UCSD was jokingly called Univ of Chicago at San Diego

because a large number of its founding faculty were from the Windy City.

For example,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Urey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Goeppert_Mayer
And Maria Mayer's husband 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Edward_Mayer