Athletics and Sports

The Dominican Athletics and Recreation program is comprised of intercollegiate and recreational sports. In the athletics program, the University is a member of the California Pacific Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Our teams also play against NCAA-affiliated schools such as San Francisco State, Chico State, Sonoma State, and UC Davis. All students are welcome to try out for any of the intercollegiate sports offered at Dominican, regardless of previous athletic experience.

Participating in intercollegiate sports at Dominican requires a strong commitment of time, energy, and perseverance. The priority for all student athletes is their academic program; hence, practices are usually scheduled in the late afternoons and evenings to minimize interference with class schedules. All student-athletes participating in intercollegiate sports must meet all NAIA regulations regarding eligibility and academics by making normal progress toward an undergraduate degree. Physical examinations are required for entering freshmen.

Reasonable Accommodation for Student Athletes

Dominican University faculty are willing to provide, when possible, reasonable accommodation to any student who, when acting in good faith and in timely fashion, provides faculty with written notification of conflict(s) between the student’s academic and athletic schedules.

Reasonable accommodation.  In the case of a scheduling conflict, it may be possible for an instructor to offer alternative arrangements for the student to fulfill course requirements.  In these cases, it is up to the instructor to determine what constitutes a reasonable alternative.  In some cases, it may simply be impossible for an instructor to offer alternative arrangements.  In these cases, the question of reasonable accommodation is simply not triggered since no accommodation is possible. 

Good faith.  It is incumbent upon the student to identify scheduling conflicts and diligently inform both his/her coach and the relevant instructors, providing clear and accurate documentation to substantiate the claim that a conflict exists. 

Timely fashion.  Almost without exception, a student ought to be able to determine at the beginning of a semester what scheduling conflicts she/he faces.  When exceptional circumstances present a conflict that occurs only later and, therefore, could not have been anticipated, it is still incumbent upon the student to act in good faith and as early as possible to inform his/her coach and instructors of the conflict. 

Participation on an intercollegiate team is an opportunity of a lifetime. The goal of athletics at the University is to make involvement in intercollegiate athletics a positive and memorable experience for the student-athlete, as well as providing school spirit and enthusiasm for the entire campus community.

Student-athletes should also refer to the Student-Athlete Handbook, published by the Department of Athletics and Recreation, for more detailed information about the athletics program.

The Dominican Penguins

How did Dominican University of California end up with the nickname and mascot “Penguins”?

In the mid-1970s, students at the University wanted a nickname and mascot for their athletics teams. The Dominican Sisters of San Rafael who founded the University in 1890 had a distinct presence on campus with their long white habit, black mantle and veil, resembling a penguin. With a good sense of humor intact, the student body voted in the nickname Penguins – which thirty years later is alive and well! Youngstown State in Ohio is the only other four-year school in the United States to have the nickname Penguins. Ironically, the professional hockey team, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, has the same official colors as Dominican – black, gold, and white.

Team Sports

Men’s and Women’s Soccer: Both teams start practice in mid-August. Each team has 18-20 matches, usually beginning in late August, and plays their home matches on the multipurpose field in Forest Meadows.

Women’s Volleyball: Practice for the women’s team begins before school starts in the fall. The team competes in approximately 24 matches in September and October.

Men’s and Women’s Basketball: Practice starts the first week in October while games begin the second week in November. Each team plays approximately 26-30 games in a season including non-conference games. Both teams travel to Southern California at least once, usually during the semester break. The season runs through February.

Women’s Tennis: All home matches are played on our beautiful outdoor courts in Forest Meadows, from February through the end of April. Practices and matches are in the late afternoons and on weekends.

Women’s Softball: Practice starts in the fall and includes some exhibition games. The softball season begins in February and runs through April.

Men’s Lacrosse: Some practices and games scheduled for fall term. Lacrosse season begins in the spring.

Men’s and Women’s Golf: Tournament play is scheduled for both teams in the fall and spring semesters.

Recreational Sports and Activities

A wide range of participation-oriented recreation sports and activities is offered for the entire University community. Intramural sports are offered in volleyball, soccer, and basketball. Non-credit instruction is offered in a variety of activities including aerobics, dance, self-defense, yoga, NIA, and Jazzercise. A new Wellness Program incorporates personal training, health and fitness appraisals, weight training classes, health and wellness seminars.

Facilities

The Conlan Recreation Center first opened its doors in the spring of 2000. This state-of-the-art center quickly gained the reputation as being one of the finest small recreation facilities in Northern California.

The center includes a gymnasium with two full-sized basketball and volleyball courts, bleachers that seat 1,285 spectators, a 2,500 sq. ft. fitness center containing free weights plus aerobics and weight machines, a multipurpose room used for activity instructional classes, aerobics and dance, a six-lane swimming pool, and six outdoor championship tennis courts.

All students have free access to the recreation facilities at Dominican. A student ID card is required to gain entry.