UC Irvine Anteaters
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The UC Irvine Anteaters is the nickname used for the official sports teams of the University of California, Irvine (also known as UCI and UC Irvine). They participate in the NCAA's Division I, as members of the Big West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
UCI fields nationally competitive teams in basketball, baseball, water polo, swimming, rowing, and sailing.
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[edit] Sports
[edit] Basketball
The UCI Men's basketball team has had three twenty-win seasons in recent years and four total. They have made it into the Division II NCAA Tournament twice, and the Division I NIT tournament four times. In 1986, they swept UNLV. The UC Irvine Women's basketball team has had one Division I NCAA Tournament appearance in 1995, when they were champions of their conference, and won the conference tournament; however, they lost in the first round.
[edit] Baseball
Since the return of baseball in 2002 (the sport was eliminated in 1992 due to state budget cuts), UC Irvine has been ranked as high as #7 in the country and has been at the top of the Big West Conference standings, which is one of the top Division I Baseball Conferences in the country.
[edit] Crew
UCI fields both a men's and women's crew, that both practice in the Newport Harbor.
[edit] Volleyball
Both Men's and Women's Volleyball have seen success in the past few years. The women's team has made it to the NCAA Tournament the past two years and the men's team was ranked #1 in the country at one point during the 2003 Season and traditionally is in the top #15 every year. The Men's team finished the 2006 Season ranked #1 in the nation.
[edit] Water polo
The most successful athletic program at UCI has been the mens water polo team coached by Ted Newland. Newland is 714-345-5, a collegiate record, as the Anteaters’ head coach from 1966-2005. In his 39 years at the helm, the Anteaters won NCAA Div I championships in 1970, 1982 and 1989. Moreover, the team has been a consistent contender among the nation's top 5 teams in the 40 years UCI has existed and more even more impressivly 'The Old Man' has coached men about commitment, dedication & responsibility during his tenure.
Newland became Coach Emeritus in August 2005, and Marc Hunt, former UCI All-American, has been charged with continuing the UCI legacy.
[edit] Facilities
Anteater basketball and volleyball teams compete at the on-campus Bren Events Center. The baseball team plays in Anteater Stadium, which is located behind the Mesa Parking Structure. Anteater Stadium itself is part of UCI's Crawford Athletics Complex, which houses UCI's track and swimming facilities. The men's and women's crew launch out of a boathouse in the Newport Back Bay, and practice in the Newport Harbor.
[edit] Student Traditions
A student spirit squad known as the Completely Insane Anteaters is the largest student group on campus and is the second largest student spirit group on the West Coast. An incentives-based club, the more games CIA Members attend, the more prizes they receive.
A more recent annual event is Midnight Magic, which occurs on the first day the UC Irvine basketball teams begin official practice. The second Friday of every October, the athletics department hosts a big party for the UCI Students with food, music and games at the Bren Events Center. Then, at midnight, both the men's and women's basketball teams are introduced to the crowd and partake in scrimmages, three-point shooting contests and a slam-dunk contest. Midnight Magic is the one of the biggest student events on campus, with over 1,500 people in attendance.
A popular chant among UCI students during athletic events is "Zot, Zot, Zot!" Zot is the sound made by the tongue of the anteater in the comic strip B.C. as it flicks out to catch an ant. This is usually accompanied by the "Rip 'em Eaters" hand sign which is similar to the "Hook 'em Horns" hand sign of the University of Texas at Austin. One of the on-campus eateries is named "B.C.'s Cavern on the Green", named in honor of the comic strip B.C. The Anteater mascot was promoted by 3 students in UCI's founding year, Bob Ernst and Pat Glasgow of the water polo team, and rowing team member Schuyler Bassett. The mascot name was brought to a vote to the student body where irregularities were suspected in the voting process.
Prior to 1985, UCI used UC's fight song. From 1985 to 2000, UCI used Anteaters Go! (by class of 1985 alumni Lori White). In 2000, Marketing Director Blake Sasaki required the Pep Band to use the UC Fight Song as their main fight song, rebranded as "The Big C", which supposedly commemerates UCI's historical rivalry with the California State University, Long Beach. It continued in that format until he left in 2006. Currently, the two campus fight songs, often sung at athletic or spirit events, are Anteaters Go! as the main fight song, and the UCI Fight Song as the alternate:
| Anteaters Go! | The Big C |
|---|---|
|
Go Mighty Anteaters Go We [a]'re Marching To Victory U-C-I-Zot To Alma Mater We Sing |
Fighting for Gold and Blue |
