November 2003

Briefly speaking: Division I athletics ahead

	Soccer player Tristan Ngoon is looking forward to the competition against other Division I teams. (Wayne Tilcock/The Davis Enterprise)

UC Davis students made a historic decision last year, voting to help support a move from the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II to Division I and entry into the Big West Conference.

The announcement garnered a lot of attention. But what does it mean for students this year?

Benched for championships

Tristan Ngoon, a junior from Palo Alto, is in her third year as a midfielder on the women's soccer team. The major difference, she says, is that because the NCAA requires that schools moving to Division I remain on provisional status for four years, most teams are not eligible for NCAA championships.

"We've struggled a little bit this year, and I don't know if it's because we know we won't go to a championship or because we are a young team," Ngoon says.

Last year, the team advanced to the national quarterfinals.

The move to Division I is funded primarily through student fees. Based on the student vote, a $15 per quarter fee was implemented this quarter to provide grants-in-aid for student athletes. It will rise to $61 per quarter by 2006-07.

As for next year, Ngoon says, she is looking forward to the competition against other Division I teams. That is when UC Davis will officially be considered a Division I team for scheduling purposes.

Move puts UC Davis among peer schools

Entrance into the conference will place Davis among what many consider to be its peers -- both athletically and academically. Schools in the conference include several UC and California State University campuses, as well as Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the University of the Pacific, the University of Idaho and Utah State.

"As we look to the future, Division I and the Big West Conference appear to be a perfect fit for UC Davis," says Greg Warzecka, UC Davis' director of athletics.

Ngoon says she had some concerns about the move initially, but now believes that Division I is the right place for UC Davis. "I wasn't sure at first if people were pushing for it for the right reasons," she says. "In the long run, though, I think everyone will benefit from it."

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