While Pepperdine may not have a football team or tens of thousands of painted-faced rowdy fans at sporting events the school’s athletics program is extraordinary particularily for its size. The majority of the Waves’ teams are nationally ranked year after year and Pepperdine fights for national and conference titles in a variety of NCAA sports. Pepperdine is one of only 14 schools in the nation to have won nine or more NCAA Championships in five different men’s sports. And of these top 14 athletic programs Pepperdine is the only non-BCS school and has significantly the smallest enrollment.
Unfortunately the off-the-court support often lacks this same level of excellence and Pepperdine fans typically lag behind other school’s sports-crazed fans.
Unlike years in the recent past this season the student fans have stepped up their game immensely. The orange-and-blue-covered supporters have turned our stadiums into a louder more energetic environment for sports fans and have provided enormous incentive to the Pepperdine athletes and teams themselves to play their hardest.
The Graphic is a major fan of the fans and would like to encourage you to keep up the great work in the stands.
The Waves fans have helped the men’s volleyball team win five NCAA championships and junior setter Kasey Crider is glad you all came out for the big game on Friday against USC. “The more people that show up to our matches the more responsibility I feel we have as a group to perform Crider said. When people show up I feel like there is a group out there that took some time out of their day to watch us be successful and they deserve maximum effort.” With a large crowd of support in Firestone Fieldhouse Crider and the Waves defeated the No. 1 ranked Trojans.
The basketball team places great value on fan support as well. The team has had one of their best conference seasons in the past decade and one in which many of the seats that have sat vacant in Firestone Fieldhouse for years have been jam-packed with fervent fans eager to have a good time and intimidate Wave rivals. Sophmore Taylor Darby has consistently been a high scorer for Waves basketball this year and noticed an enormous difference in the stands.”We love the crowd because last year we didn’t have a lot of people here. It was almost like when we played we were playing a pick-up game or something. There was no emotion. But now when we score we can feel it and it’s really good. It’s 110 percent better this year.”
Not only does the team benefit from games like this but student fans certainly have fun as well. Athletics are an important part of the collegiate experience whether one is on the court or in the stands and for those of you who attend the games they are an excellent way to spend time with friends.
Junior Tony Simeone has broadcasted sporting events at Pepperdine for almost three years. He understands the importance of the student body coming together to support the teams. “Every year the Gonzaga game is amazing he said. Firestone is packed and its as loud as any place I’ve been. But to see people come out for other games has been encouraging. It’s hard to get genuinely excited unless I’m sharing the moment with a crowd.”
Pepperdine athletes spend hours upon hours practicing and playing each week for whatever sport in which they are involved. A devotion to college athletics is an enormous commitment particularly when a program is as wholly geared toward success as Pepperdine’s. So whether your pick is volleyball or basketball (or both we hope) or even one of the other nationally ranked sports programs on campus keep your blue-and-orange gear easily accessible and continue showing your support for the Waves. It’s just another way to make your college experience that much more exciting.