LA JOLLA, Calif. – A new era is here! UC San Diego has begun its transition to NCAA Division I and the Big West Conference. As part of the move to Division I, UCSDtritons.com introduces our fans to the Big West and the other 10 members - our new conference foes.
Today on our new rival series, we highlight Cal Poly. Get to know all about the Mustangs below.
School: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Nickname(s): Cal Poly, The Mustangs
Location: San Luis Obispo, California
Founded: March 8, 1901
Undergrad Enrollment: 21,037
Joined Big West: 1996, American West Conference (1994-96), California Collegiate Athletic Association (1945-94)
Mascot: Mustangs – Musty; the two mascot finalists were "Mustangs" and "Mules," in which the students chose "Mustangs" in 1925.
Website: University | Athletics
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Tickets: https://www.gopoly.com/tickets | (805)-756-4849
Last NCAA Title(s):
- Division I: 2005 – Sharon Day, women's high jump
- Division II: 1991 (2) - women's cross country & outdoor track and field
Did You Know?
- Cal Poly is the second largest land-holding university in California, behind UC Berkeley, and also one of the largest in the nation.
- Cal Poly is one of a handful of universities with a Wine and Viticulture major.
- The famous tourist attraction Bubblegum Alley – a 70-foot-long walkway lined with pieces of gum on the walls – is located in San Luis Obispo.
- Jamba Juice was founded in San Luis Obispo as part of a senior project, formerly referred to as Juice Club.
- The Mustangs' football stadium is called Alex G. Spanos Stadium – same individual UC San Diego's Alex G. Spanos Athletic Performance Center is named after.
- U-pick hours (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) take place on Saturdays in San Luis Obispo where students can pick crops in the crop fields that the Horticulture and Crop Science students grow.
Notable Alumni:
Athletics Related
- John Madden – NFL Hall of Fame coach
- Ozzie Smith – Baseball Hall of Fame, MLB player
- David Nwaba – NBA player (signed with Houston Rockets)
Other
- Weird Al Yankovic – comedic musician
- Gary Erickson – founder of Clif Bar
- Linda Ozawa – founder of Jamba Juice
- Victor Glover – NASA astronaut
- Aaron Peckham – founder of Urban Dictionary
Triton Connections:
- Eric Barber (UC San Diego '15) – former UC San Diego outside hitter, current Cal Poly women's volleyball assistant coach
Distance from UC San Diego: 298 miles
Be sure to check UCSDtritons.com on Friday to learn more about Cal State Bakersfield.
Stay tuned for the rest of the series on the respective dates listed here:
Meet Our New Rivals Series
Big West
Cal Poly
Cal State Bakersfield
Cal State Fullerton
CSUN
Long Beach State
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Riverside
UC Santa Barbara
Hawai'i
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions III and II and helped guide more than 1,300 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. More than 100 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
