Long Beach State

Long Beach State embodies a gritty, blue-collar work ethic, a history of producing legendary professional talent, and the unique swagger of its Southern California home. The university's soul is found on the baseball diamond, where the program famously adopted the "Dirtbags" moniker to represent its tough, underdog mentality—a spirit that has fueled multiple trips to the College World Series and produced a long line of MLB All-Stars. This championship pedigree shines just as brightly in men's volleyball, a national powerhouse that has captured three NCAA National Championships, including back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. The iconic Walter Pyramid has been home to a storied basketball tradition, from Jerry Tarkanian's nationally-ranked men's teams of the 1970s to a women's program that made two appearances in the NCAA Final Four. As a perennial powerhouse in the Big West Conference, "The Beach" consistently competes for championships across a wide array of sports. Long Beach State athletics represents a proud and authentic identity, proving that true success is built on grit, not glamour.