC)
  • Women's archery (1): 2016 (USIAC)
  • Co-ed badminton (3): 2004, 2007, 2008 (ABA)
  • Men's badminton (2): 2007, 2008 (ABA)
  • Co-ed paintball – Division IAA (1): 2006 (NCPA)
  • Co-ed sailing (7): 1972, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2006 (ICSA)

Note: Those with no denoted division is assumed that the institution earned a national championship at the highest level.

Individual

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UC Irvine had 3 Anteaters win NCAA individual championships at the Division I level.[12]

NCAA individual championships
Order School year Athlete(s) Sport Source
1 1977–78 Mauricio Bardales Men's outdoor track and field [13]
2 1977–78 Steven Scott Men's outdoor track and field [13]
3 2011–12 Charles Jock Men's outdoor track and field [13]

At the NCAA Division II level, UC Irvine garnered 61 individual championships.[12]

Facilities

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Basketball court of the Bren Events Center before a game

The UCI basketball and volleyball teams compete at the Bren Events Center as the main venue.[14] They train and compete at the nearby Crawford Hall as the secondary location.[15] The baseball team plays in Anteater Ballpark, which is located behind the Mesa Parking Structure. Anteater Stadium itself is part of UCI's Crawford Athletics Complex, which houses the track and swimming facilities.

Rivalries

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Since 2006, the UC Irvine Anteaters have participated in the annual "Black and Blue Rivalry Series" with Long Beach State. In this challenge, each school earns points for its collective conference championships and head-to-head victories against each other (across all NCAA sports in which both schools participate). The totals are added up at the end of the season and a winner is declared.[16]

References

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  1. ^ UCI Art Sheet (PDF). May 1, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  2. ^ "Division I Men's Cross Country Championships Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Division I Women's Cross Country Championships Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Division I Men's Soccer Championships Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Division I Women's Soccer Championships Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  7. ^ "UC Irvine". Mwater.uci.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-08.
  8. ^ "National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championships Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  9. ^ "2023 Big West Men's Water Polo Championship - The Big West". bigwest.org. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  10. ^ "WWP Record Book" (PDF). Big West Conference. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  11. ^ "NCAA Championships Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d "Championships Summary" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  13. ^ a b c "Division I Men's Outdoor Track Championships Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Bren Events Center". UCI Athletics.
  15. ^ "Crawford Court". UCI Athletics.
  16. ^ "The Black and Blue Rivalry Series". longbeachstate.com. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
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