Rocko DeLuca is a builder in more ways than one.
The UC Davis director of athletics is in the middle of a major push to grow resources and modernize facilities, the kind of work that requires patience, long-term vision, and constant alignment across campus. When he needs to step away from budgets, board meetings, and the nonstop churn of modern college sports, DeLuca turns to something much simpler.
He builds Legos.
Brick by brick, piece by piece, the hobby helps him shut off the noise. It is also an unexpectedly fitting metaphor for what UC Davis is trying to accomplish right now. As the Aggies prepare for their move to the Mountain West in July 2026, nothing about the transition is happening overnight. Instead, it is unfolding deliberately, one investment, one hire, and one facility upgrade at a time.
For DeLuca, that is the only way lasting progress ever happens.
“I’ve really tried to take jobs where there’s an opportunity to make an impact,” he said, reflecting on a career that has taken him from Colorado to UMass and, ultimately, to Davis. “I’ve been fortunate that those places have also been great places to live.”
That journey matters for where he is today. In Colorado, DeLuca learned the scale and expectations of a major athletics department. At UMass, he experienced the realities of a program transitioning from FCS to FBS, lessons that still shape how he thinks about growth, risk, and sustainability for the Aggies. When the opportunity at UC Davis emerged, he saw something rare: An elite academic institution with untapped athletic potential. Oh, and of course, a great area for his family to live.
“There are great opportunities at UC Davis,” DeLuca said. “But it really was intriguing for me to get here and really keep building off of the great foundation.”
Nearly a decade later, UC Davis stands on the edge of its most consequential athletics shift in modern history.
A Program Defined By Identity
Ask DeLuca for a 30-second pitch on UC Davis athletics, and he does not start with hype with Aggie Athletics. He starts with the institution’s identity.
“We’re a nationally competitive athletic program that is proud to represent a top-five public school in the country,” he said. “We lean hard into the academic mission of the institution.”
He also points to breadth. UC Davis student-athletes represent more than 70 majors across campus. For DeLuca, that flexibility is not a talking point. It is a differentiator in a college sports landscape where roster construction, transfers, and professional aspirations increasingly narrow academic choices.
When he talks about winning, he frames it as part of a larger promise: Compete at a high level, graduate at a high level, and prepare student-athletes for what comes next.
That philosophy is also the foundation of UC Davis’ transition into the Mountain West and beyond.
Why The Mountain West Made Sense
In an era where conference realignment often feels chaotic, DeLuca describes UC Davis’ move as something closer to traditional alignment.
“There is still a traditional alignment of peer institutions that want to be with like-minded folks,” he said.
For UC Davis, the decision was not only competitive. It was institutional. The Mountain West footprint creates new opportunities to recruit students beyond California and strengthens UC Davis’ brand across the Mountain region and the West.
It also changes the rhythm of competition.
DeLuca believes the presence of programs like UNLV, Nevada, Air Force, and Wyoming will create a different level of energy for fans and alumni, particularly in a state where college sports often compete for attention with professional teams and entertainment options.
UC Davis announced it would join the Mountain West beginning July 1, 2026, aligning its Olympic sports with a conference that shares academic and institutional similarities. The move signals both ambition and a strong confidence in the department’s overall trajectory.
Football, The Big Sky, And Realistic Ambition
UC Davis will remain in the Big Sky for football, a decision that reflects both pride and pragmatism.
“We love being in the Big Sky,” DeLuca said. “Our ambition has been to build our football program into a Big Sky championship and national championship caliber program.”
The Aggies have hovered near the top tier of the FCS landscape, consistently ranked but still chasing a breakthrough beyond the quarterfinals. DeLuca believes the goal is not to chase a label but to build a sustainable model, one that can compete regardless of competition level.
“There are a lot of moving parts right now in the industry,” he said. “We’re trying to be the best version of UC Davis that we can be.”
DeLuca often points to his time at UMass as both relevant and formative. He was part of the Minutemen’s transition from FCS to FBS, giving him firsthand insight into the realities of preparing for and competing at the next level, should the Aggies ever have that opportunity.
IGNITE 2.0 And The Architecture Of Change
The Mountain West invite and acceptance called for UC Davis and athletics to revisit its strategic planning almost immediately.
DeLuca and his team rolled out IGNITE 2.0, an updated roadmap that accounts for conference transition, NIL realities, and the evolving economics of college sports. Internally, UC Davis created task forces focused on three areas: the student experience, the fan experience, and the operational infrastructure required to support both.
The goal is simple in theory and difficult in practice.
“The move doesn’t work unless we can be a contributing member in the Mountain West,” DeLuca said. “We absolutely plan on being one.”
Investing In People Before Buildings
One of the most revealing indicators of UC Davis’ priorities is not a physical building, but an organizational chart.
DeLuca highlighted the department’s sports medicine model, which includes 16 full-time athletic trainers and three physicians supporting student-athletes. That level of investment reflects his own background. Before he became an administrator, DeLuca spent four years as a student athletic trainer at Colorado.
“I want to make sure our student-athletes have a great experience here and that we have the necessary support staff around them,” he said.
That mindset has shaped the department’s growth. During his tenure, UC Davis’ operating budget has grown from roughly $32 million to more than $55 million. That growth has enabled expanded staffing in academics, nutrition, sports performance, and other support areas, enhancing the daily experience of student-athletes.
On the competitive side, UC Davis has built a balanced profile across sports rather than a single flagship program. Conference titles, rising national relevance, and increasing attendance have become markers of progress.
Aggie Ascent And Closing The Gap
Even with momentum, DeLuca is candid about the gaps UC Davis must close as it enters the Mountain West.
That reality is driving Aggie Ascent and IGNITE 2.0, a long-term facilities and infrastructure initiative designed to modernize UC Davis athletics through private philanthropy and corporate partnerships. The plan includes a reimagined football stadium with premium seating and hospitality spaces, a new golf training center, and future upgrades across multiple venues.
For DeLuca, the rationale is straightforward. Premium inventory matters. Revenue drivers matter. Fan experience matters. If UC Davis wants to compete with its future peers, it must build the physical and financial foundation to do so. The plans are in place, and DeLuca is attacking.
Revenue Sharing And Controlled Optimism
Asked about revenue sharing, DeLuca did not hesitate.
“We will be opting in this year,” he said.
The Aggies originally opted out, not for any single reason, but because DeLuca wanted clarity and structure before committing.
“It’s a serious topic,” he said, emphasizing the importance of having a plan that supports both short- and long-term sustainability. “We want to be in a position to benefit from the next phase of collegiate athletics, not just survive it.”
A fan of The Office, DeLuca joked that he wanted to avoid any “Dunder Mifflin accounting” when it comes to revenue-sharing and name, image, and likeness opportunities.
“To have the success that we’re having right now is incredible; that gives me even more hope on the future,” he said. “If we put more fuel into this machine, do things the right way, we’ll continue to have success.”
Doing More With Less, Then More With More
DeLuca’s background also includes external aspects of a department, which have shaped how he thinks about growth. UC Davis does not yet have the donor base or fan infrastructure of many Mountain West peers, but he sees that gap as an opportunity rather than a limitation.
“There’s a lot of donor education and fan education right now,” he said.
He summed up his philosophy simply.
“I’m a big fan of doing more with less,” he said. “But I also like to do more with more.”
It is a line that could double as UC Davis’ mission statement for the next decade.
The Next Era
In DeLuca’s office, Lego sets line the shelves. They are not there by accident.
Building something physical gives him a way to step away from the pressures of NIL, transfers, and budgets. It gives him a different kind of focus. It reminds him that progress does not always happen in dramatic leaps.
Sometimes it happens one piece at a time.
That is the approach UC Davis is taking as it prepares for its next era. The Aggies are not chasing shortcuts. They are building something sustainable, deliberate, and aligned with who they are as an institution.
Brick by brick, piece by piece, Rocko DeLuca is trying to make sure UC Davis is ready for what comes next.
