Intercollegiate Athletics

Santa Clara University supports a broad intercollegiate athletics program and is a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and a founding member of the West Coast Conference (WCC). With 20 intercollegiate sports, Santa Clara fields men’s teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, track and field, golf, rowing, soccer, tennis, and water polo. The women compete in basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, track and field, golf, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, and water polo.

Santa Clara women’s soccer is perennially among the nation’s elite. Under the direction of Jerry Smith, one of just three coaches in NCAA Division I history with 500 career wins, Santa Clara has qualified for the NCAA Tournament 34 times, won 12 College Cups and captured two National Championships (2001, 2020), becoming just the seventh program with multiple crowns. Their 34 appearances in the NCAA Tournament rank third-most all-time and their 12 trips to the College Cup are tied for the fourth-most in NCAA D1 history. The Broncos have also won 14 West Coast Conference titles. A total of 47 student-athletes have garnered All-America honors with many going on to play for national teams and competing in the Olympics and/or World Cups. Notable athletes to come through the program include Julie (Johnston) Ertz, Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Leslie Osborne and Danielle Slaton.

Men’s basketball is riding the wave of one of their most successful seasons in program history. Posting 26 wins (second-most in school history), including a program-record 15-3 record in conference play, the Broncos advanced to the WCC Tournament Championship Game for the first time since 2007 and earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. In total, the Broncos have been to 12 NCAA Tournaments, including the 1952 Final Four, with seven other postseason appearances in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Led by head coach Herb Sendek, one of just 15 active coaches in NCAA D1 with 600 career victories, SCU has finished top-four in the WCC standings and posted 20 or more wins in each of the last five seasons. Many Santa Clara alums have gone on to have lengthy professional careers in the NBA, most notably two-time MVP Steve Nash and current pros Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski – both of whom were selected in the first round of the 2022 and 2023 NBA Drafts, respectively. Williams had a banner year in 2024-25, earning All-NBA and NBA All-Star honors while helping the Oklahoma City Thunder capture the NBA Finals Championship. Other notable Broncos to play in the NBA include four-time champion Kurt Rambis and fourth-overall pick Ken Sears.

Similar to the women, Santa Clara’s men’s soccer program also has storied success having captured the WCC title 14 times, most recently in 2023. The Broncos have been to 21 NCAA Tournaments, five College Cups and captured the 1989 National Championship – the first national championship title by any program in school history. Head Coach Cameron Rast, a two-time All-America selection and key member of the ’89 squad, has led the team since 2002, and has guided SCU to eight NCAA Tournaments and seven WCC Championship titles in those 24 seasons. Many former Broncos also excelled at the professional level in the MLS (Major League Soccer), including San Jose stars Joe Cannon and Jeff Baicher.

Volleyball also has a storied history having qualified for the NCAA Tournament 16 times, including a historic run to the Final Four in 2005. The Broncos have won five WCC Championship titles and have produced numerous All-America honorees.

Santa Clara women’s basketball could not have asked for a much better season than the one pieced together by first-year head coach Loree Payne in 2025-26. Payne set program records for wins by a first-year head coach (24), nonconference wins by a first-year head coach (10) and tied the overall program record for conference wins with 13. The Broncos broke the program record for points in a season and qualified for the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) for the second time in program history. In total, Santa Clara has qualified for the postseason 14 times with five NCAA Tournament bids and have captured the WCC Championship title eight times. In 1991, they won the WNIT Championship.

Santa Clara Baseball has qualified for the NCAA Tournament 13 times and captured 12 WCC Championship titles, both most recently in 2023. In 1962, the Broncos had a memorable run to the College World Series title game, led by eight future Major League Baseball (MLB) players on the roster. SCU has had great success at pushing out MLB talent with a total of 172 Broncos selected in the MLB Draft, most recently in 2024 when the San Francisco Giants picked Robert Hipwell in the sixth round. Other recent draft picks include Skylar Hayes (fourth round in 2023) and Mitch White (second round in 2016). Among the most notable alums to play in the big leagues is 13-year veteran Randy Winn, who started his SCU career as Steve Nash’s backup at point guard before concentrating on the baseball diamond. Winn played for five different franchises, including a five-year stint with the Giants, and was a 2002 MLB All-Star.

Santa Clara softball made program history in 2025, capturing their first WCC Championship title and clinching the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Similarly, men’s tennis also just captured their first WCC Championship title and their second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2026.

Both men’s and women’s golf programs have had success at sending teams and individuals to the NCAA Championships. The men have played in an NCAA Regional as a team three times, most recently in 2025, and has sent seven individuals to regionals while the women have seen three individuals qualify for a regional. Kelsey Kim was the most recent to do so in 2026 after a record-breaking junior campaign. Former men’s golfer Matt McCarty, a three-time All-WCC honoree during his time with the Broncos, is now among the top players in the world on the PGA Tour.

Both men’s and women’s track and cross country programs have also sent individuals to NCAA Regionals with Milaina Almonte qualifying in 2026 as the fourth woman to do so in program history. Nicholas Russell was a two-time qualifier on the men’s side in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, Zach Litoff became the first athlete from either program to compete in the National Championship, doing so in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Santa Clara Athletics also supports the Ruff Riders, the official student fan club, and spirit groups, which include the dance team, pep band, and Bucky the Bronco.

The Broncos are fortunate to play in some of the best facilities on the West Coast:

Stephen C. and Patricia A. Schott Athletic Excellence Center opened in 2020. The $37 million, 50,000-square-foot building provides dedicated space for student athletes to work out, train, practice, eat, and study together.
The all-encompassing training center includes Stevens Academic Center, Bronco Bench Foundation Sports Performance Center, John Filizetti & Coach McPherson Sports Medicine Center, John and Timi Sobrato Gymnasium (Dick Davey Court), Rambis Family Gymnasium (Carroll Williams Court), and William J. and Pamela G. Connolly Fuel Station.
The Leavey Center is home to men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball as well as Santa Clara Athletics staff and coaches.
Stevens Stadium-Buck Shaw Field, home to men’s and women’s soccer, was refurbished in 2015. The adjoining Stevens Soccer Training Center is a stylish 7,000-square foot facility that features all the necessary amenities for both programs.
Stephen Schott Stadium, home to baseball, contains an indoor hitting facility and 5,000-square-foot clubhouse, and recently underwent renovation to add in a state-of-the-art turf playing surface
Santa Clara Softball Stadium debuted in 2016 and contains an indoor hitting facility.
Sullivan Aquatic Center is home to men’s and women’s water polo and a shared facility with campus recreation.
Degheri Tennis Center, home to men’s and women’s tennis and a shared facility with campus recreation features six lighted tennis courts.
The Wipfler Golf Facility, opened in Fall 2024, is a state-of-the-art facility that gives both men’s and women’s golf programs an invaluable on-campus home.