When I was younger, I was not a big fan of school sports. Outside of actual participation, I had no interest in turning on a game and rooting for a school from a part of the country that I couldn’t immediately point to on a map. For as much as I recognize that every major athlete in the NBA comes from one of these prestigious academic programs, something is overwhelming about just watching these few dozen schools fight for a top spot and, outside of March Madness, feels useless. I need to be immersed in a group and have a connection to the players. When you’re a college team, you’re changing out so often that I don’t know enough metrics to keep caring about your welfare, let alone feel the same enthusiasm as someone in a letterman jacket cheering from the crowd.
I would say this was true until only a few years ago. Even then, I don’t know that I’ve fully shaken the jitters. Week in and week out, I still struggle to want to put on games for teams I’m not “familiar” with. However, I do like to focus on a small corner of the bracket, and one that some may notice depending on which sport you’re watching. If it’s basketball, you’re probably missing it entirely in favor of watching Caitlin Clark’s dominant run. If it’s volleyball, there’s a good chance that you’re sick of it. I can’t speak for other sports, but from what I can tell they have well-established programs that show up on national charts in stuff like baseball, water polo, track and field, and golf.
For as much as I ignored sports programs in high school and even on the community college level, there was something about becoming “territorial” upon reaching university. I can’t fully explain why the mentality flipped, but there was something that suddenly felt more prideful. While I’ve never sat in the students section on my campus (before, during, or after attendance), there is a unique connection. Maybe it’s because I paid my dues and spent my time wandering these grounds, but suddenly I want to see my school succeed. Every small accomplishment in any field fills me with pride. Maybe it’s shallow that I didn’t feel that way about the community colleges I attended (both of which I still have respectful feelings toward), but suddenly there is a joy in knowing that almost every weekend, you can put on ESPN+ or Hulu and watch Cal State Long Beach fighting their hearts out. As of this publication, men’s volleyball is undefeated, and men’s basketball has the distinct honor of defeating Bronny James in his debut game.
To be transparent, I have only been following CSULB since roughly 2019. This could be because of where I was mentally. Even if it would be another two years before I would be accepted, there was the hope that I would eventually go there and graduate. It was my dream school and I wanted to know what it was like to at least take classes there. There are so many great things about that campus from the iconography and the staff to its rich history of alumni. To be a small notch on that tree meant a lot to me, and I think I started going to games to try and acquaint myself with the culture and lifestyle. Even if I was a good decade older than the Greek life students are known for, it was a chance to try.
I can’t speak for if it was my first game, but I still have a yellow “LBC 19” shirt from that time. Throughout attendance, I became a fan of various players and loved watching them win. Following the pandemic, the teams returned for 2021-2022. One of the most exciting things about that season, on top of being a first-semester student, was watching CSULB come out of the winter break in January and go on a winning streak that not only catapulted them to the top of the brackets but also made them Big West regular season champions. I was at the game where they clenched the honor and had the entire stadium join them on the floor for the net cutting ceremony.
The less said about the accompanying Big West Championship tournament, the better. While CSULB made it to the finals, they lost to Fullerton in the clumsiest way possible. Because of that, we missed March Madness. However, it launched a certain rift between my family that exists to this day.
This is where I’ll shift my attention to another reason I love focusing on a small pool of teams. CSULB is part of the Division I area known as The Big West. In some ways, it exists in the shadows of the big California teams like UCLA whose presence is often suffocating whenever we’re forced to play them. Outside of getting to hear Bill Walton provide color commentary, it’s never fun to be reminded that we’re a big team in a small pond. More often than not, we lose when UCLA comes around and if you want to know why I can’t stand UCLA (jokingly, of course), it’s because of this. Who wants to watch their team get annihilated?
But in The Big West, it’s a different story. Like anyone else, there’s the rotation in and out of players that makes every year hit a little differently. You practically have to circle your calendar of games you want to go to because there could be a chance that they’re not around next year. My big regret is not seeing E.J. Anosike from Fullerton, who became a mini-celebrity to the point that CBS was interviewing him before an unceremonious loss against Duke during March Madness. Having watched CSULB since 2019, I have seen a handful of promising players have the same turnstile approach, though it feels like 60% of the core is still there. My only hope is that their post-college career works out because, as I’ve suggested, CSULB isn’t exactly showing up in The NBA or WNBA Draft. In fact, Peyton Watson became the first athlete from Long Beach, CA to be drafted in the first round in several decades.
But on a more personal level, the reason that The Big West holds a special place in my heart is because my generation of family has a strong history with it. Whereas I graduated from Long Beach in 2023, my sister is a proud Fullerton alumnus who earned her degree just a year earlier. Due to their proximity, they have long been considered rivals and there’s something essential about watching them play at least once a year. While I like to think that CSULB is more dignified in how they handle it, I’ll give Fullerton points for creativity as they make “Beat the Beach” t-shirts and, in the case of a 2022 game, lowered the basket during the starting line-up call while playing “Baby Shark.” In some years, it’s evident one is better than the other. However, in cases like the Big West Championship game of 2022, it was so close that it led to some fun taunting for the day leading up to its telecast.
I think there’s still that effort made every year to see which school would come out greater. As calendars are marked and the weekends quickly fill up, we each do our part to follow teams and anticipate where things are going. While this has mostly been a post about basketball, I want to start shifting toward the other activities that I’ve become a fan of since my acceptance letter came in.
There are many reasons that I have become more addicted to watching volleyball than basketball (on any level) over the past six months. For starters, the one program that Long Beach always dominates is men’s volleyball. If you go into The Pyramid (which has been nicknamed The ‘Mid by students, which I make fun of them for), you can see the banners hanging proudly over the court. In the past six years, we’ve won or shown up in the division finals four times. Last year, we made the top four teams nationally, thus being a runner-up to fellow Big West school Hawaii. So far in 2024, we are one of three schools that are still undefeated. Not too shabby.
Another reason that volleyball is a lot more fun to watch is that I’d argue the culture is just more enjoyable. Beyond whatever antics the students bring (including a good luck shark plushy and a guy in a corn costume), there is so much action on the court that can only be appreciated in person. Because of how frequently both teams circulate around the court, they aren’t often allowed to sit down. Every play suddenly becomes theatrical as the athletes in waiting try to amuse themselves through a mix of typical banter, dance routines, and celebration dances. I’ve especially been a fan of the women’s routines, which have gotten animated during breaks as the bad house music gets put on. In one case during an extended coach’s challenge last season, they even held a dance contest with the opposing team where the audience cheered on the perceptive winner.
There are a lot of reasons that Long Beach feels like a good place to see volleyball, and I think it has to do with the design of The Pyramid. Something is thrilling about walking into it and seeing the expansive skyline. Compared to Fullerton’s amateurish Titan Gym, there is a lot of refurbishment and care put into the facility that allows for the expansiveness of the potential attendance to not be overwhelming. There are plenty of concessions and their merch section is often packed with a nice variety of shirts and jackets. It feels very much like a professional venue, albeit in a truncated manner when compared to someplace like Crypto Arena. In fact, last season, our women’s volleyball team was credited with having the highest attendance of any venue in the state. We’re no Nebraska (where our wonderful coach originated from, by the way), but we did take down 2023’s numero uno Texas on opening night.
Overall, I think Long Beach has slowly gotten a better and better reputation with different groups. Last year we held the first Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship tournament where CSULB finished second. We are set to host men’s, which I imagine will be bigger. There are also plans to host The Los Angeles Sparks for a few games as their home court gets some reconstruction.
As the year goes on, I think I’ll continue to expand my awareness of what can happen on a local sports level. While I openly admit that I was not a big fan of a recent trip to an Anaheim Angels game, I want to see if the college level is more my speed. Among other reasons, it’s another piece of hometown pride, as Justin Turner played at Fullerton at one point. A local Super Mex has his jersey on their wall. For as much as I think Long Beach exists in the shadow of Los Angeles, you get moments like that where you realize that we’re just as capable of making big names. It’s maybe what I have the biggest pride in.
I recognize that this wasn’t exactly a post about the ins and outs of following local sports so much as a repertoire of moments I’ve experienced over the past few years. With that said, it’s helped create an inside language between my family and given us something to anticipate on a weekly level. While not all sports are created equal – Fullerton women’s volleyball only won a single game last season, and I suspect it was out of pity – there is still that drive to imagine in this silly way “which school is better?” While I focused on the two that directly involve me, I am also a big fan of Hawaii and have nothing but kind things to say about their fans who bring palm leaves out to games as a sign of good luck.
It’s going to be an exciting year ahead, and I can imagine where everything will go. Here’s hoping men’s volleyball will continue to dominate and maybe even win. Hopefully, men’s basketball will rebound after some middling gameplay (though it’s funny that San Diego, who is still on unofficial member status, is having an incredible run right now). There’s a lot to anticipate and explore within this culture. Will I be adding a Dirtbags shirt to my collection very soon? Only time will tell. Still, there’s something about feeling connected to a school that makes these games feel different. Even if you know you’re going to lose, you’re going to hope for the best until the last buzzer confirms defeat.
More than that, I keep hoping that these players that I’ve admired for short windows of time will amount to something more. It’s hard to say, even as professional volleyball leagues are started and the G-League serves as a training ground for potential basketball players. All in all, I got a lot of memories (and free shirts) from these games that made me feel connected to the Big West as a group. We may never win March Madness or really become household names, but I know enough people who are willing to show up and watch them lead our team to small victories. For me, that’s enough to tune in every weekend and cheer them on.
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