All-Americans | Amos Alonzo Stagg Award | Pep Band | Nickname/Mascot/Colors | National Championships | Retired Numbers/Jerseys | School Songs | Past Pacific Sports
All-Americans
Pacific boasts a proud history of All-Americans across a variety of sports, dating back to the 1930s. Click here for a list of Pacific’s All-Americans.
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
The Amos Alonzo Stagg Award of Honor was established in 1981 by former Graduate Manager of Athletics Bob Breeden, Pacific Alumni Director Kara Brewer, and Director of Athletics Elkin Isaac. The award recognizes alumni who participated in athletics at Pacific and achieved distinction in their professional lives through the notable examples of integrity, dedication, idealism and team spirit that Mr. Stagg personified and to which Pacific is dedicated. Click here for a full list of award recipients.
Pep Band
The University of the Pacific Pep Band has long been regarded as one of the nation’s finest. The Pep Band is a talented group of students who love music and enjoy supporting Pacific Athletics. The Pep Band rehearses once a week and performs at Men’s and Women’s Basketball games and Women’s Volleyball matches.
There is no pre-requisite to join the Pep Band; students of all musical backgrounds are welcome. Since 1996, the Pep Band has grown in size and prestige, now boasting over fifty members and a student directorate of dedicated students who work hard to ensure that all members have a fun and rewarding experience.
Recent highlights include a performance at the First Round of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Washington D.C. as well as annual trips to the West Conference Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Nickname/Mascot/Colors
The “Tiger” Nickname University of the Pacific first adopted the tiger as its mascot in the fall of 1908, when rugby replaced football at Pacific. The nickname evolved because the uniform jerseys and socks were black with orange stripes, making the team members look like tigers. They chose these tiger-striped uniforms because it made it easier for the players to identify their fellow teammates on the field. Although “Tigers” had not been officially designated by university by-laws as an official mascot, by 1914 the term was used in both students and local newspapers to describe all of Pacific’s athletic teams. “Tigers” was made the official college mascot as a result of the 1925 Associated Student Constitution.
The Mascot – Powercat University of the Pacific’s tiger mascot has been a symbol of the school’s athletic teams since 1914. The actual rendition of the tiger emblem has changed from the graphic drawing of a ferocious, roaring tiger in its earliest beginnings to the friendly “Tommy Tiger” caricature to the Powercat of today.
On January 22, 1999, Pacific Athletics unveiled its new and current mascot, “Powercat”. Powercat followed the introduction of the Pacific Tigers’ new logo in 1998, which is a dynamic and athletic personality that adds to the excitement of Pacific intercollegiate athletic events.
The School Colors In 1851, University of the Pacific originally had a solitary school color of orange that represented the many fields of California poppies. Then during the pre-football rugby era at Pacific, the school selected rugby uniforms with the orange and black stripes. They liked the effect so much that Pacific then chose black as their secondary color.
National Championships
1985 Women’s Volleyball The first NCAA National Champion in any sport at Pacific, the 1985 Pacific women’s volleyball team traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan, in December to claim a piece of history. Head coach John Dunning began his coaching tenure at Pacific in 1985 and signed what was considered to be one of the best recruiting classes in the nation to supplement a group of seven returnees who visited the Final Four the year before. Most experts considered the season to be one of rebuilding, however, as only the three seniors—Therese Boyle, Julie Maginot and Andrea Markel—had more than 40 collegiate matches of experience. The Tigers finished the regular season 32-3, with two losses to Cal Poly and one to Stanford. Pacific knocked off Cal Poly in three sets in the regional final to advance to the Final Four. The team rallied to defeat tournament favorite UCLA in the semifinals and faced Stanford in the final. Pacific lost the set game of the championship match, 17-15, but rallied to take the next two sets. The Tigers then fell behind, 11-2, in the fourth game, before Dunning sent in three substitutes who sparked Pacific with nine kills to tie the score at 11. The starters returned and polished off Stanford for Pacific’s first national title. Pacific received numerous honors in that magical 1985 season. Seniors Julie Maginot and Therese Boyle and freshman Elaina Oden received All-America recognition, while Maginot was also honored as an Academic All-American. Oden was also named the Pacific Coast Athletic Association Most Valuable Player with her then-school record of 547 kills. Oden and sophomore Teri McGrath would later qualify to play with the U.S. National Team. Brooke Herrington, Liz Hert and McGrath would all play with the 1987 United States team in the World University Games. Dunning was named National Coach of the Year and assistants Mike Jones, Steve Lowe and Perri Hankins each received head coaching positions within five years. 1986 Women’s Volleyball After guiding a team with five freshmen and four sophomores to the program’s first national championship in 1985, what could be done for an encore? The 1986 Pacific women’s volleyball team had its own plan to bring the national championship feeling home. With the NCAA Tournament slated to be hosted in Stockton for the first time since 1982, Pacific had the opportunity to be the second team to win the national championship in front of its home crowd. The year started auspiciously enough with an upset home loss to UC Santa Barbara in four sets. However, head coach John Dunning and the team did not panic due to their ace in the hole, Elaina Oden, continually working out with the U.S. National Team. The patience paid off as the Tigers won 15 consecutive matches, including five-set victories over Texas and Stanford. Just when the team seemed to have regained its invincibility, the Tigers were stung twice in five sets at the UCLA-National Invitational in mid-October. The two losses woke Pacific to the point that nobody felt comfortable across the net from the Tigers. Pacific reeled off 16 consecutive wins to complete the regular season and earn the top seed in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association Tournament. In what was the top conference in the nation, led by top-10 teams Hawaii, San Diego State, Cal Poly and San Jose State, Pacific cruised through the tournament while dropping just two sets. With the beginning of the NCAA Tournament, a true test began for the Tigers. Every team shoots for the defending champion in hopes of gaining the emotional and psychological boost over the remaining field. The last time Pacific hosted the national championship, the Tigers were upset in the regionals and never made an appearance on their home court. To truly appreciate the true dominance of this team, one must consider that six different Tigers led the team in kills during a match, while Pacific held its opponents to a .114 hitting percentage and accumulated more than 500 blocks. The Tigers were again placed in the toughest regional of the four, with San Diego State and Hawaii. Both of these teams had top-five national rankings, but both had lost to the Tigers three times during the season. The revenge factor would definitely have to be overcome. Pacific did not just overcome these top teams, the Tigers obliterated them. Only Hawaii could even take one set from the mighty Tigers. Pacific then hit full speed in the Final Four celebration at the Alex G. Spanos Center. The standing room only crowd had already considered the national championship a foregone conclusion. When Pacific put away Nebraska, 15-4, in the third set to complete a six-game sweep of the Final Four, the celebration was on! The Tigers claimed a second straight National Championship and finished the season with a remarkable record of 39-3.
Retired Numbers/Jerseys
Pacific has retired the numbers and jerseys of 18 past student-athletes who have left a lasting legacy on their time at UOP. Click here to view a list of all 18 names.
School Songs
Tiger Fight Song The fight song was written in 1922 by Bob Couchman ’22 and composed by Russ Bodley ’23. The original title of the fight song was “Hungry Tigers”.
Come on you hungry tigers – fight- fight- fight Let’s win the game you tigers – fight- fight- fight See the tigers breaking through, After goals, we’ll get them too- Fighting for UOP, We’re after victory- So hail, oh hail the orange and the black See those banners gleam- We’ll shout for fame, Cause we’ll win the game!! We’re the fighting tiger- We’re the fighting tiger- We’re the fighting tiger team!!
Pacific Hail! (Pacific Alma Mater) Words & Music by Lois Warner Winston COP ’23, ’58
From o’er the rugged mountains standing high; From out the broad low valleys, ‘neath the sky; Our alma mater calls, We cannot fail, Our voices blend in praise, Pacific Hail! Pacific Hail! Long may her flaming torch give out its light; Long may her spirit guide us in the right; To her we pledge our hearts, We dare not fail; To her we raise our song, Pacific Hail! Pacific Hail!
Past Pacific Sports
Field Hockey Football Men’s Volleyball
