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Pepperdine University
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Pepperdine University - Athletics - Athletics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.31

Athletics

C
Where does this grade come from?View all Athletics rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Athletics Grades:

Quick Stats

Athletic Association
  • NAA
  • NCAA
Athletic Division NCAA Division I-AAA
Athletic Conferences Football: N/A
Basketball: West Coast Conference
School Colors Orange and blue
School Nickname Waves, Willy the Wave
Men Playing Varsity Sports 122 - 9%
Women Playing Varsity Sports 114 - 7%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Most students agree that the athletic scene at Pepperdine is pretty dismal. The vacuum left by the lack of a football team puts the money-making pressure on men’s basketball, a program with a habitually dismal record. More competitively ranked sports, namely the men’s volleyball and water polo teams, are beginning to draw bigger and bigger crowds. Yet, school spirit seems to be half-hearted at best, and stands do not necessarily fill up for every game. Overall, though, Pepperdine’s athletics program is considered in relation to the University’s small size.

On the other hand, Pepperdine’s more active students flock to the surprisingly popular intramural and club teams. Club water polo, rugby, and surfing are competitive and draw as many spectators as the average varsity tennis match. Intramural volleyball and basketball are also quite popular and spawn amusing team rivalries. Maybe Pepperdine students are just more inclined to participate in the sporting life than they are to kick back and watch. At any rate, regardless of how good some of Pepperdine’s varsity teams are, people do not exhibit an overwhelming amount of support or enthusiasm for them.

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Pepperdine Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Athletics at Pepperdine University

lontzk

Communications '13

1.9
C-

No Football Team

No school spirit whatsoever. We have some great water polo, tennis and volleyball teams, but no one cares. It's sad, I wish people cared and there was this exciting energy about it.

Apr 09, 2012

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Athletics at Pepperdine University

ejcheng

Public Relations '13

3.5
B

Nationally Recognized Athletics at Pepperdine

Pepperdine is well known for its oustanding Men's Tennis and Men's Volleyball teams. Unfortunately, there is a sense of disunity amongst the student body and athletics because we are a small school. In addition, the absence of a football team has left our school dead and unenthusiastic.

Mar 15, 2012

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Athletics at Pepperdine University

marie03

Advertising '14

3.8
B+

Getting Worse

Every year it seems to be getting worse as academics get better

Jan 17, 2012

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Page 1 of 8
User rating for Pepperdine University - Athletics is 3.5 out of 5 based on 23 user reviews.

Photos of Pepperdine University's Athletics

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Pepperdine University - Tennis CourtsTennis Courts
Photo by ct130
Tennis Courts A view of the tennis courts.
Link to this photo
Photo by ct130
Pepperdine University - Athletic facilitiesAthletic facilities
Photo by ct130
Athletic facilities A look at the baseball, basketball, and track facilities.
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Photo by ct130
Pepperdine University - Athletic FacilitiesAthletic Facilities
Photo by rabideuphonium
Athletic Facilities Pepperdine's tennis courts, plus a glimpse of Firestone Fieldhouse and Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool. All these athletic facilities, along with the track, are open for student use. The (heated) pool is open year round!
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Photo by rabideuphonium

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How popular are varsity sports on campus?

How popular are intramurals and club sports?

How would you describe the athletic facilities?

Facts

Men's Varsity Sports
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
  • Volleyball
  • Water polo
Women's Varsity Sports
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
  • Volleyball
Intramurals
  • Basketball
  • Beach volleyball
  • Dodgeball
  • Flag football
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball
Club Sports
  • Equestrian
  • Lacross (men's and women's)
  • Rugby
  • Soccer (men's)
  • Surfing
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Water polo (women's)
Athletic Fields & Facilities
  • Athletic Training Center
  • Firestone Fieldhouse
  • Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool
  • Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center
  • Stotsenberg Track

Most Popular Sports

Basketball, men's volleyball

Most Overlooked Teams

Cross country, golf, swimming

School Spirit

Some students have oodles of school spirit. Others just don’t. Those who have it tend to be fraternity and sorority members, student council types, or otherwise extraordinarily enthusiastic personalities.

Getting Tickets

General lack of interest in Pepperdine athletics guarantees that you never have problems getting tickets to a game. Students can get into all home sporting events with only their university ID cards. The only games that come close to “filling the stands” are the homecoming and rivalry basketball games. On the bright side, tickets for families and friends are significantly cheaper than they would be at bigger universities.

Best Place to Take a Walk

The safest bet to avoid breaking a sweat climbing stairs or hills is to walk in neat, flat ovals around the Stotsenberg Track. As a bonus, you are likely to walk into a celebrity or two, since a few are known to use Pepperdine’s track.

Did You Know? Pepperdine hasn't had a football team since the 1940s. The student body proudly compensates by wearing "Pepperdine Football: Still Undefeated" sweatshirts.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Jackie Fetzer
Hometown
Huntersville, NC
Major
English Writing and Rhetoric

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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