After a season where 11 of UC Irvine’s 17 Big-West sponsored sports received top-three points in the 2024-25 Dennis Farrell Big West Commissioner’s Cup calculations, the Anteaters have claimed a first-ever Cup for the program. The win for UCI marks back-to-back first-time honorees and the Anteaters are now just the sixth department to claim the Commissioner’s Cup since its inception 26 years ago.  

“I want to congratulate the student-athletes, coaches and administration at UC Irvine in winning the 2024-25 Dennis Farrell Big West Commissioner’s Cup,” said Big West commissioner Dan Butterly. “The Cup is awarded annually to The Big West institution that has the highest degree of overall success in all men’s and women’s conference-sponsored sports during the academic year, and the Anteaters reached the pinnacle with 65 percent of their teams in the top three.” 
 

“Winning the Dennis Farrell Big West Commissioner's Cup has been an honor in that it’s been over decades here as an opportunity, and we’re proud that our excellence in our athletics program represents the quality of the educational institution with which we represent,” remarked Paula Smith, UCI Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “We’re just honored and delighted to be able to celebrate this with UC Irvine’s community of intercollegiate athletics and the campus. 
 

“It signifies our student-athletes working hard, their selfless dedication, countless hours of sacrifice, the hard work each and every day that they put in to learn their craft and trade. It signifies the excellence of our head coaches and their leadership and vision and passion for their sport. And also, for the dedication of our athletic staff to support our student-athletes and coaches every single day.” 

Ahead in the standings after winter competition, UCI secured the Cup with a successful spring capped by earning maximum points in women’s track & field and baseball to secure the win over defending-champion and second-place finisher Cal Poly. The Anteaters also received the top tally in the fall in men’s water polo.  
 

The overall success of the department was seen with solid finishes in nearly every sport, including second-place billing in men’s and women’s basketball and men’s tennis and a third place showing in women's cross country, women's soccer in the fall and men's golf, women's water polo and men's volleyball during spring competition. The Anteaters compiled the second-highest average points tally at 148.8 with the largest total points accumulation in the history of the Cup with a finishing figure of 2,530 points. 
 

Last year’s Cup victor Cal Poly finished second in the standings after surging in the spring with a Big West men’s track & field title and second place showings in women’s track and field, baseball, beach volleyball and women’s tennis to close with 130.6 points. The Mustangs claimed three high-point efforts in the fall with Championship titles in both men’s and women’s cross country and a regular-season trophy in men’s soccer. 
 

Finishing third in 2024-25 is Long Beach State with 129.4 points that included trophy hoisting moments in men’s golf and beach volleyball along with the regular-season and national championship crowns in men’s volleyball. 
 

Five more programs eclipsed the 100-point average for the second-straight season. Hawai’i (127.1 points) is followed by UC Santa Barbara (119.5), UC Davis (117.4), Cal State Fullerton (111.9) and UC San Diego (106.3) with three-figure tallies to underscore the competitive nature of the conference as a whole.  
 

UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Fullerton, Hawai’i and UC San Diego all claimed at least one maximum point effort to bolster their figures in 2024-25. 

“It’s such a testament to all 11 Big West institutions that this year’s race for the Cup was so competitive with eight programs reaching the 100-point mark for the second straight year,” added Butterly. “The Big West continues to grow our place on the national stage with four NCAA Final Four participants, two Elite 90 recipients and a national championship. We are excited for the future of the conference!"
 

Named after long-time Big West commissioner Dennis Farrell who served as the league's leader for 28 years, winning the Commissioner’s Cup has extra meaning for Smith whose career in collegiate athletics began under Farrell’s tutelage at the conference office in the 1990s. 
 

“It’s a personal pride, twofold,” Smith reflected. “One, personally, because Dennis Farrell was the one who hired me and started my career and path in intercollegiate athletics way back when, I won’t give you the date on that.  
 

“But also, that he’s someone that I looked up to, that mentored me, and has been a formidable person in intercollegiate athletics. His name signifies a lot and to be able to celebrate the Dennis Farrell Commissioner’s Cup is something that I’m honored and treasured about.” 
 

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.