The West Coast is full of storied college basketball programs, and the UC Riverside Highlanders are no exception. The only caveat is that most of Riverside’s success has come at the Division II level, meaning that cheap UC Riverside basketball tickets have been widely available for most of the program’s history. But at the turn of the century, the Highlanders made the move to the Division I level. While it’s been a bigger challenge, the Highlanders now compete in the well-respected Big West Conference. As a result, most of their home games are against rival programs in California, leading to a huge demand for last-minute UC Riverside basketball tickets.

On High Ground

The 1970s began UC Riverside’s time as a Division II powerhouse. In 1970, the Highlanders reached the Final Four of the Division II NCAA Tournament, ultimately finishing third. They would find themselves in the NCAA Tournament five more times that decade, five times in the 1980s, and six times in the 90s. On top of making regular tournament appearances, the Highlanders reached the final 16 of the tournament in seven of their 17 appearances, including two more trips to the Final Four in 1989 and 1995. In fact, Riverside reached the national title game in 1995, only to fall to Southern Indiana in the finals.

Stepping Up

By the turn of the century, it was obvious that UC Riverside was ready for a new challenge as the Highlanders made the jump to the Division I level. As a member of the Big West, the Highlanders have struggled to find their footing. With every game coming against another school from California, there is great familiarity and bitter rivalries throughout the season, making things tough for UC Riverside. However, the Highlanders have never been one to give up without a fight. After Mike Magpayo took over as the head coach in 2020, UC Riverside quickly became a serious contender in the Big West and a program that will be worth watching closely in the years to come.