Charlie Brande #

Introduction #

Charlie Brande is a former UC Irvine athlete and coach whose long association with the school’s athletics program ended in April 2026, when he was removed from his role as a volunteer color commentator for UC Irvine men’s volleyball broadcasts after remarks he made on air about CSUN player Jordan Lucas. During the April 9, 2026 broadcast of a Big West Conference match, Brande suggested that nobody had “popped” Lucas — a comment about punching him — and criticized the player’s celebratory gestures as distasteful. The recorded remarks spread widely on social media, drew national coverage from outlets including Outsports and Awful Announcing, and prompted an apology from Brande and confirmation from the university that he would not appear in any future broadcasts.

Background Information #

Brande has a long history with UC Irvine athletics. As a student, he played basketball for the Anteaters, and he later served as an influential and successful volleyball coach for the program. That record earned him induction into the UC Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame, which took place two years before the 2026 controversy, in 2024. In the period before the incident, he had volunteered as a commentator on the men’s volleyball broadcasts; according to UC Irvine assistant athletics director Stacey King, he was neither an employee of the university nor a contractor, and his broadcasting work was a volunteer role.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

Allegations. The claims in this section rest on comments Brande made on the April 9, 2026 broadcast itself, which were recorded and widely circulated; nothing here was litigated or adjudicated. Brande apologized through UC Irvine athletics channels for the remarks.

The incident occurred during the April 9, 2026 Big West Conference match between UC Irvine and CSUN (Cal State Northridge). Serving as the broadcast’s color commentator, Brande said on air that he was amazed nobody had “popped” CSUN redshirt junior Jordan Lucas yet — a reference to punching him — in connection with the player’s on-court celebrations, which included an imaginary hair flip, a strut after a point, and a dismissive wave at opposing players. Brande called those celebrations “very distasteful.” An excerpt of the broadcast was posted on social media, where it circulated widely and drew significant criticism. Lucas, an out gay athlete who has built a reputation in part on those brief celebrations, later told Outsports that when he was playing club volleyball, a lot of people admired the style and thought it was different for the sport. The Big West conference subsequently confirmed in a public statement that Lucas’s actions were not unsportsmanlike. “We stand with CSUN men’s volleyball student-athlete Jordan Lucas and all student-athletes in their rights to compete, celebrate and express themselves in a way that is authentic to them,” the statement read.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The clip drew national attention, with coverage in LGBTQ-focused sports outlet Outsports and the broadcasting trade site Awful Announcing. After the controversy grew, Lucas received what Outsports described as an outpouring of support from the volleyball community, LGBTQ people, and beyond. Brande apologized on Sunday, April 12, through UC Irvine’s own social media channels, saying he took full accountability and that violence should never be acceptable or tolerated. Lucas, when asked about the apology, was not particularly satisfied, telling Outsports that he appreciated Brande’s ability to apologize and understand that what he did was wrong, but that he did not feel UC Irvine men’s volleyball had to post it and spread the word.

UC Irvine assistant athletics director Stacey King confirmed to Outsports that Brande would no longer call the program’s games. “His comments during the broadcast do not reflect the standards associated with our events or programs,” King wrote. “UC Irvine Principles of Community guide our approach, including expectations of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect. He will not be participating in future broadcasts.” Because Brande was a volunteer rather than an employee or contractor, the removal ended a volunteer role rather than a job; it was not clear from the university’s statement whether the decision was made by Brande, by the UC Irvine administration, or by both. King’s statement did not address whether the school would take any further response beyond removing him from future broadcasts.

Current Status #

As of the latest reporting in April 2026, Brande is no longer part of UC Irvine men’s volleyball broadcasts and will not participate in any future ones. The university has not announced any additional measures beyond his removal from the broadcast booth, and no statement from Brande beyond his apology through school channels has been reported. His Hall of Fame membership and prior coaching record with the program remained unchanged as of the coverage. The episode’s immediate aftermath overlapped with the close of the college season: UC Irvine was set to host the Big West conference championships for men’s volleyball the week after Outsports reported his removal.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The incident ended Brande’s decades-long public association with UC Irvine athletics, which had spanned a playing career in basketball, a successful stint coaching the men’s volleyball program, Hall of Fame induction, and a volunteer broadcasting role. What had been a legacy position in the Anteaters community concluded with his name attached to a nationally covered controversy and an acknowledged remark about violence toward a player. For Lucas, the episode had the opposite trajectory: the out gay CSUN redshirt junior emerged with broad public support, public backing from his conference, and coverage portraying his celebrations as an important part of his self-expression that he had no intention of abandoning. The case became a prominent recent example of a broadcaster facing removal from a platform after on-air comments about an out athlete were heard, recorded, and amplified by a national audience.