Council subcommittee approves Inspector General framework, CBU women defend WAC title as UCR men energize home opener and August rains bring Riverside’s own tumbleweed species.
It's a rare thing for one city to hold two competitive NCAA Division I athletic programs. Riverside has California Baptist University and UC Riverside, both fielding teams capable of conference championship runs. This week showcases exactly why our city has become a legitimate NCAA sports destination.
The Lancers return to their Riverside campus as defending WAC Tournament champions, led by senior defender Summer Allen, whose preseason Defensive Player of the Year recognition caps years of stellar play in CBU colors. Just down the 215 Freeway, the Highlanders showed they can compete with anyone after a gutsy performance against UCLA, and now they get their first chance to play in front of the home faithful at UCR Soccer Stadium. Both local programs enter with legitimate championship aspirations, and the talent to back them up.
The defending WAC Tournament champions open their 2024 campaign with championship confidence, anchored by senior defender Summer Allen, who earned WAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors. Allen's recognition speaks to both her individual excellence and the defensive foundation that helped carry CBU to tournament glory last season. There's something special about season openers, that clean slate where every team starts with equal hope and endless possibility, but for the Lancers, that hope is built on proven championship mettle. It's been five years since they last faced Bakersfield, a 3-1 victory back in 2019. With Allen marshaling the backline and the sweet taste of tournament gold still fresh, CBU doesn't just hope for something memorable—they expect it.
The Highlanders return home after falling 2-1 to UCLA on a crushing last-minute goal that broke Highlander hearts, and UCR gets its chance to turn that disappointment into motivation. Home openers are sacred in college sports, the first chance to play in front of your own fans, to feed off familiar energy, to start writing your story on home soil. Every season begins with hope, and despite that painful loss to the Bruins, the Highlanders know that seasons are long and there is time enough to prove they are the best college soccer team in Riverside.
