The UCSD Tritons are the athletic sports team for the University of California, San Diego. UC San Diego has 23 varsity sports teams and offers student participation in a wide range of sports including swimming, water polo, soccer, volleyball, crew, track and field, fencing, basketball, golf, cross country, softball, baseball, and tennis, many of which have become perennial strengths. UC San Diego participates at the NCAA's Division II (DII) level in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), although water polo, fencing, and men's volleyball compete at the Division I level. They have an intense rivalry with the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos as both programs are, by far, the two most successful in the CCAA .

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Boosters

UC San Diego recognizes two external organizations of athletic boosters: the Triton Athletic Associates is a booster group of parents, alumni and friends who have each donated between US$50 and $2,500; and the UCSD Athletic Board is made up of donors who have given US$10,000 or more to athletic programs. ^[1] On campus, booster groups comprise the UCSD Pep Band, the Triton Tide (a student booster club), the UCSD Cheerleaders, the Triton Twirl Flag Squad and the UCSD Dance Team. King Triton occasionally appears as a costumed character mascot. Further opportunities for athletic involvement are available to students interested in team staffing and management. ^{[2] [3]}

Football

UC San Diego has not fielded a football team except in Fall 1968 when a newly-formed pigskin organization turned in a winless season and then folded for lack of interest. ^[4] Since then, the subject of bringing NCAA football back to UC San Diego has been a recurring topic. Tom Ham, a local restaurateur and a supporter of UCSD football since the 1960s, has said that UCSD would have no future in San Diego without "big-time" football. ^[5] Proponents of a major football team have projected benefits that include greater school spirit and a more well-rounded school experience for students as well as enhancing the school's national profile. ^[6] Opposition to "big-time" football comes from a wide range of school faculty and administrators such Daniel Wulbert, a provost at Revelle College, who says that any boost to school spirit wouldn't be worth the sacrifice, and that he wants UC San Diego to "have a life for reasons other than watching hired athletes come and play." ^[7] It's acknowledged by both sides that adding an 80- to 100-man ^[8] football team would not only cost some US$1–1.5M annually, but that the initial outlay in equipment and facilities would be in the tens of millions. ^[9] Furthermore, in order to comply with Title IX's requirement for equal sports opportunities for both sexes, some three women's teams (80-100 athletes) would have to be added, or three existing men's teams disbanded. Without the expense of football, UC San Diego has been characterized as having "the best all-around program, with the most success by the most student-athletes" in San Diego.

Triton Robotix

Though not technically a sports team, the UCSD Triton Robotix organization designed and built a 120 lb BattleBot. The robot competed at the BattleBots event in Vallejo, California late April 2009. The competition was recorded and is due to air on CBS College Sports sometime in Auguest 2009. ^[10]

Triton Fight Song

Fight on, with mighty Triton spirit
Hail to the Triton name
Men and women march
On to fame
Stand proud, the Triton host prevails
March on in unity
Bold and strong we fight to Triton
Victory
UCSD fight! Fight! Fight! ^[11]

References

1. Division II, III schools require less of a 'boost'
2. UC San Diego catalog
3. UC San Diego Tritons. ''UC San Diego Spirit Groups''
4. A San Diego Football Flashback: UCSD's 1968 Pigskin Experiment
5. UCSD is missing II much
6. Football: The Cure-All for UCSD’s Spirit Drought
7. Giving it the old college Triton
8. UCSD Chancellor's Office. ''Q&A: Earl Edwards, Director of Athletics''
9. Despite Diligent Task Force, Triton Football Simply Not Feasible
10. http://www.battlebots.com/BattleBots.com/Home/Entries/2009/4/30_Robot_Fighting_Complete.html
11. http://www.ucsdpepband.com/about.php