UC Santa Barbara

Name

UC Santa Barbara

Legal name

University of California, Santa Barbara

Website

https://ucsbgauchos.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UC Santa Barbara Athletics operates the NCAA Division I athletics program of UC Santa Barbara, fielding 20 sports and serving students, alumni, families, faculty, and the Santa Barbara community through ticketing, youth programs, camps, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intercollegiate Athletics

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Intercollegiate Athletics (Varsity Sports Programs) (EDALAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB), College/University Sports Events (NCAA & equivalents) (MPAGAMAE)

Keywords

• College athletics programs
• NCAA Division I sports
• Intercollegiate athletic competitions
• Sports ticket sales
• Youth sports camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Direct ticket sales for all UC Santa Barbara athletic events including baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, and other sports. Revenue generated through single-game tickets, season ticket packages, and group tickets across various price tiers including general admission and premium seating options.
2. Sponsorships and Donations: Philanthropic support through the Gauchos Give program presented by Lexus of Santa Barbara, and other corporate sponsorship arrangements. Record-breaking Gauchos Give Day campaigns and major facility donations including a $15 million gift for Caesar Uyesaka Stadium construction and revitalization.
3. Camps and Clinics Programs: Revenue from youth sports camps and clinics across multiple sports including baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball, operated through TotalCamps platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UC Santa Barbara Athletics operates a comprehensive NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics program featuring 20 men's and women's sports programs including basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis, swimming, track and field, water polo, golf, and cross country. The department sells event tickets through the AXS mobile platform, operates youth sports camps and clinics, and runs community engagement programs such as the Junior Gauchos Kids Club and Gauchos Give.

Product overview

UC Santa Barbara Athletics operates as a comprehensive Division I intercollegiate athletics program featuring 20 men's and women's sports. The program is organized around its core athletics competition offerings (basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis, swimming, track and field, water polo, and cross country) supported by ancillary services including ticket sales via AXS platform, youth development programs (Camps & Clinics, Junior Gauchos Kids Club), and community engagement initiatives (Gauchos Give). The program utilizes major facilities including The Thunderdome (basketball/volleyball), Harder Stadium (soccer), and Caesar Uyesaka Stadium (baseball). A notable partnership with Santa Barbara Sky FC brings professional soccer to Harder Stadium. UC Santa Barbara recently announced its move to the West Coast Conference beginning in 2027-28.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NCAA Division I Athletic Competitions Intercollegiate athletics competitions across 20 men's and women's sports including baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, tennis, swimming, track and field, water polo, golf, and cross country, offered to students, alumni, fans, and the broader Santa Barbara community.
• Ticket Sales and Event Access Single-game and group ticket sales for all UCSB athletic events including baseball, men's and women's basketball, soccer, softball, and volleyball games, delivered through the AXS mobile app and on-site box office.
• Season Ticket Packages Annual season ticket subscriptions for men's soccer, women's soccer, women's volleyball, and baseball, including faculty/staff promotional offers, purchased via the AXS platform.
• Camps and Clinics Program Youth sports development camps and clinics across multiple sports including baseball, men's and women's basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, cross country, and volleyball, delivered at UCSB facilities and targeted at young athletes.
• Junior Gauchos Kids Club Annual $75 membership program for children 12 and under that provides general admission to soccer, volleyball, and basketball games, free admission to water polo, swimming, tennis, golf, and track events, an exclusive Junior Gauchos shirt, and in-game promotional experiences.
• Group Ticket Sales Group ticket packages for organizations, schools, and corporate groups across baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and softball events, providing discounted access for larger parties.
• Santa Barbara Sky FC Hosting at Harder Stadium USL League One professional soccer matches hosted at UCSB's 17,000-seat Harder Stadium under a multi-year partnership with Santa Barbara Sky FC, including plans for a future women's franchise.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% graduation success rate for student-athletes
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Coast Conference (WCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2026UC Santa Barbara has accepted formal invitation to join the West Coast Conference beginning July 1, 2027. This marks the return to WCC, having previously been a member between 1965-1969. UCSB will become the 12th member and the first public institution in WCC since 1979. The move is expected to increase external revenue generation by a factor of five or six and provide expanded national media exposure through ESPN and CBS platforms.
• Direct ReliefcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026Santa Barbara-based humanitarian organization partnering with UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer for the Community Shield Game benefiting Direct Relief. The April 18, 2026 match between Gauchos and Westmont serves as both a fundraising event and celebration of the 60th anniversary of Harder Stadium. Direct Relief has delivered over $10 billion in medical aid across all 50 U.S. states and more than 80 countries since 1948.
• Santa Barbara Sky FCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Multi-year partnership bringing professional soccer to Harder Stadium beginning March 2025. Santa Barbara Sky FC will compete as a member of USL League One at the 17,000-seat Harder Stadium. The partnership provides internship opportunities for students, community engagement through SB Fundación Cielo foundation, and plans for a women's franchise in the future. Harder Stadium has long been known as 'Soccer Heaven' with a rich history hosting two NCAA College Cups and international friendlies.
• Westmont CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric rivalry partnership for the Community Shield Game, continuing one of the longest-running rivalries in college soccer. The 60-year rivalry between UC Santa Barbara and Westmont dates back to 1966. The Community Shield format includes both men's and women's soccer matches as part of the anniversary celebration.
• Yardi SystemsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYardi Youth Pass partnership providing free admission to all home baseball and softball games for kids 12 and younger during the 2026 season. The program brings young Gauchos closer to the action while promoting youth engagement with UCSB athletics.
• Lexus of Santa BarbaraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the Gauchos Give program, which provides complimentary tickets to community groups at various athletics events throughout the year. Partnership supports community accessibility and engagement with UCSB athletics.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Loyola Marymount University Athletics: Future WCC peer providing direct conference-comparable economics; California-based D1 program with similar sport mix and West Coast recruiting overlap.
• Pepperdine Waves Athletics: Future WCC counterpart with a comparable California D1 mid-major profile, providing a directly relevant benchmark for the post-2027 conference transition economics.
• Santa Clara Broncos Athletics: Future WCC peer joining the same conference as UCSB in 2027; comparable private-school D1 mid-major with overlapping sport portfolio and West Coast recruiting footprint.
• University of San Diego Toreros Athletics: WCC peer and future conference counterpart with comparable D1 mid-major sport portfolio and West Coast footprint, making it directly comparable once UCSB joins the WCC in 2027.
• Long Beach State Athletics: Big West D1 peer and California-based mid-major with a similar 20+ sport portfolio and comparable facility footprint, making it a direct benchmark for ticket, donation, and conference-distribution economics.
• UC Irvine Anteaters Athletics: UC-system Big West peer with a similar mid-major D1 profile and comparable sport portfolio, including strong baseball and basketball programs competing for the same talent pool.
• UC Davis Aggies Athletics: Fellow Big West Conference UC-system mid-major D1 program with comparable sport portfolio scale and similar institutional profile, providing direct comparability on conference distributions and recruiting overlap.
• Cal Poly Mustangs Athletics: California-based Big West D1 peer with comparable enrollment scale, sport portfolio breadth, and mid-major competitive positioning — directly comparable for conference distributions and regional sponsorship dynamics.
• University of San Francisco Dons Athletics: WCC peer that will share conference economics and scheduling with UCSB post-2027, providing a directly comparable benchmark for media-rights and conference-distribution upside.

Broad incumbents

• Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics: Established WCC powerhouse and the conference's flagship program; while significantly larger than UCSB, Gonzaga is the most relevant incumbent benchmark for the revenue, media-rights, and brand ceiling UCSB is targeting with the WCC move.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UCSBathletics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UCSBGauchosAthletics
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucsbathletics
• Facebookfacebook.com/UCSBAthletics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ucsbathletics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UC Santa Barbara