LA JOLLA, Calif.—With the recent opening of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley extension, the UC San Diego and San Diego State baseball programs are set play a pair of games in the affectionately-named "Trolley Series."
The UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley extension opened in November and the new line serves the UC San Diego campus, UC San Diego Health and terminates at the UTC Transit Center. The Green Line Trolley has a stop right in the heart of the San Diego State campus, giving both campuses direct access to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Trolley's network of routes traveling throughout the San Diego area.
The two teams will face each other four times during the current 2022 season, with the Aztecs visiting Triton Ballpark on March 22 and UC San Diego traveling via Trolley to Tony Gwynn Stadium on March 29. Both programs are working on promotional opportunities with MTS and are encouraging fans to take the Trolley to watch the two teams compete.
"This is a very exciting and unique opportunity for us," said UC San Diego head coach
Eric Newman. "Celebrating the extension of the Trolley with the university and larger San Diego community is something so unique and cool that we had to do something to recognize it."
UC San Diego students are encouraged to use the Triton U-Pass, a universal transit pass program that provides students unlimited rides on all MTS and NCTD buses and Trolley/SPRINTER lines. All current UC San Diego undergraduate and graduate students who have paid quarterly registration fees are eligible to receive a U-Pass.
"We've had great partnerships with both UC San Diego and SDSU for years," said Sharon Cooney, MTS Chief Executive Officer. "It's fun to see the ways these universities have embraced transit, and continue to find new and fun ways to encourage the next generation of leaders, and the greater community, to get on board."
"With two new Trolley stations on campus, UC San Diego is building connections like never before throughout the region," said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "UC San Diego is known for top-ranked education, cutting-edge research and world-class patient care. And, as we continue to drive towards our goal of becoming a destination for our community, we invite our students—and all San Diegans—to take advantage of everything UC San Diego has to offer, including arts, culture and athletics."
The goal of the all-electric Trolley is to lessen traffic congestion and to expand public transportation options in San Diego, connecting the east and south county communities with the downtown region.
"I hope we can turn this into some form of tradition and make it something that the city and communities can support for years to come!" said Newman.
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 has begun a new era 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 II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
About San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
MTS operates more than 100 bus routes and three Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego. Frequencies and spans have been restored to near-pre-COVID-19 levels. Updated schedules can be accessed on the MTS website. Federal law requires passengers to wear face coverings at all times, and MTS requests that riders practice physical distancing when possible.
