UC San Diego Tritons

The UC San Diego Tritons are the athletic sports teams 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. 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. Since their move to Division II starting in the 2000-01 season, UCSD has placed in the top 5 in the Division II NACDA Directors' Cup standings five times, including two 2nd place finishes. NCSA Athletic Recruiting has ranked the Tritons as the nation's top Division II program for eight consecutive years.

Teams

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. 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.