University of California, San Diego (UCSD) was established in 1960 when the Regents of the University of California voted to authorize a San Diego campus near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Championed by scientist and scholar Roger Revelle, the campus was envisioned as a top-tier science and research institution, formally established in La Jolla after the city approved the project. Today, UC San Diego is recognized as one of the top research universities worldwide.
UC San Diego is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2025-26, and athletics has been at the forefront of the university’s success. The Tritons won 30 national championships and captured 150 individual NCAA titles in its time in Division II and III. In 2020, UC San Diego officially joined The Big West and transitioned from Division II to Division I. Triton teams have won six Big West championships (3 postseason, 3 regular season), most recently in a women's basketball double (regular season and postseason) this past winter.