Following the completion of the winter championship season, UC Irvine has made a significant climb to the top of the 2024-25 Dennis Farrell Big West Commissioner’s Cup standings, jumping from fourth place in the fall to first with a current average of 157.5 points. The Anteaters rode strong second-place regular-season finishes in both men’s and women’s basketball to vault into the lead as the race for the Cup intensifies heading into the spring. 

First awarded after the 1998-99 season, the Big West Commissioner’s Cup is presented annually to the athletic department that achieves the best overall performance across all Big West conference-sponsored sports. 

UC Irvine’s ascension to the top line comes after a strong winter showing, supplementing a successful fall that included a men's water polo championship, a third-place finish in women's cross country and a tie for third in women’s soccer. This winter, UCI men’s basketball advanced all the way to the National Invitation Championship finals after a program record-setting record of 32-7, distinguished as the most wins a Big West team has enjoyed since the 1990-91 Final Four UNLV team went 34-1.   

Hawai‘i holds firm to second place with 147.1 points after winning the women’s basketball regular-season title with maximum points allotted and a runner-up team finish in men’s swimming & diving. The Rainbow Wahine women built on a strong fall that featured a soccer title along with a runner-up regular season punctuated by a trophy hoisting moment in volleyball. 

UC Davis remains steady in third with 145.6 points, closing the gap with UH to a slim 1.5 points and maintaining a high average thanks to a balanced showing and second-place point tallies in women’s cross country, women’s soccer, men’s water polo and women’s volleyball along with a tie for third in women’s basketball in the latest update. 

After leading the standings in the fall, Cal Poly drops to fourth at 134.4 points. The Mustangs earned maximum points in four fall sports but couldn’t keep pace with surging winter contenders despite Big West Championship appearances and postseason wins in both men’s and women’s basketball. 

UC Santa Barbara collected Championship wins in both men’s and women’s swimming & diving in the revival season of the sport-sponsorship, coming in with 117.0 moves up to fifth up to an average of 117.0 points. UC San Diego follows closely in sixth at 114.0 points, boosted by a men’s basketball regular-season title and maximum points along with a second-place showing in women’s swimming & diving and third-place points in women’s basketball  that sport.  

Seventh place belongs to UC Riverside with 88.6 points, up from their 10th-place fall position. Long Beach State sits in eighth at 87.1, followed by Cal State Fullerton (70.0), Cal State Bakersfield (68.8), and CSUN (62.9) to round out the updated standings after winter competition. 

Five departments have claimed the Commissioner’s Cup since its inception 26 years ago. Cal Poly’s Cup victory in 2023-24 was its first in program history. UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State each hold 10 titles, with Long Beach State capturing two during the same academic year. Cal State Fullerton has won the Cup once, and former member Pacific earned the first two Cups. The Cup was not awarded in two recent seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The winner of the Dennis Farrell Big West Commissioner’s Cup is determined by averaging points based on regular-season finishes or championship placements in all 21 conference-sponsored sports. Sports such as baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor volleyball, and water polo use regular-season results, while cross country, golf, track & field, beach volleyball, and swimming & diving are based on championship outcomes. Ties are settled by averaging the tied teams’ point totals. 

For a sport-by-sport breakdown and to view the full history of the Dennis Farrell Big West Commissioner’s Cup, visit bigwest.org/CommissionersCup.