UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos are the intercollegiate athletic teams who represent the University of California, Santa Barbara. Referred to in athletic competition as UC Santa Barbara or UCSB, the Gauchos participate in 19 NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports with the majority competing in the Big West Conference. UCSB currently fields varsity teams in 10 men's sports and 9 women's sports.
Over the course of the school's history, UCSB has won team national championships for 1979 men's water polo, 2006 men's soccer and 1962 men's swimming and diving. The Gauchos, and the student-athletes who compose the teams, have won a variety of conference titles, regularly compete in NCAA championship events, and have produced professional and Olympic athletes.
The school has played a pivotal role in the collegiate athletics landscape in California. UCSB was a founding member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
Nickname
Those affiliated with UCSB, including alumni, faculty, and students in addition to the athletic teams, have previously gone under the nicknames Hilltoppers and Roadrunners. In September 1934, the student body voted to change the Roadrunners moniker to the Gauchos, which also applied to the athletic teams. Students felt the name more suited the campus's and Santa Barbara, California-area's Spanish architecture, Mission Santa Barbara, and the Gaucho was "essentially Spanish". The school marked the change with a small ceremony of four horse-riders prior to a football game's kickoff. Later, others attributed the change as inspired by Douglas Fairbanks' role in the eponymous film, The Gaucho.History
The earliest teams representing UC Santa Barbara, then known as Santa Barbara State Teachers College, appeared in the 1920s with football and basketball followed shortly by baseball.UCSB were one of four founding members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, which first took place during the 1938–39 school year. The association sponsored 10 sports and served as a catalyst for UCSB to elevate sports previously classified as "minor" to equal standing as "major", which provided a level playing field for all UCSB-sponsored teams.
In 1969, UC Santa Barbara was a founding member of the Big West Conference, then known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.
Along with a consortium of teams from the Big West Conference, Western Athletic Conference, and Pac-10 Conference, UC Santa Barbara was a founding member of the regional Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 1992.
Sports sponsored
Baseball
Potentially one of the oldest teams the Gauchos field, baseball can date back to at least 1923. They've appeared in 9 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. Numerous Major League Baseball players have come through the ranks including Michael Young, Barry Zito, Larry Dierker, and Skip Schumaker.Basketball
Both the UCSB men and women's basketball teams play at the UCSB Events Center, commonly known as the Thunderdome.Men's basketball
UCSB Men's Basketball had its best years in the late '80s and early '90s under coach Jerry Pimm, highlighted by a 77-70 victory over then #2 and eventual National Champion UNLV in 1990, and NCAA tournament appearances in 1988 and 1990. The Gauchos returned to the NCAA tournament in 2002 where they nearly upset powerhouse Arizona in the opening round. Over the years, a few of Pimm's assistants at UCSB have gone on to coach other major programs around the country, including Ben Howland of UCLA and Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh.In the 2009-10 season, UCSB Men's Basketball was the regular season champion and final tournament champion in the Big West Conference, defeating Long Beach State. It won an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament and played 2nd seed Ohio State, losing to the Buckeyes. In 2010-2011, they placed fifth in the regular season. They defeated Long Beach State in the tournament final for the second year in a row. The Gauchos were the lowest seed to win the Big West Tournament since sixth-seeded San Jose State toppled Utah State in 1996. They played the 2nd seeded Florida Gators and lost. It was the first time that UCSB entered an NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.
Some famous Gauchos basketball players are Brian Shaw, Conner Henry, Carrick DeHart, Eric McArthur, Chris Devine, Alex Harris, Cecil Brown, Raymond Tutt, Lucius Davis, Doug Muse, Branduinn Fullove, Mark Hull, Nick Jones, Don Ford, Ray Kelly, James Nunnally, and Orlando Johnson. On the women's side, Kristen Mann currently plays in the WNBA and Mekia Valentine was drafted by the New York Liberty in the 2011 WNBA Draft.
Women's basketball
In 2005, UCSB Women's Basketball won its unprecedented ninth straight Big West Conference Championship. The team had its best year in history during the 2004 season when it advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 where it lost to eventual champion UConn. UCSB was the only team to hold UConn to less than a double-digit victory in the NCAA playoffs. From 2000 to 2005, Tasha McDowell served as an assistant coach.In the 2012 Big West Tournament, the UCSB women's basketball team became the first 6th seed to win the tournament. In the first round, the team traveled to UC Irvine and defeated the 3rd seeded Anteaters 61-51. The Gauchos continued on their playoff march against the Pacific Tigers in the semifinals hosted at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Pacific swept UCSB in the regular season, but the Gauchos were victorious when it mattered the most as they bounced the Tigers out of the tournament with an overwhelming 84-66 decision. The 84-point output currently stands as the most points the Gauchos have scored under head coach Carlene Mitchell. After defeating the number 3 seed and number 5 seed, the Gauchos ended up being the higher ranked team in the championship game as they were set to face Long Beach State who pulled off two miraculous upsets of their own as the 7 seed. The Gauchos went on to capture its record 14th Big West crown with a 63-54 final tally. Gaucho center Kirsten Tilleman had a double-double against the 49ers, which earned her the tournament MVP honors. She was also included on the All-Tournament team roster along with her teammate sophomore guard Melissa Zornig, who averaged 16.7 points per game in the tournament. The 2011-2012 Gauchos' season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament where they fell 81-40 against the eventual national champion Baylor.
Cross country
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's cross country team appeared in the NCAA Tournament two times, with their highest finish being 17th place in the 2001–02 school year. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's cross country team appeared in the NCAA Tournament four times, with their highest finish being 9th place in the 2006–07 school year.| 2001 | Men | No. 17 | 432 |
| 2003 | Women | No. 29 | 586 |
| 2004 | Women | No. 17 | 410 |
| 2006 | Men | No. 27 | 553 |
| 2006 | Women | No. 9 | 318 |
| 2007 | Women | No. 19 | 499 |
Soccer
Men's soccer
In 2004, the UCSB men's soccer team advanced to the College Cup. It routed Duke in the semifinals 5-0, but lost in the championship match to Indiana on penaltiesIn 2006, UCSB again advanced to the College Cup. In the semi-finals, UCSB and 2nd seed Wake Forest played to a 0-0 tie before UCSB won the game on penalty kicks 4-3. In the championship game, UCSB defeated UCLA 2-1 to win its first NCAA Men's Soccer title and its second NCAA championship in school history.
In conference play, the Gauchos have dominated Big West competition. They have won the Big West Championship in 5 of the last 7 years. Also, the Gauchos have had no less than 5 former players receive full international caps.
The Gauchos have led the NCAA in attendance each year from 2007 to 2012, and averaged 5,873 fans during their 2010 home matches. The Gauchos Sep. 24, 2010 match against UCLA drew 15,896 fans, the highest attendance for an NCAA soccer match since the year 2000.
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 22–12 through thirteen appearances.
| 2002 | First Round Second Round | San Diego California | W 2–0 L 1–2 |
| 2003 | Second Round Third Round | California St. John's | W 2–0 L 2–3 |
| 2004 | Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | Milwaukee UNC Greensboro VCU Duke Indiana | W 2–1 W 1–0 W 4–1 W 5–0 L 1–2 |
| 2005 | First Round Second Round | San Diego State CSU Northridge | W 2–0 L 2–3 |
| 2006 | First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | San Diego State SMU Old Dominion Northwestern Wake Forest UCLA | W 2–1 W 3–1 W 2–1 W 3–2 W 1–0 W 2–1 |
| 2007 | Second Round Third Round | Washington Ohio State | W 1–0 L 3–4 |
| 2008 | Second Round | California | L 2–3 |
| 2009 | First Round Second Round Third Round | Wofford San Diego UCLA | W 1–0 W 1–0 L 1–2 |
| 2010 | First Round Second Round | Denver California | W 1–0 L 1–2 |
| 2011 | Second Round Third Round | Providence Creighton | W 3–2 L 1–2 |
| 2013 | Second Round | Penn State | L 0–1 |
| 2015 | Second Round Third Round | South Carolina Clemson | W 1–0 L 2–3 |
| 2019 | First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals | California Saint Mary's Indiana Wake Forest | W 3–1 W 4–0 W 1–0 L 0–1 |
Women's soccer
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 5–9 through nine appearances.| 1984 | First Round | California | L 0–2 |
| 1985 | First Round Second Round | CSU East Bay Colorado College | W 4–3 L 0–3 |
| 1986 | First Round Second Round | Cincinnati North Carolina | W 1–0 L 0–8 |
| 1987 | First Round Second Round | Colorado College California | W 1–0 L 0–3 |
| 1989 | First Round Second Round | Wisconsin Santa Clara | W 1–0 L 0–2 |
| 1990 | First Round Second Round | Stanford Santa Clara | W 1–0 L 0–2 |
| 1991 | First Round | Hartford | L 0–4 |
| 2008 | First Round | Stanford | L 0–2 |
| 2009 | First Round | BYU | L 0–2 |
Softball
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's softball team has an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 0–6 through three appearances.| 2004 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Temple in the No. 1 Regional | |
| 2006 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Southern Illinois in the Evanston Regional | |
| 2007 | 0–2 | Eliminated by Loyola Marymount in the Los Angeles Regional |
Swimming
Based out of Campus Pool on the UCSB campus, the swimming program has seen its fair share of success. For 40 seasons Gregg Wilson was the head coach of the men's and women's swimming teams. Wilson posted a dual meet record of 292-208-1. Even more impressive, his squads have collected 36 Big West Conference Championships, 23 by his men’s teams and 13 by his women’s teams. Before the Texas Longhorns men's swim team broke it, the UCSB men's swim team set the NCAA record for most consecutive conference titles in any sport with 23 straight Big West Conference championships from 1979-2001. The men’s teams have been ranked as high as 16th nationally and several of his swimmers over the years have advanced to the NCAA Championships. In fact, the men’s team has turned in 38 All-American performances under Wilson.The team is now led by Coach Matt Macedo, who took over the position in August 2016. The men's teamearned back to back championship titles at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship for in 2017 and 2018, while Macedo also earned the coach of the year award in his first year.
Notable alumni of the program include Olympic gold medalists Richard Schroeder, Jason Lezak, Sandy Neilson, Sophie Kamoun, former 50-meter freestyle world record holder Bruce Stahl, and Pat Cary.
Volleyball
Men's volleyball
The men's volleyball team has finished as the NCAA runner up 5 times, most recently in 2011. The women's volleyball team plays at the UCSB Events Center, while the men's team plays at Robertson Gymnasium.Women's volleyball
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's volleyball team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 21–28 through twenty-eight appearances.| 1981 | Regional Semifinals Regional Finals | BYU San Diego State | W 3–2 L 0–3 |
| 1982 | First Round | San Jose State | L 2–3 |
| 1983 | First Round Regional Semifinals | Northwestern Cal Poly | W 3–0 L 2–3 |
| 1984 | First Round | Fresno State | L 1–3 |
| 1985 | First Round | Cal Poly | L 2–3 |
| 1986 | First Round | San Diego State | L 1–3 |
| 1987 | First Round | Cal Poly | L 1–3 |
| 1988 | First Round | Pacific | L 0–3 |
| 1989 | First Round | Cal Poly | L 2–3 |
| 1990 | First Round Regional Semifinals | Idaho State Pacific | W 3–0 L 0–3 |
| 1991 | First Round Regional Semifinals | Fresno State Long Beach State | W 3–0 L 1–3 |
| 1992 | First Round Regional Semifinals | Idaho Pacific | W 3–0 L 1–3 |
| 1993 | Second Round | Minnesota | L 2–3 |
| 1994 | First Round Second Round | Princeton Pacific | W 3–0 L 2–3 |
| 1995 | First Round Second Round | South Florida Arizona State | W 3–0 L 2–3 |
| 1996 | First Round Second Round | Northern Illinois Loyola Marymount | W 3–2 L 1–3 |
| 1997 | Second Round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals | UCLA Texas Stanford | W 3–2 W 3–0 L 0–3 |
| 1998 | First Round Second Round Regional Semifinals | Santa Clara UCLA Wisconsin | W 3–0 W 3–1 L 2–3 |
| 1999 | First Round Second Round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals | Oral Roberts Loyola Marymount Nebraska Stanford | W 3–0 W 3–1 W 3–1 L 0–3 |
| 2000 | First Round Second Round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals | UTSA Stanford Minnesota Hawaii | W 3–0 W 3–2 W 3–1 L 1–3 |
| 2001 | First Round | San Diego | L 2–3 |
| 2002 | First Round Second Round Regional Semifinals | Fresno State California Pepperdine | W 3–1 W 3–0 L 1–3 |
| 2003 | First Round | Northern Iowa | L 2–3 |
| 2004 | First Round Second Round | Alabama A&M Georgia Tech | W 3–0 L 0–3 |
| 2005 | First Round | USC | L 1–3 |
| 2006 | First Round | BYU | L 2–3 |
| 2009 | First Round | Saint Mary's | L 2–3 |
| 2013 | First Round | San Diego | L 0–3 |
Men's water polo
UC Santa Barbara won the 1979 National Championship in men's water polo, defeating the UCLA Bruins by a score of 11–3. This was UCSB's first ever NCAA Division I championship. The program has produced a number of notable players including Craig Wilson, Greg Boyer, John Anderson, Brian Alexander, and Ross Sinclair, who have won multiple Olympic medals between the group. The current head coach is three-time Olympian and former United States men's national water polo team captain Wolf Wigo, who also oversees the UCSB women's water polo program.The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's water polo team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 7–11 through twelve appearances.
| 1969 | First Round Semifinals | Colorado State California | W 7–3 L 4–6 |
| 1970 | First Round | UCLA | L 6–7 |
| 1972 | First Round | UC Irvine | L 12–16 |
| 1973 | First Round | UCLA | L 2–14 |
| 1974 | First Round | UC Irvine | L 6–10 |
| 1976 | First Round Semifinals | Loyola Stanford | W 13–5 L 6–7 |
| 1979 | First Round Semifinals National Championship | Loyola Stanford UCLA | W 21–4 W 10–9 W 11–3 |
| 1980 | First Round | California | L 7–11 |
| 1981 | First Round | UC Irvine | L 8–9 |
| 1982 | First Round | UCLA | L 6–8 |
| 1985 | First Round Semifinals | Long Beach State Stanford | W 7–6 L 6–7 |
| 1990 | First Round Semifinals | Navy Stanford | W 16–9 L 7–9 |
Former varsity sports
Football
UCSB began playing intercollegiate football in 1921, playing as the "Roadrunners" on a field at Pershing Park. Theodore "Spud" Harder became coach in 1934; in the same year the school adopted a new name, selecting "Gauchos" in a student vote. The 1936 team finished with a 9-1 record, the best in school history, and two of its members later played for the NFL New York Giants. La Playa Stadium, now used by Santa Barbara City College, opened in 1938 and was the team's home until 1966, when Harder Stadium was built. "Cactus Jack" Curtice, who had been head coach at a number of major college programs, coached the team from 1963 to 1969: his 1965 team finished 8-1 and went to the Camellia Bowl. Under Curtice's successor, Andy Everest, the college decided to launch an NCAA Division I program, but after two seasons of dismal on-field performance and a lack of student support, the college changed directions and decided to drop the sport entirely. The Gauchos appeared in four bowl games during these 50 years, winning only once, in the 1948 Potato Bowl.A student-run club team started play in 1983, and in 1985 a student referendum approved funding for a Division III, non-scholarship team. The team began play in 1987 and enjoyed some success on the field, with a 33-15 record from 1987 to 1991. However, in 1992 the NCAA decided to forbid schools playing in Division I in other sports from maintaining a lower level football program, and UCSB dropped the sport again.
Non-varsity club sports
Numerous UC Santa Barbara athletic teams compete intercollegiately at the student club level without official sanction or sponsorship from the university's Athletic Department. While there are 450 students-athletes in ICA, there are over 700 in club sports teams. Many of these teams are highly regarded and compete against intercollegiate teams from across the United States. The Women's Water Polo team captured two Collegiate Club titles, in 1987 and 1989. The Rowing Team is the current National Champion for the second consecutive year and Women's Team point Champion.The following teams compete in intercollegiate non-varsity club sports:
Lacrosse
UC Santa Barbara men's lacrosse competes in the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League. It was won the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association national championship twice and ranks in the top 5 programs in history for both national championships won and national championship finals appearances.Rowing
Rowing was started in 1965 as the first club sport at UC Santa Barbara, predating some of the university's intercollegiate athletic teams. It was followed in 1972 by a women's side. The Gauchos compete in the American Collegiate Rowing Association, where they've won numerous national championships. The program has produced Olympic Games and national team members such as Amy Fuller.Rugby
UC Santa Barbara previously played host to the Santa Barbara International Rugby Tournament, once the largest rugby tournament in the world which drew teams locally and internationally. UCSB has produced several top rugby players, including United States national rugby union team members Bill Leversee and Kristine Sommer. Others went on to success in other sports, such as Doug Oldershaw.Surf
UCSB's 12-time national championship surf team holds more trophies than any other surf team in the nation. Its last national championship was led by captain Colin Andersen in 2010 at the National Scholastic Surfing Association Nationals.Ultimate frisbee
The Black Tide and the Burning Skirts are consistently top teams in the nation. The Black Tide is the most successful men's collegiate ultimate frisbee team in history and has won six national championships through USA Ultimate's college championships. It's also the only men's team to win back-to-back-to-back championships, which it accomplished twice. The Burning Skirts have won five national championships, one of only three teams to have ever won back-to-back championships.Championships
Appearances
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos competed in the NCAA Tournament across 20 active sports 184 times at the Division I level.Team
The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara earned 2 NCAA championships at the Division I level.- Men's
- * Soccer : 2006
- * Water polo : 1979
UC Santa Barbara won 1 national championship at the NCAA Division II level.
- Men's swimming and diving: 1967
- Co-ed cycling : 1988
- Co-ed sailing : 1984
- Co-ed surfing : 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010
- Men's ultimate : 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998
- Women's ultimate : 1988, 1990, 1991, 2009, 2011
Individual
At the NCAA Division II level, UC Santa Barbara garnered 12 individual championships.
Traditions
Mascot
The official mascot of the UC Santa Barbara is Olé. In September 1934, the student body voted to change the Roadrunners moniker to the Gauchos, which also applied to the athletic teams. The mascot, Olé, is the costumed mascot representing the "Gauchos" nickname.School colors
The school colors are "Pacific Blue" and "Gaucho Gold", with the occasional accent of "Navy Blue". In 2009, the program underwent a transformation, giving UCSB a new brand and visual identity. As a result, the UCSB athletic program released new logos, different colors, and a unified theme across all teams.Rivalries
The Blue-Green rivalry
The main rival of UC Santa Barbara is the Cal Poly Mustangs who compete together in the Blue–Green Rivalry. The Blue-Green Rivalry, which started in November 1921 with a football game, was formalized in 2009. This new format calculates earned points between UCSB and Cal Poly to determine a winner based on their teams' competitive results against each other. Additionally, collegesoccernews.com ranked UC Santa Barbara vs. Cal Poly as the Greatest Rivalry in College Soccer.Notable alumni
- Shane Bieber Current Pitcher for Cleveland Indians
- Joe Cannon : Former professional and international soccer goalkeeper. 2002 and 2004 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award winner and former member of the United States men's national soccer team.
- Scott Fisher, : Former professional basketball player and current head coach.
- Eric Fonoimoana : 2000 Summer Olympics Gold Medalist and former professional beach volleyball player.
- Rob Friend : Former professional and international soccer forward. Former member of the Canada men's national soccer team.
- Laurie Hill : Former international soccer player who appeared in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup for the Mexico women's national football team.
- Mario Hollands : Professional baseball player.
- Carin Jennings : Former international soccer player for the United States women's national soccer team and current collegiate head coach. Winner of the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, 1991 Golden Ball, and gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics; inductee to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. NCAA's all-time leading goal scorer with 102 career goals and UCSB's only 4-time All-American.
- Jenna Lee : Television co-anchor and journalist.
- Jason Lezak : 4-time Gold Medalist and 7-time Medalist in swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2004 Summer Olympics, and 2008 Summer Olympics.
- Tony Lochhead : Former professional and international soccer defender. A member of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup teams for the New Zealand national football team.
- Kristen Mann : Professional basketball player.
- Thiago Martins : Former professional soccer forward.
- Johnny Morris : Former American football running back/wide receiver. Spent his entire ten-year career with the Chicago Bears.
- Sandy Neilson : 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist and world record holding swimmer in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
- Todd Rogers : 2008 Summer Olympics Gold Medalist and former professional beach volleyball player. Winner of the 1997 AVP Rookie of the Year, 2004-2007 AVP Best Defensive Player, 2006 AVP MVP, and 2007 AVP Champion.
- Skip Schumaker : Former professional second baseman and outfielder who was a member of the 2011 World Series champions.
- Brian Shaw : 3-time National Basketball Association champion former basketball player and current basketball head coach.
- Ryan Spilborghs : Former professional baseball player and current television broadcaster.
- Alan Williams : Professional basketball player.
- Craig Wilson : 3-time Olympian and 2-time Olympic Silver Medalist in men's water polo at the 1984 Summer Olympics and 1988 Summer Olympics.
- Michael Young : 6-time Major League Baseball All-Star and 2006 All-Star Game MVP former professional baseball infielder.