What Pepperdine Athletics does

Pepperdine Athletics is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic department of Pepperdine University, a private Christian university founded in 1937 and headquartered at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. The department fields 17 varsity sports programs — 8 men's (baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, track & field, volleyball, water polo) and 9 women's (basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball) — competing in the West Coast Conference (WCC) and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). Core operational functions include athlete development, competitive scheduling, facility management (Firestone Fieldhouse, Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool, upcoming golf clubhouse and new arena), and compliance with NCAA governance. The program has accumulated 10 NCAA Division I team championships and 26 total national championships, with recent dominance including the fifth consecutive Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy and the 2025-26 WCC Commissioner's Cup.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) ticket sales via pepperdinewaves.evenue.net for basketball, volleyball, baseball, water polo, soccer, and other sports; (2) donations and fundraising through Waves Give Day (which raised nearly $1.5M in 2026), the Waves Excellence Initiative, and major gifts including $1M from the Walton Family and $1M from the Zeile Family; (3) corporate sponsorships with partners including Warner Center Marriott, UCU, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, and local restaurants; and (4) Jr. Waves Club youth membership subscription revenue. The department also generates ancillary revenue through hosting marquee events such as the 2027 NCAA Men's Basketball West Regional. Customer segments are student-athletes, fans and alumni, and donors/sponsors, with the donor segment increasingly anchored by transformational major gifts. The department's go-to-market is event-driven, combining national recruiting pipelines with donation-driven fundraising and digital fan engagement through social media, a mobile app, and email/newsletter channels.

Name

Pepperdine Athletics

Legal name

Pepperdine University

Website

https://pepperdinewaves.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pepperdine Athletics is the NCAA Division I athletic department of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, fielding 17 varsity sports in the West Coast Conference. It serves student-athletes, fans, alumni, and donors through ticket sales, fundraising, corporate sponsorships, and youth fan memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intercollegiate Athletics Programs

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Other Spectator Sports (711219), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intercollegiate Athletics (Varsity Sports Programs) (EDALAIAA), Athletics Marketing, Communications & Fan Engagement (EDALAIAM)

Keywords

• Intercollegiate athletics
• NCAA Division I sports
• Varsity athletic programs
• Collegiate sports competition
• Athletic fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Malibu

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: Revenue generated from single-game and season tickets for men's and women's basketball, volleyball, baseball, water polo, soccer, and other sports events sold via pepperdinewaves.evenue.net.
2. Donations & Fundraising: Annual giving programs including Waves Give Day (annual day of giving), the Waves Excellence Initiative fund, and general athletic donations processed through giving.pepperdine.edu. Recent transformational gifts of $1 million from the Zeile Family and Walton Family targeted student-athlete nutrition and general athletic support.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate partners (Warner Center Marriott, UCU, SVN2 Golf, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, local restaurants) provide financial and in-kind support in exchange for promotional placement on the athletics website, social media, and game-day venues.
4. Jr. Waves Club Membership: Annual youth fan club membership for children, providing exclusive experiences and access, generating recurring subscription-style revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Pepperdine Athletics operates the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics program for Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, fielding 17 varsity sports (8 men's, 9 women's) that compete in the West Coast Conference and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The program sells single-game and season tickets to home contests in basketball, volleyball, baseball, water polo, soccer, and other sports, and operates a youth fan club membership (Jr. Waves Club), athletic camps, and corporate sponsorship packages. Fundraising for the program is delivered through Waves Give Day, the Waves Excellence Initiative, and major-gift campaigns supporting facilities, scholarships, and student-athlete nutrition.

Product overview

Pepperdine Athletics is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics program representing Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. The organization offers 15 varsity sports programs across men's (baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, track, volleyball, water polo) and women's athletics (basketball, beach volleyball, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball). The athletics website serves as the official digital hub providing sports schedules, rosters, news, and ticket purchasing capabilities for fans and supporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waves Excellence Initiative: Athletic fundraising initiative for program support
• Jr. Waves Club
• Waves Give Day

Products and services

• Event Tickets (Single-Game and Season) Tickets to home contests across men's and women's basketball, volleyball, baseball, water polo, soccer, and other varsity sports; available as single-game, season, group, and student ticket packages via the Pepperdine Athletics online ticketing platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pepperdine captured the 2025-26 Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy — fifth consecutive overall
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Coast Conference (WCC)coreOthersPepperdine Athletics competes in the West Coast Conference (WCC) for all its sports, a nine-team NCAA Division I conference spanning California, Oregon, and Washington. WCC membership provides conference scheduling, championship competition, and official conference awards recognition.
• Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF)coreOthersPepperdine Athletics is also affiliated with the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) for certain sports, providing additional conference competition and scheduling outside the WCC.
• NCAAcoreOthersPepperdine University is an NCAA Division I member institution. The NCAA governs national championship competition, establishes academic standards, and provides the framework for intercollegiate athletics across all Pepperdine sports programs.
• Van WagnerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVan Wagner is listed as a media and sponsorship partner on the Pepperdine Athletics website footer. The partnership likely involves multimedia rights, sponsorship sales, and sports marketing services for the athletics department.
• Warner Center MarriottminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor with promotional placement on the athletics website. Warner Center Marriott provides lodging-related sponsorship for Pepperdine athletics events and travel.
• University Credit Union (UCU)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial credit union of Pepperdine Athletics, with promotional placement on the athletics website and social media. UCU offers university community banking services.
• SVN2 GolfminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGolf-focused sponsor with promotional placement on the Pepperdine athletics website, supporting the men's and women's golf programs.
• Coca-ColaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate beverage sponsor with promotional placement on the Pepperdine athletics website and at events.
• Enterprise Rent-A-CarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial rental car partner with promotional placement on the Pepperdine athletics website, serving athletic travel needs.
• Duke's MalibuminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Malibu restaurant sponsor with promotional placement on the athletics website, serving the Pepperdine community and alumni events.
• Sharky's CalabasasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant sponsor with promotional placement on the Pepperdine athletics website.
• Panama Mission Trip PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Panamanian church and sports ministry for under-privileged youth serve as mission trip hosts. Student-athletes assist with local outreach, construction, and children's programs over 4,000 miles from campus.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PepperdineWaves
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PepperdineAthletics
• Facebookfacebook.com/PepperdineWaves
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pepperdine-athletics
• Instagraminstagram.com/pepperdinewaves

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Pepperdine Athletics