Every year, Cal Poly Volleyball takes on its conference opponent, UC Santa Barbara, in the Blue-Green rivalry match. However, the stakes are higher this year as the match will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
While the Mustangs earned national recognition during their NCAA Tournament run last season, Oct. 28 will be the second time in program history that a conference game airs on national television.
The Big West Conference signed a multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN in 2021, allowing most conference games to be available on ESPN+.
This agreement also includes select conference games to be televised nationally on ESPNU. Since the beginning of the agreement, one regular-season Big West women’s volleyball match has been showcased on ESPNU each year.
The first match televised on ESPNU under this agreement featured Cal Poly at UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 30, 2022. In a tight five-set match, the Mustangs fell to the Gauchos in their first and only nationally televised regular-season game.
Since 1921, Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara have been known for their rivalry.
The teams first met in 1921 when UC Santa Barbara had its own football team. The Mustangs and Gauchos’ football teams clashed for the first time in 1921, and the intense rivalry began when both teams eventually joined the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
Since then, soccer and volleyball have increased the publicity of the feud. In 2012, the Blue-Green Rivalry was officially established by both schools.
The rivalry continues on ESPNU as the Mustangs take on the Gauchos on Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Santa Barbara at the Thunderdome.