I was thinking the same thing! We've been having all this great weather and, of course, we get near record heat on the weekend they're here but I'm glad we got at least one of them!

DAVIS, Calif. — Aggie Athletics has partnered with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) to celebrate their bold scientific breakthroughs with a bold new color and logo to match. The Aggies will compete in a series of Tahoe-themed games sporting a new alternate uniform starting this fall.

The partnership will extend beyond the kits on the field as student-athletes will have opportunities to visit the facilities located on Tahoe's north and west shores for on-site learning and team retreats. Merchandise sporting the new logo will be available at the Aggie Sideline Store online debuting this summer.

"Athletics offers a national stage to showcase UC Davis — a top-5 public, R1 research university," said Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca. "We in Athletics strive to match the excellence of our institution's groundbreaking work, including the Aggies' legacy of innovation and global impact at Lake Tahoe. We're excited to give fans a behind-the-scenes look and celebrate that spirit through alternate uniforms and merchandise."

"This partnership brings together two UC Davis organizations with cultures of dedication and excellence," states UC Davis TERC Director Stephanie Hampton. "We are so excited for our work at Lake Tahoe and beyond to be highlighted on a national stage by our outstanding student-athletes."
Information on the UC Davis Tahoe fall game dates and times will be made public in June.

More here: https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2025/5/28/athletics-aggies-introduce-bold-aqua-in-partnership-with-the-uc-davis-tahoe-environmental-research-center.aspx

I definitely like them and the video is very cool also! Love seeing that we used the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center boat. I think we'll see the football team keep the classic blue and gold uniforms as well for some games.

End arounds and swing passes into the flats with that kind of speed and elusiveness could be tough to defend too.

I think Blocker could really be exciting. He's got blazing speed: 10.4 in the 100m, 21.3 in the 200m and 4.37 for 40 yards. He also shows lots of athleticism and quickness. He's going to be hard to catch once he has some separation. 4.0 GPA also. Perfect Aggie!

Check out this highlights video: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19530538/66ef1694602d2063ff7b83b3

It's fascinating to hear about your experiences in food service for special events. Thanks for writing about your memories.

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Great interview. Thanks!

Plough clearly explained the Davis approach of recruiting primarily outstanding high school players and keeping them in the program until they graduate versus going after big numbers of transfers each year. Sac State's approach is the exact opposite currently and they have brought in what must be one of the largest numbers of transfers ever seen by an FCS school. This would be a perfect time for you to interview their new head coach, Brennan Marion, where you could compare the pros and cons of these two entirely different approaches to recruiting.

We're definitely thinking the same thing.

...this is a whole new team with players from all over the country. I mean we are hopeful that they will gel, but it could also be a disaster. LOL — Kadeezy

That will be the challenge for sure. Marion may actually have an excess of talent where some of these FBS transfers don't get the playing time they are expecting. However, it feels like, with this much talent, that his team could win even having a less than stellar game.

I think that Sac's strategy is playing out as planned at the moment. They aren't interested in the FCS at all anymore. FCS is small potatoes in their mind's eye. It's like Dr. Wood has said, "It's FBS or bust."

They're all about getting everyone's attention by bringing in a charismatic, up and coming coach and a recruiting class the likes of which no one has ever seen before at an FCS program and then, given their relatively weak FCS schedule this year, they go 12-0 on the season with most or all of their wins being huge blowouts.

If that happens, they feel like FBS conferences will roll out the red carpet and come calling, the fan base will take off like wildfire and that will bring in deep pocketed donors and perhaps an Indian casino sponsorship to build a new stadium and increase NIL money even more.

I think that, given the sheer number of players with exceptional size, speed and athleticism that they have brought in already, anything less than a monster 12-0 season would be a disappointment for them.

I have to think that we must be offering some NIL but who knows? Our athletics program is so much more than just trying to "buy" players. We go after players who value their education and the all of the support they will get for succeeding in school and in their lives after basketball at some point. It seems like all of these recent recruits are good students with high character so those things are probably as important or maybe even more important to them than simply getting paid to play at this level.

I haven't seen anything more about the big man, Jonathan Noudjihidi. I hope we get him signed. I did see a post where he has one of the tallest standing reaches in the nation at 9'2. With that kind of length he could really be a rim protector!

It looks like he has a great inside/outside game. This highlights video is from 2 years ago and he is apparently grown another inch since then. I hope he chooses to be an Aggie!

I'm sure he'll be attending some of Sac's games to see his son play.

I'm also interested to see what upgrades they might propose for the basketball arena and improvements to other sports facilities as well.

I hope that this master plan will be presented to the public soon after it has been completed. An exciting vision of what's ahead for the growth of Aggie Athletics would do wonders for growing the fan base and increasing donor support significantly.

High praise for Ylan Esso-Essis from Jim Les:

"We are thrilled to announce the addition of Ylan to the UC Davis Men's Basketball program," Les said. "Ylan is a highly skilled wing with a rare combination of size, skill, and basketball IQ. Standing at 6'8", he brings a dynamic presence to the court—able to handle the ball, create opportunities for himself and his teammates, and stretch the floor with his elite shooting range, making him a serious matchup problem for opponents.

"What sets Ylan apart isn't just his physical tools or offensive versatility—it's his mindset. His passion for the game and relentless work ethic make him a true gym rat, and that hunger to improve is what gives him one of the highest ceilings of any player I've coached in 24 years. We can't wait to see the impact Ylan will make as an Aggie. Welcome to UC Davis, Ylan!"

https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2025/5/16/ylan-esso-essis-to-join-mens-basketball-program.aspx