UC Davis Aggies
Encyclopedia
The UC Davis Aggies (or Ags) compete in NCAA Division I sports in the Big West Conference
. For football
, the Aggies compete in Division I FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA), and are members of the Great West Conference, granting UC Davis the distinction of being one of only three UC campuses to field a football team (Cal
and UCLA being the other two). The Aggies are also members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
in gymnastics and lacrosse, the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association
in rowing
, and an associate member of the Pacific-12 Conference in wrestling.
The Aggies finished first in NCAA
Division II six times in 2003 and won the NACDA Director's Cup
4 years in a row from 1999 to 2003. In 1998, the UC Davis men's basketball team won the NCAA Division II national championship despite being one of the few non-scholarship institutions in Division II at that time. They have also won NCAA Division II championships in Softball (2003), Men's Tennis (1992), and Women's Tennis (1990, 1993). These and other achievements motivated a decision (following a year of heavy discussion by campus administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni and the local community) in 2003 for the athletics program to re-classify to Division I.
The highlight of the recent 4-year transition to Division I occurred on September 17, 2005, when the Aggies defeated the heavily favored Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium
by a score of 20-17 on a TD pass with 8 seconds left in the game. The Aggies also pulled off an upset against Stanford in basketball just months later, beating the Cardinal 64-58 with a late rally at home on December 4, 2005. The win in these two major sports and the addition of the Aggies beating the Cardinal in soccer earlier in 2005 as well as a win in wrestling and two wins in baseball pulled the Aggies' win loss record with Stanford to 5-1 for men's sports the 05-06 year.
The Aggie football team plays Sacramento State
in the annual Causeway Classic
for the Causeway Carriage
. The team also plays Cal Poly
in the annual Battle for the Golden Horseshoe
. UC Davis students gather at sporting events to rally as the Aggie Pack
, the largest student-run school spirit organization in the United States. The Aggie Pack cheers on the sports team to the music of the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh! and its alumni band. Aggie Stadium is the home of the UC Davis football and lacrosse teams.
The UC Davis Women's rugby was ranked 4th in the nation in 2007.
UC Davis also has a note-worthy wrestling program, which competes in the Pac-10 at the Division I level. In 2007, UC Davis wrestler Derek Moore gained All-American status, as well as won the NCAA Division I Championships for his weight class. In addition, he received the "Most Outstanding Wrestler" award of the NCAA tournament. In so doing, Derek Moore became the first UC Davis student-athlete to become a NCAA champion at the Division I level. That same year, UC Davis finished within the top 25 for Division I collegiate wrestling programs in the country.
The official school colors are blue and gold. The blue is due to the UC's early connection to Yale and as a result is often referred to as "Yale Blue
" (e.g., see http://athletics.ucdavis.edu/FOOTBALL/General_Info/general.html and http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/CALDAV?&_1:col_1=1), although UCD's official blue, usually called "Aggie Blue", Pantone 295 differs from Yale Blue (approximately Pantone 289).
The official school mascot is the mustang
. Students at UC Davis are referred to as Aggies in honor of the school's agricultural heritage. Unlike most colleges, there is a distinction between the name for students and the mascot. There was a movement to change the school's mascot from the mustang to the cow
, but despite student support this was turned down after opposition from alumni. Many people will call the mustang mascot of UC Davis an Aggie
, but this is not its proper name; the mustang mascot is named Gunrock. The name dates to 1921 when the US Army brought a horse named Gun Rock
to UC Davis to supply high-quality stock for cavalry horses. The mustang mascot was selected to honor that cavalry horse.
On April 20, 2010, the school announced that effective July 1, four sports will be eliminated due to the national economic downturn.
The sports are: Women’s rowing, wrestling, men’s swimming and diving, and men’s indoor track and field.
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
. For football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, the Aggies compete in Division I FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA), and are members of the Great West Conference, granting UC Davis the distinction of being one of only three UC campuses to field a football team (Cal
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and UCLA being the other two). The Aggies are also members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is a college athletic conference whose member teams are located in the western United States. The conference participates at the NCAA Division I level.-History:...
in gymnastics and lacrosse, the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association is an American collegiate conference that only sponsors rowing.-Men's Rowing Members:*Arizona State University*California State University, Humboldt*California State University, Long Beach...
in rowing
Davis Men's Crew Club
The Davis Men's Crew Club is a collegiate sports club representing the University of California, Davis in rowing. As a non-funded team, it is a member of the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association , whose participants are mostly of non-Pac-10 schools on the West Coast...
, and an associate member of the Pacific-12 Conference in wrestling.
The Aggies finished first in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division II six times in 2003 and won the NACDA Director's Cup
NACDA Director's Cup
The NACDA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup is an award given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the colleges and universities with the most success in collegiate athletics...
4 years in a row from 1999 to 2003. In 1998, the UC Davis men's basketball team won the NCAA Division II national championship despite being one of the few non-scholarship institutions in Division II at that time. They have also won NCAA Division II championships in Softball (2003), Men's Tennis (1992), and Women's Tennis (1990, 1993). These and other achievements motivated a decision (following a year of heavy discussion by campus administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni and the local community) in 2003 for the athletics program to re-classify to Division I.
The highlight of the recent 4-year transition to Division I occurred on September 17, 2005, when the Aggies defeated the heavily favored Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the Stanford University campus, the home of Stanford Cardinal college football team. It originally opened in 1921 as a football and track stadium, an earthen horseshoe with wooden bleacher seating and flooring upon a steel frame...
by a score of 20-17 on a TD pass with 8 seconds left in the game. The Aggies also pulled off an upset against Stanford in basketball just months later, beating the Cardinal 64-58 with a late rally at home on December 4, 2005. The win in these two major sports and the addition of the Aggies beating the Cardinal in soccer earlier in 2005 as well as a win in wrestling and two wins in baseball pulled the Aggies' win loss record with Stanford to 5-1 for men's sports the 05-06 year.
The Aggie football team plays Sacramento State
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
in the annual Causeway Classic
Causeway Classic
The Causeway Classic is the annual College football game between the Sacramento State Hornets and the UC Davis Aggies. In the past, the Causeway Carriage was transported to the winner of the game at the loser's expense...
for the Causeway Carriage
Causeway Carriage
The Causeway Carriage is a Victorian era carriage awarded to each season's winner of Causeway Classic College football game between the University of California, Davis and the California State University, Sacramento ....
. The team also plays Cal Poly
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
in the annual Battle for the Golden Horseshoe
Battle for the Golden Horseshoe
The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe is an annual rivalry college football game played between the UC Davis Aggies and the Cal Poly SLO Mustangs. Although the two teams have met on the gridiron since 1939, the rivalry officially began with the 2004 game at Cal Poly SLO. The winner of the game...
. UC Davis students gather at sporting events to rally as the Aggie Pack
Aggie Pack
Students of the University of California at Davis who attend sporting events can join the Aggie Pack, the largest student-run university spirit organization in the United States. The Aggie Pack was started in 1992 as an attempt to increase attendance at games and events, and was successful...
, the largest student-run school spirit organization in the United States. The Aggie Pack cheers on the sports team to the music of the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh! and its alumni band. Aggie Stadium is the home of the UC Davis football and lacrosse teams.
The UC Davis Women's rugby was ranked 4th in the nation in 2007.
UC Davis also has a note-worthy wrestling program, which competes in the Pac-10 at the Division I level. In 2007, UC Davis wrestler Derek Moore gained All-American status, as well as won the NCAA Division I Championships for his weight class. In addition, he received the "Most Outstanding Wrestler" award of the NCAA tournament. In so doing, Derek Moore became the first UC Davis student-athlete to become a NCAA champion at the Division I level. That same year, UC Davis finished within the top 25 for Division I collegiate wrestling programs in the country.
The official school colors are blue and gold. The blue is due to the UC's early connection to Yale and as a result is often referred to as "Yale Blue
Yale Blue
Yale Blue is the dark blue color used in association with Yale University.University Printer John Gambell, who was asked to standardize the color in 2005, characterized its spirit as "a strong, relatively dark blue, neither purple nor green, though it can be somewhat gray...
" (e.g., see http://athletics.ucdavis.edu/FOOTBALL/General_Info/general.html and http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/CALDAV?&_1:col_1=1), although UCD's official blue, usually called "Aggie Blue", Pantone 295 differs from Yale Blue (approximately Pantone 289).
The official school mascot is the mustang
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
. Students at UC Davis are referred to as Aggies in honor of the school's agricultural heritage. Unlike most colleges, there is a distinction between the name for students and the mascot. There was a movement to change the school's mascot from the mustang to the cow
Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus....
, but despite student support this was turned down after opposition from alumni. Many people will call the mustang mascot of UC Davis an Aggie
Aggie
-People:Aggie may be a diminutive form of the given names Agne, Agnatha, Agamemnon, Agata/Agatha, Agnija, or Agnes. It may also be a diminutive form of a family name that begins with 'Ag-'.People who are known as 'Aggie' include:* Christopher J.C...
, but this is not its proper name; the mustang mascot is named Gunrock. The name dates to 1921 when the US Army brought a horse named Gun Rock
Gun Rock
Gunrock is the official mascot of the UC Davis Aggies. He is named after Gun Rock, who was born in 1914 and was the offspring of English Triple Crown winner Rock Sand and race mare Gunfire. His bloodlines are similar to those of the legendary racehorse Man O' War. In 1921, he was brought by the U.S...
to UC Davis to supply high-quality stock for cavalry horses. The mustang mascot was selected to honor that cavalry horse.
On April 20, 2010, the school announced that effective July 1, four sports will be eliminated due to the national economic downturn.
The sports are: Women’s rowing, wrestling, men’s swimming and diving, and men’s indoor track and field.
See also
- UC Davis PavilionUC Davis PavilionThe Pavilion at ARC, formerly known as Recreation Hall and best known as The Pavilion, is an 8,000-seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of the University of California, Davis in Davis, California.-History and renovations:...
- Aggie Stadium (UC Davis)
External links
- Davis Wiki - Wiki for the community of Davis