California Baptist University’s women’s and men’s basketball teams went dancing to the NCAA Division I Tournament, also known as March Madness, for the first time in program history. Seventy-five years after CBU was founded, the teams made history and laid the foundation for the years ahead.
This time of year is known as March Madness. The tournament features 68 teams in women’s and men’s basketball competing to become national champions. The stages of the tournament include the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four.
This marked the second time women’s basketball made it to the NCAA Tournament, with the previous appearance during the 2023-24 season. The team secured its spot this year by defeating Abilene Christian University 74-58.
The men made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, entering the tournament after a nail-biting win against Utah Valley University that ended 63-61.
Many students spent part of their spring break staying updated with the Lancers by streaming the games or following updates on social media. Tori Watts, junior exercise science major, kept up with the games on social media and expressed anticipation that the men would also win the WAC Tournament.
“I was watching all the updates, and I saw the women’s one, and you know, anticipating the guy’s winning too, and they did,” Watts said.
Both teams became Western Athletic Conference champions, marking the women’s third title and the men’s first. The accomplishments brought excitement to students, faculty, staff and the CBU community, creating a milestone for CBU athletics.
Jovannie Gomez, junior elementary education major, talked about what it meant for the university to have both teams advance.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for us to really show like our skills and like in terms of our school as well, I feel like it’ll really put us out there more,” Gomez said.
Both teams competing in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament brought new attention to their programs. Delaney Donahue, junior applied theology and digital media communication double major, addressed the impact of both teams advancing in the tournament.
“CBU was being mentioned all over Instagram and X after both games with people legitimately considering CBU as viable competitors moving forward,” Donahue said.
CBU showed the world a glimpse of who they are and what they can do, and the moment marked only the beginning for each team. CBU sold tickets for students to travel and support both teams, bringing school spirit to San Diego and Los Angeles.
“It was electric. Standing in a sea of people all cheering as loud as they can for CBU, even as the odds are stacked against us, made me feel connected to our school and my fellow students in a way I haven’t experienced before,” Donahue said.
Experiencing March Madness showed the strength of the CBU community. Lancer fans from across the country tuned in to watch the games.
“We’re so proud of them and grateful for the opportunity to cheer them on,” Donahue said.
Although the games did not end as hoped, CBU remained proud of both teams and their accomplishments, further demonstrating the program’s growth as the university prepared to join the Big West Conference next year. This moment marked another milestone for CBU Athletics during the university’s 75-year history.
