UC Davis will compete in the Big West conference. It took four years to prove its readiness for the Division 1 certification, which applies to 26 varsity sports involving about 800 athletes. It joins California State University at Sacramento, which already is a Division 1 school. In making the announcement, Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef emphasized the continuing importance of academic success for its student athletes. A recent study found that UCD’s student athletes outperform the overall student body academically.