The Aggies drag themselves home with a losing record in conference play and needing a sweep this week, which will be tough given their opponent on Saturday. In the meantime they need to get past the Titans who aren’t exactly burning through the Big West, but have good victories over UCSB and UCSD, the latter on the road, although the Tritons have stumbled a bit after going 11-2 prior to January. Their road record is 2-6 with the best win being the aforementioned one over UCSD. Statistically they resemble Cal Poly in that the Titans score a lot of points, first in the Big West by a large margin, 86.7 ppg. (UCD is second at 81.2) while giving up a lot of points, 85.9 ppg. 9th worst in all of Division 1. They don’t, however, make a high percentage of 3 point shots or one scorer, like Hamad Mousa, rather they rely on balanced scoring and they have a lot of depth.

Again, similar to Cal Poly, Fullerton often has five guards on the court, although they have been including a forward in the starting lineup. In fact, looking at their roster, there are only two forwards on the entire team. One of them, starting forward Kendrick De Luna, 6’ 10” is the only player returning from last year. The fact that he has shot 100% from the 3 point line does not mean he is much of a factor (he’s 1 for 1). He averages 4.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg. The forward most likely spend more time on the floor at the Credit Union Center is Landon Seamon, a 6’ 8” forward from Vacaville who transferred from Menlo College. He’s been good for 21 minutes a game, 13.5 ppg. and 3.9 rpg. Hope this means that Coach Les will start Niko Rocak.

The four starting guards are Joshua Ward, a transfer from Life University (there is Life in Georgia), Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro from Valparaiso and freshmen Bryce Cofield and Christian Williams. Also getting double minutes of playing time so far are freshmen guards Davis White and K. J. Garris plus transfer Jaden Henderson, from Jessup, and Bailey Nunn, from Sac State. The scoring comes from Seamon, Ward, De La Cruz Monegro, and Cofield who all score from 12 to 14 ppg combining for 53 ppg. I’m guessing that they swarm to the ball for rebounds because for all their lack of big men, they have 11.2 offensive rebounds per game v, 9.3 for the Ags

Unlike Cal Poly, the Aggies will be at home for this one, so it’s time to get back to .500.

Chris Peterson, Jake Maier (who we grabbed early).

After the teams have played 5-6 games most of them are bunched in the middle of a pack of 7 at or around .500. This is the good news for the Aggies who are only one game out of third place. The bad news is that 6 other teams are in the same boat. It's seems like there are only two teams who are at the top: UCI and Hawai`i who played last night in a real close game that saw them exchange one point leads for most of thw second half until Hawai`i one on a buzzer beater, 67-66, after the Anteaters had taken the lead with 12 seconds left. At this point, neither UCSB nor UCSD are as strong as they have been in the past. I'd have to predict that the regular season and tournament champs will be either UCI or Hawai`i.

I think he might have outsmarted himself by sitting Niko the whole game. Last year, they strategically put him in when Poly made a substitution with a (relatively) big man, so he played about 6 minutes a half. No big guy for poly this year - no Niko. I’d have like to see him in the last 5-10 minutes when we had all 5 guys around the arc, never challenging the rim (except Sevilla). Maybe that pulls a defender inside and opens the passing lanes? Maybe the pick and roll gets us to the hoop, or opens up a three when they collapse? I can see how he’d struggle with defensive matchups, but their picks isolated Sevilla time and time again in the second half.

They know a ton more basketball than me - I just had to see the other team completely change how we play.

I'm sure shells/boats are expensive and that tranpsorting them is also expensive, but seems to me that crew is popular enough on the west coast and would add enough numbers to the Title IX formula that it would be a better sport than stunt or field hockey.

All sports involve some judgment and some physical fitness, but I prefer the ones where the winner relies more on physical attributes which can (hopefully) be measured objestively rather than sports which are so reliant on the opinion of judges. The Olympic motto is "Faster, Higher, Stronger," not "Better in the opinion of some judges."

Having said that, gymnasts are some of the most physically fit athletes around, so what do I know?

I agree that having an Equestrian team fit with the UCD heritage/culture, and I would love to have it continue.

Unfortunately, I also understand that Equestrian is an expensive sport to operate. In addition to the cost of scholarships, uniforms, coaching and support staff salaries, general equipment similar to all other varsity sports there are equine-athlete costs and facility costs. Just feeding one horse, depending on the price of hay, can $5,000 or more a month. There's also another $1500/month per horse for routine veterinary and farrier care. And there's no skipping on any of this if you want the horses ready for competition.

So I can easily see that the savings by replacing Equestrian with Stunt will be significant.

After a great amount of thought and conversations with my owners, handlers, trainers, groomers, ferriers, and veterinarians, I have decided to enter the transfer portal. This was not an easy decision and comes with great appreciation for the entire Aggie community, particularly my stablemate, Gunrock. That community has welcomed me, supported me and believed in me from the time I was a young colt. I will always carry wonderful memories of the Davis experience down whatever paths I may roam.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this chapter of my life.

Happy trails to you,

Buttermilk.

I was sad to read my UCD Athletics email today with announcement of dropping our Equestrian program to club level and elevating STUNT from club to varsity. I understand the decision but felt that being an Ag/Vet school, that our Equestrian program/team was essential to keep.
At least UCD will do the right thing and continue to honor the financial aid for the current student athletes.
Again I understand the realities of modern D1 sports but just wish there was a way to make it work.

https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2026/1/9/uc-davis-athletics-announces-sport-sponsorship-updates-effective-in-the-2026-27-academic-year.aspx

That's crazy that Soto decided he wants to lose to his alma mater every year

Former Aggie WR Anthony Soto named Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach at Cal Poly. Soto comes from Mercer. Prior to Mercer he was the OC/QB coach at D2 Lenoir-Ryne University.

Soto has spent the last two seasons at Mercer as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his time there, the Bears offense thrived, averaging more than 34 points and 442 yards per game. This past season, Mercer was third in the FCS in yards per game and the 13th best scoring offense in the FCS.

Soto played four seasons (2009-12) in the wide receiver rotation at UC Davis, logging 107 career receptions for 1,269 yards. He earned his bachelor's degree in community & regional development from UC Davis in 2012.

Hunter has a couple good years with us, but man, this last season was not ideal

Hunter Ridley has entered the transfer portal.

Some thought that the Mustangs were turning things around last season, finishing 8-12 in the Big West after an 0-20 season in 2023-24. What second year coach Mike DeGeorge was able to do was to instill a solid offense that scored a lot of points and to win to the extent that had not been seen in nearly 30 years in San Luis Obispo). He’s continuing to do so. Cal Poly is averaging over 80 points per game. Trouble is that in compiling a 5-9 record through December, their defense was allowing over 87 ppg. It was a possibility that the Mustangs had figured out the D because in Big West play this month, they were able to hold UCSD to 65 in an upset, but then they lost to CSUN on Thursday giving up 95. Earlier this season they split two other conference games losing to UCR but downing Fullerton, both offensive shootouts.

Coach DeGeorge had them playing as tough a preseason schedule as any Big West School. They opened with a loss to USC, then lost to Colorado State, and UCLA, but got an upset victory over Utah. They also beat Seattle, which seems to have scheduled half the Big West in preseason. Their home record is an unimpressive 3-5, although one of them was the win against UCSD.

Given their offensive output it should be no surprise that Cal Poly has three of the Big West’s top ten scorers. They are led by sophomore Hamad Mousa, #10, a transfer guard from Qatar via Dayton. He averages 21.7 ppg., best in the conference. No surprise that he has already jacked up 130 trey attempts hitting on over 40% of them. At 6’ 8” he also leads the team in rebounds, over 6 per game. The Mustangs must have recruited at the Olympics because in addition to Mousa, they have players from Slovenia, Uruguay, Canada, Serbia, New Zealand, France and Stockton. It’s interesting that Mousa is the only significant player who transferred in. The rest are either returning players or freshmen. Starting the season playing a three guard lineup, the other two high scorers are also guards: #9 Peter Bandelj (15.1) ppg and #34 Cayden Ward (15.6 ppg.), also both sophomores. Jake Davis and Guzman Vasilic log a lot of minutes substituting (and recently starting) at guard. They combine to add 13 ppg. and 6 rpg.

The frontcourt consists of freshmen Austin Goode and 6’ 9” Ali Assran. There is only one other forward on the entire roster who plays much, Troy Plumtree. In fact, in recent games they have started five guards and I would expect to see that against UCD. I expect the whole game to look like the beginning of the UCSB game as far as the Mustangs offense is concerned. The Aggies will need to come out shooting.

There goes sac state possible 6th game in 2026.

That agent also represents Jedd Fisch so makes sense he would stand with Fisch. Apparently college football's favorite villain Lane Kiffin and LSU are going after Williams.

Yep- CFB is a mess, it's still my favorite sport... although my interest may be waning.

The fact that a kid even used punctuation in text/social media has to mean something. His measurables are nearly identical to Simpson's as far as height/weight.

i guess i missed the part that said 'According to Dr. Wood.....'

reminds me of a great classic from the Simpson's :

Marge : "Homer, that's the worst thing you have ever done!"
Homer : "You say that so often that it's lost all meaning."

For the moment, and i DO hope you guys get 12 games, I'll file it under the posts about the certainty of the Pac12 offer, the FBS acceptance, the MAC offer, , the construction kickoff of the on-campus stadium, the Cal Expo stadium in 2026.

The whole agent thing is gross. Poking around the families all the time trying to drum up business whether the kids know it or want it. Trying to create interest for a kid before he even enters the portal or is a client, or is even aware, then pounce.
College football is in bad shape.

you’ll excuse us if we view this with a bit of skepticism. Your track record on proclamations hasn’t been great

DO NOT be concerned. Davis has never been a hype machine. And Movieliver is correct about keeping things close to the best. There are recruiting staffs that dedicate personnel to stalking their rival’s prospects and commits. Best to keep things on the down low

I don't mind sending Cal our players who have graduated and have a year of eligibility left. I won't particularly be rooting for Vargas if I'm being honest, not wishing him ill or anything, but if he doesn't find success with the Bears I won't really be broken up about it.

The schedule is 12 games. It's done. It's not announced because different conferences announcing schedules at different times. It is not a "FBS schedule" as promised.

I'm glad Drew Cofield is sticking around.

Great to get some finality on Cofield from Plough.

I continue to be very impressed by coach Plough. His thoughts on the future of football at all levels are really informative and show the depth of his knowledge of the game. Hard to believe that any player speaking to him would not be very impressed. His statement on the Conners has me very hopeful that a successful settlement of this unfortunate situation is possible.

Tim Plough is one of the best coaches in college football at any level. He has the Aggies on the fast track of being a consistent top 5 program in the FCS each year. Any player would be hard pressed to find a more personally supportive culture for their development and growth not only as an athlete but also as an excellent student, teammate and human being.

Need a longer FS to match up with the bigger guys over the middle. The young guys are pretty slight and none over 5’10. Put on the wishlist with a TE, another TE (or big receiver with some position versatility), a big back to rotate with Fish, and a QB.

Fisher has two years left.

that says plenty.

Jordan Fisher is confirmed to return for his senior year.

Man, I once again reiterate how smart the posters on this board are. There is some real wisdom and education, along with some great ideas on here. I thought the California Conference YouTube network idea was especially fascinating. Anyway, I've been telling my three friends on the planet this for several years, and I qualify this as a not-so-good idea: re-set the FBS football conferences back to 1984 or so. Cut all the sports that didn't exist prior to that time and lean-out the conferences. Everyone else gets a choice: FCS, D2, or D3. For the conferences that had teams drop football (ex. the PCAA: Long Beach St., UOP, Fullerton St., etc.) let the FCS schools that are regional fits apply to move up. How much fun would the Pac 10 or original WAC be? I don't know that 1984 was the right year, but just find the best old days of conference alignments, expand the playoffs, and make college football great again because it sucks on many levels right now. And make them all wear their 1984 uniforms the first year of the really great reset.

Excellent post, TrainingRm67. You actually laid out the exact reasons why a California Conference may be the best—and perhaps only—path forward for sustaining college football in California.

The so-called “power” conferences are bleeding money. They’re relying almost entirely on TV revenue to stay afloat in the next media deal, yet the economic and technological landscape has fundamentally changed. Traditional television—the NBC, CBS, ABC, and even ESPN model many of us grew up with—is dying. The next generation simply doesn’t engage with those platforms. Streaming has already replaced them. YouTube, Amazon Prime, Apple, Google, and similar companies are now the real distribution channels.

So what happens in 2030 when the current TV deals expire? Do we really believe that same level of money will still exist? I don’t. I think the endgame is a semi-pro super league made up exclusively of blue-blood programs—Notre Dame, Florida, Ohio State, and the like. That leaves schools such as Stanford, Cal, UCLA, San Diego State, Fresno State, and others on the outside looking in.

When that happens, schools will face a few options:

Scramble to rebuild old conferences with new members.

Drop down to the FCS level.

Eliminate football altogether.

Or rethink conference alignment with geography playing a much bigger role.

This is where a California Conference makes the most sense.

California has the population—nearly 40 million people, the largest in the country.
California has the economic power—the largest GDP in the U.S. and the fourth largest economy in the world.
California is the global center of technology and media.
California also has a deep and diverse education system, from junior colleges to the CSU and UC systems, along with strong private institutions.

The only real reason college football hasn’t reached the same level here as in other regions is simple: culturally, we haven’t cared as much. The biggest football programs in the state—Stanford, Cal, UCLA, USC—are elite academic institutions that relatively few Californians actually attend. Compare that to a place like Ohio State, where a large portion of the state’s population attends and passionately supports the flagship university. As a result, local investment and emotional buy-in in California has been lukewarm.

If you doubt that community support exists here, go watch a Cal State Fullerton baseball game. That program is a national powerhouse and draws strong local support—proof that Californians will invest when they feel connected.

Now imagine a California Conference where UC Davis plays at Stanford, San Diego State, San Jose State, Cal Poly, UCLA, and Sacramento State. Travel costs drop dramatically. Trips are shorter. But more importantly, real local rivalries form. Communities become invested. The state’s massive population gets engaged. That drives business, media interest, and long-term investment.

Finally, leverage what California does better than anyone else: technology and entertainment. Silicon Valley is here. Hollywood is here. Google was born here. Create a California Conference YouTube channel. Use Hollywood-level storytelling and marketing to promote the league. Make playing a California school a national event. Keep California talent home and build something unique.

If college football is going to survive in this state, it won’t be by chasing a dying national model. It will be by embracing what California already is—and building a conference that reflects it

Great news to confirm in the new week!

It would have been very easy for Gbatu to change his mind about staying at Davis after the Pinnick announcement, but cool to see him reaffirm his decision to stay. Let's go Sam!