The season of renewal is in full swing, and so too are spring sports at the University of California, Riverside. In the stands, cheering on the Highlanders is Wesley Mallette, UCR's Athletics Director. With a smile and a grin, the energetic and enthusiastic AD supports his teams, knowing all too well that it took almost two years' worth of hard work, perseverance, and passion to be here today. 
 
May 6, 2022 marks the one-year anniversary of the decision to keep the UCR Athletics program competing at the NCAA's Division I level. It also marks the 21 month period since UCR's Budget Advisory Committee's (BAC) announced its recommendation to cut UCR Athletics in late August 2020 as part of an effort to alleviate the stress the university was experiencing amidst the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after the BAC's recommendation was made public, in January of 2021 the then Athletics Director Tamica Smith Jones, accepted a position as Chief Operating Officer for Kennesaw State University Athletics. As a result, Wesley Mallette, was ushered in as the Interim Director of Athletics, thus leaving the fate of the Southern California program in the hands of him and his team. 
 
The year that followed was filled with arduous amounts of hard-work from Mallette, the coaches, staff and student-athletes. In response to the BAC's recommendation, in September 2020, UCR quickly launched the #KeepUCRAthletics social media and stakeholder engagement campaign, circulated an online petition, and conducted national media interviews to inform people of the program's status. These efforts alone successfully engaged hundreds of thousands of students, donors and alumni who spoke out in solidarity with the Athletics department, signed the petition and sent letters to campus leadership. 
 
While the battle raged on behind closed doors, UCR's student-athletes continued to compete in The Big West, performing at historically high levels. In the span of just under two years, the 17-sport Athletics department has propelled forward in an unprecedented way, shattering school records left and right. The Men's Basketball team finished third in The Big West, entering the 2020-21 conference tournament as the number three seed for the first time in program history; and in 2021-22, the team knocked off  "Power 5" foes Washington and Arizona State while pushing Oregon to the limit, falling short of victory by a mere six points. Women's Basketball finished fourth in the league in 2021-22 (after finishing eighth the year before). The team beat USC in an intense bout in early 2021, and proceeded to carry that momentum into the 2021-22 season by winning eight of its last nine games before losing in The Big West Tournament semi-final. Women's Golf had an exceptional performance in 2022, finishing with three student-athletes in the top 10 at the Big West Championships. Men's Soccer made it to the Big West Conference Tournament semi-final for the third time in four years, Track & Field/Cross Country continue to shatter school records, and Softball currently sits in the top third of the conference.

"All of our teams are heading in the right direction with respect to culture, competitiveness, academic standing and mindset," Mallette said. "Eleven of our 17 teams have seen seismic shifts and have turned around. I believe we are seeing the uptick in performance across the board right now largely because we have placed great emphasis on culture. Our people have bought in and they understand the importance of being solution-oriented. We continue to chop wood and carry water and focus finding a way. We meet people where they are so we can address key needs in real time. No matter the challenge we face, we will continue to overcome and be successful."
 
The threat of elimination paired with the hardships posed by pandemic created a perfect storm for the entire department. The economic uncertainties that followed these two events led to massive budget cuts, not only for the school as a whole, but for the Athletics department which had to cut a significant amount. 
 
"Our community is engaging and our donors have stepped up in a big way," Mallette added. "Our Development team has worked hard and over the past 12 months, we have reached our fourth highest total of giving and we have seen one of the highest number of total donors ever."
 
As the various Highlander teams head into their off-season, Wesley Mallette looks toward the future, focusing on improving the lives of staff, student-athletes as well as the overall condition of the program. Though the toughest battles are now over and Athletics has emerged victorious, the work is far from done. Most recently, Mallette alongside his staff and student-athletes, worked diligently to advocate for an increase in the Athletics student fee referendum, which had not increased in 21 years. Unfortunately, the referendum fell short of passing by just 404 votes in the most recent elections but in spite of the less than favorable result, UCR Athletics remains undaunted, strong and poised for success.
 
On the eve of the one-year anniversary, Mallette reflected on the program's progress and resilience with pride.
 
"When I look at our program now, I am incredibly proud of where we are and optimistic about where we are headed," he said. "Over the past 21 months, we accomplished a great deal. We have managed successfully through COVID-19 and the threat of a full Athletics program elimination. We are currently in our fourth best year ever with respect to fundraising. Our student-athletes' cumulative GPA is just under a 3.2 – which is higher than the general student cumulative GPA. Our integration with Campus and engagement with our community is stronger and growing. Facility improvements are in motion. But most importantly, we have established a caring, listening and inclusive culture within Athletics that is yielding the results we have wanted to see. We remain strong and UCR Athletics is not going anywhere."