Shooting for Division I
UC San Diego’s men’s basketball is saying their final goodbyes to Division II.
For the past twenty years, UC San Diego’s (UCSD) men’s basketball team played in Division II. That will change next season when they head into Division I on July 1st, 2020.
So, what does this mean for the UCSD men’s basketball team?
“We’re pretty focused on the team right now and kind of what we need to do to be successful on a daily basis,” said Coach Olen, who has been the head coach of the UCSD men’s basketball team for seven seasons and the assistant coach for nine seasons. “(We are) trying to acclimate ourselves to a different league and kind of understanding what works for us at that level.”
Many of the current players are graduating seniors, so the move into Division I is a bittersweet moment. But Coach Olen is determined to finish this season strong.
“Our day to day is pretty focused on this group. We have a lot of players on this team that aren’t going to be part of that (Division I),” he said. “And we’re working pretty hard to try and make sure that their experience in this season is everything it can be.”
The transition from Division II to Division I takes some time to adjust because of the stronger and faster pace. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the difference between these two leagues is that Division I schools have a bigger student population, more athletic scholarships, athletic budgets, and more traveling across the country.
The NCAA says “there are also rules that Division I schools need to follow like sponsoring seven sports for men and seven sports for women, each gender has to be represented in each playing season, must play all but two games against Division I teams, and they must play one-third of their games in their home arenas.” In Division II, budgets are smaller and athletes receive limited athletic scholarships.
Point guard Mikey Howell is excited to play in Division I and build a stronger bond with his teammates. “We’re going to get ready, mentally and physically,” Howell said. “Just seeing that we’ve been playing Division II for so long, this transition would definitely be a test to see where we are compared to other Division I schools.” With that in mind, he is eager to play his first Division I game against UC Berkeley Bears this fall.
The move to Division I started in 2016. As reported in The Guardian, it began with a student petition, “with around 8,828 students signing it…This petition represented a 70-percent approval rate for the move and only gained momentum from there.”
“The students decided it was a good idea for not just basketball, but our whole department and the university to make that transition,” Coach Olen said.
But this also means there will be a slight increase in the Intercollegiate Athletic fee that students pay each quarter. The Guardian mentions that students currently pay $129.38 per quarter, and because of our future Division I status, students will now pay about $239.38 per quarter.
Throughout the 2019–2020 season, there have been many changes in the Rimac Arena to prepare for Division I. There are now new locker rooms, bleachers, scoreboards, and an upcoming floor renovation. ESPN3 has been broadcasting live games from Rimac.
Along with Howell, guard Gabe Hadley is thrilled to play Division I next year. “I feel good. I can’t wait really. I want to finish off this year strong as us as a group,” he said. “We want to achieve our goals in Division II and hopefully go as far as we can. But I’m looking forward to Division I.”
Hadley used to play Division I at New Mexico State in his freshman year and believes this experience could help the team. “Hopefully having a bit more preparation and getting the other guys prepared too for Division one,” Hadley said. “I believe we can catch up with them and be really competitive.”
Make sure to catch the Tritons play against Cal State Dominguez Hills at the Rimac Arena on Thursday, February 13th at 8 pm and on Saturday, February 15th against Cal State Los Angeles.
Go Tritons!
