| UC Riverside Highlanders | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | University of California, Riverside |
| Conference | Big West (primary) Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (indoor track & field) |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Wes Mallette |
| Location | Riverside, California |
| Varsity teams | 15 |
| Basketball arena | Student Recreation Center Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Riverside Sports Complex |
| Soccer stadium | UC Riverside Soccer Stadium |
| Other venues | Ag/Ops Course Amy S. Harrison Field SRC Tennis Courts UC Riverside Track Facility |
| Mascot | Scotty Highlander |
| Nickname | Highlanders |
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] |
| Website | gohighlanders |
 | |
TheUC Riverside Highlanders represent theUniversity of California, Riverside (UCR) inRiverside, California in 15 men's and women's intercollegiate athletics.[2] The Highlanders compete inNCAA Division I; they are members of theBig West Conference.[3]
In 2020, the future of UCR's sports program was placed into doubt, as the university's leadership were considering cutting the entire athletics department in response to financial strain caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic. However, in May 2021, the university announced that they had decided against eliminating athletics and would instead continue sponsoring all sports at the Division I level.[4]
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Golf |
| Golf | Soccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Tennis | Tennis |
| Track and field1 | Track and field1 |
| Volleyball | |
| 1 – includes both indoor and outdoor | |
The UC Riverside Highlanders baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of the University of California, Riverside.[5] The team is a member of the Big West Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. UC Riverside's first baseball team was fielded in 1958. The team plays its home games at the 2,500-seatRiverside Sports Complex.
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The UC Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team represents the University of California, Riverside. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I.[6] UC Riverside's first men's basketball team was fielded during the 1958–59 season. The team plays its home games at the 3,168-seatStudent Recreation Center Arena.
The UC Riverside Highlanders women's basketball team represents the University of California, Riverside. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I.[7] UC Riverside's first women's basketball team was fielded during the 1977–78 season. The team plays its home games at the 3,168-seatStudent Recreation Center Arena.
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The UC Riverside Highlanders men's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 0–2 through two appearances.[8][9]
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | First Round | Pacific | L 0–1 |
| 2022 | First Round | Portland | L 1–2 |
The UC Riverside Highlanders women's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 0–1 through one appearance.[10]
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | First Round | Colorado | L 0–1 |
TheUC Riverside Highlanders football team played from 1955 until the program was disbanded in 1975. The team played atHighlander Stadium.
The UC Riverside Highlanders competed in the NCAA Tournament across 6 active sports (2 men's and 4 women's) 10 times at the Division I level.[11]
UC Riverside has never won a national championship at the NCAA Division I level.[12]
UC Riverside won 4 national championships at the NCAA Division II level.[12]
Below is one national championship that was not bestowed by the NCAA:
UC Riverside had 1 Highlander win an NCAA individual championship at the Division I level.[12]
| NCAA individual championships | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order | School year | Athlete(s) | Sport | Source |
| 1 | 2015–16 | Vesta Bell | Women's indoor track and field | [13] |
At the NCAA Division II level, UC Riverside garnered 11 individual championships.[12]
"Scotty Highlander" is the mascot for UC Riverside. The original mascot was an aggressive little bear wearing akilt for the school's logo. In 1998, a referendum to move to NCAA Division I was passed and the students approached the administration requesting a new mascot and the old mascot was replaced. In 2011, the mascot was updated again with students voting online and a new "Scotty Highlander" mascot, featuring a roaring bear wearing a plaidTam o' Shanter was chosen.[2]
All schools in the University of California System have a combination of blue and gold as their school colors.[2] UC Riverside follows this tradition.
