Champions in Athletics, Leaders for Life
UNC Asheville Athletics exists to provide our University with an exemplary NCAA Division I Athletics Program that champions the University’s Mission and Strategic Plan, which creates an environment where student-athletes can pursue their academic, athletic and lifelong goals, and that connects our internal and external constituents and communities.
Core Values
UNC Asheville student athletes are positioned to lead in life and wins by:
- Demonstrating Integrity – Bulldogs do what is right;
- Being Servant Leaders – Bulldogs care about and help others achieve their dreams;
- Being Creative and Working Hard – Bulldogs succeed with less; and
- Fostering a Culture of Respect – Bulldogs honor, uphold, and promote sportsmanship, citizenship, equity, and inclusiveness.
History
UNC Asheville’s intercollegiate athletics has participated in NCAA Division I competition since 1986 and is a member of the Big South Conference. UNC Asheville offers 16 sports including baseball, basketball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track, soccer and tennis for men, and basketball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball for women.
UNC Asheville student-athletes consistently perform well in the classroom. In the past academic year, 45% of our student- athletes earned Dean’s List or Chancellor’s List honors. Women’s basketball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis earned national NCAA Academic Performance Rate (APR) recognition for their work in the classroom.
In 2015-16, UNC Asheville had three coaches recognized as Coach of the Year by various media outlets. Elizabeth Lykins, Head Women’s Swimming Coach, was named the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Co-Coach of the Year. Nick McDevitt, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, was named HoopsHD Coach of the Year. Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, was named the Big South Conference Coach of the Year and the HERO Sports Division I Coach of the Year.
The UNC Asheville Men’s Basketball Team won the Big South Conference championship in 2016 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the past five years. The Bulldogs won the 2012 title in the first season inside Kimmel Arena in front of a sold-out crowd and nationally televised audience on ESPN. In 2011, UNC Asheville won its second NCAA Tournament game in the “First Four” and advanced to the second round of the tournament. The men’s basketball team also became the first Big South Conference team to ever be selected to the post-season National Invitational Tournament in 2008 after winning the league’s regular-season title.
The UNC Asheville Women’s Basketball Team advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 after winning the Big South Championship for the second time in school history. They were named the most improved Division I team in the country in 2004 and 2016 by the NCAA. They won the 2016 Big South Conference regular season title for the first time in program history. In 1984, the women’s basketball team made history by winning the NAIA National Championship. This is the first time in UNC Asheville history that the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams both captured Big South Conference Championship Titles and advanced to the 2016 NCAA Basketball Tournament. This is the second time in Big South Conference history.
Other teams winning Big South Conference Championships and advancing to the NCAA’s include Baseball in 2006 and Women’s Soccer in 2006.
Facilities
The UNC Asheville Athletics Department utilizes various on-campus and community facilities for its 16 NCAA Division I programs.
- Kimmel Arena seats 3,200 and is the home for both Men’s and Women’s Bulldog Basketball.
- The Sherrill Center, which houses the Kimmel Arena, has classrooms, labs, fitness rooms, a wellness café, and a demonstration kitchen.
- The Justice Center includes administrative offices, a 1,100-seat volleyball arena, locker rooms, sports medicine room, Olympic weight room, and an indoor swimming pool.
- The Student Recreation Center located adjacent to the Justice Center has an elevated track and multi-purpose courts.
- Outdoor athletic facilities on campus include Greenwood Fields for soccer and baseball and the Karl Straus Track.
- The Asheville Racquet Club, located minutes from campus, is the home for Men’s and Women’s Tennis and includes both indoor and outdoor courts.
- McCormick and Memorial Field located in downtown Asheville hosts several baseball and soccer competitions.
Students have free admission to all home regular season athletics events. More information about UNC Asheville athletics, including home competition dates, is available on the web at http://www.uncabulldogs.com/
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