The Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks are the 13 varsity athletic teams that represent

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt or Humboldt) is a public university in Arcata, California. It is one of three polytechnic universities in the California State University (CSU) system and the northernmost c ...

, located in

Arcata, California Arcata (; ; ) is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay (United States), Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, Arcata's population was 18,857. A ...

, in

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...

intercollegiate sports. The Lumberjacks compete as an associate member of the

California Collegiate Athletic Association The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level. All of its current m ...

for all sports except women's rowing, which competes in the

Great Northwest Athletic Conference The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. It has historically operated in the northwestern United States, but a ...

; women's triathlon, which competes unaffiliated; and men's wrestling, which competes in the

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) is a college athletic conference with members located mostly in the Western United States, although it has added members as far east as Massachusetts. The conference participates at the NCAA Divisio ...

Varsity sports

Basketball

Recently the men's basketball team achieved its first-ever West Region title and advancement to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II for the first time in the program's 81-year history. The men's head coach is Chris Tifft, and the women's head coach is Michelle Bento-Jackson.

Rowing

The women's rowing team claimed the NCAA Division II national rowing championship title in 2012, 2014, and 2023. In 2012 they took first in both the varsity 8 and varsity 4 boats. In 2014 the varsity 8 was first, and the varsity 4 took third. In 2023 they swept every category, winning both the four and eight heats, as well as the four and eight finals. In 2011 the team finished third overall at the national championships, placing second in the varsity 4 and third in the varsity 8. The women's rowing program advanced both its varsity 4 and varsity 8 boats to the NCAA Championships in 2004, with the varsity 4 earning the individual boat national title and the varsity 8 placing second at nationals. In 2024 they finished in fourth, but needed one more point to tie for third, and three more points to tie for first. This likely was a result of Cal Poly Humboldt excelling in the heats, but falling short in the finals that year. Women's rowing became an intercollegiate sport at Cal Poly Humboldt in 1994.

Highlights

* 1994 Club Sport Emerges as an NCAA Division II Intercollegiate Team * 2003 NCAA Division II National Championships ~ Finalist * 2004 Division II National Championships ~ Finalist / National Champions 4+ * 2010 WIRA Team Champions * 2011 NCAA Division II National Championships ~ Finalist * 2012 NCAA Division II National Champions * 2014 NCAA Division II National Champions * 2015 NCAA Division II National Championships ~ Finalist * 2017 WIRA Team Champions * 2018 WIRA Team Champions * 2019 WIRA Team Champions

Softball

CPH's softball team has qualified for the NCAA post-season 18 times between 1990 and 2008, capturing the national championship in

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

and in 2008.

Track and field

The Lumberjacks have produced national champions and

All-Americans The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

in cross country and track and field. In 1980, the school's first year in Division II, the CPH men's cross country team claimed a national title. A year later, cross country runner Mark Conover earned the individual crown and later represented the US as a marathoner in the

1988 Summer Olympic Games The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...

. The women's track and field team, led by future 1928 Olympic sprinter, Elta Cartwright, won the 1926 national championship meet conducted in telegraphic form by the Women's National Collegiate and Scholastic Track Association.

Wrestling

The most recently added sport is men's wrestling, reinstated in 2024–25 after being dropped at the end of the 1988–89 season.

Former sports

Football

Cal Poly Humboldt won the

in 2011 and 2015. The championship in 2015 led them to the Division II playoffs, during which they made it to the second round before losing to eventual champion Northwest Missouri State. The Lumberjacks played their home games in the Redwood Bowl. Their biggest rivals in football were

Western Oregon Western Oregon is a geographical term that is generally taken to mean the part of the U.S. state of Oregon within of the state’s coastal region, on the west side of the crest of the Cascade Range. The term is applied somewhat loosely, howeve ...

and Azusa Pacific. The university dropped football in 2018.

2015 season

The 2015 season was one of the most successful in Cal Poly Humboldt history. The Lumberjacks won 10 games, 9 in the regular season, en route to a perfect 6–0 GNAC record, and the conference championship. For the first time in school history, CPH hosted an

home playoff game, played against

Augustana University Augustana University is a private Lutheran university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The university identifies 1860 as the year of its founding, the same as its Rock Island, Illinois, Swedish-heritage sister school, Augustana College. It deri ...

. The Lumberjacks defeated Augustana by a score of 45–31 to secure the first DII playoff victory since 1960. They lost their second round matchup with top seed and eventual champion Northwest Missouri State 54–7. The season saw individual success as well, as running back Ja'Quan Gardner was named an All-American and finished as the runner-up in the

Harlon Hill Trophy The Harlon Hill Trophy is an award in American college football given to the individual selected as the most valuable player in NCAA Division II. The award is named for former University of North Alabama and National Football League player Harl ...

, the Division II version of the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

. Gardner rushed for 2,266 yards on 337 carries, both GNAC records. Gardner also led the country in rushing yards per game (188.8) and rushing touchdowns (25). Gardner won the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year award, and set a school record for single-game rushing yards by running for 305 yards against Azusa Pacific. Offensive Lineman Alex Cappa was named the conference Offensive Lineman of the Year award for the second straight season, and was a second-team All-American.

Conferences

*1924–1939: Independent *1940–1996:

Northern California Athletic Conference The Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) was an NCAA Division II college athletic association that sponsored American football that was founded in 1925. It disbanded in 1998 after the majority of its member schools were forced to drop fo ...

*1997: Division II Independent *1998–2000:

Columbia Football Association The Columbia Football Association was intercollegiate athletic football-only conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). It was composed principally of member schools from the states of Oregon and Wash ...

*2001–2005:

*2006–2007: Division II Independent *2008–2018:

Discontinuation of football program

In July 2018, the university announced that the football program would be discontinued after the 2018 season.

Championships

NCAA appearances

The Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks competed in the NCAA Tournament across 12 sports (5 men's and 7 women's), 113 times at the Division II level. * Men's basketball (14): 1983, 1990, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 * Women's basketball (6): 1995, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018 * Men's cross country (12): 1969, 1974, 1980, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2012 * Women's cross country (5): 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2012 * Football (1): 2015 * Rowing (7): 2004, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024 * Women's soccer (1): 1996 * Softball (24): 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 * Men's indoor track and field (1): 2000 * Women's indoor track and field (2): 1995, 1999 * Men's outdoor track and field (27): 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2018 * Women's outdoor track and field (15): 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017

Team

NCAA

The Lumberjacks earned six NCAA team championships at the Division II level. * Men's (1) ** Cross country (1): 1980 * Women's (5) **

Rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

(3): 2012, 2014, 2023 **

Softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

(2):

, 2008 Results

Other national

* Women's Track & Field (1): 1926, at the highest level Below is one national club team championship: * Women's disc golf (1): 2014 ( NCDGU)

Individual

Cal Poly Humboldt has had 39 athletes win NCAA individual championships at the Division II level.

References

External links

* {{Mountain Pacific Sports Federation navbox