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 and diving, tennis and volleyball for women.
UNC Asheville student-athletes consistently perform well in the classroom. In the past academic year, eleven of our sixteen teams earned a perfect 1000 score in the national NCAA Academic Performance Rate (APR) recognition for their work in the classroom.
The UNC Asheville women’s basketball team had a winning record five of the last seven seasons, and made its seventh straight appearance in the postseason Big South Tournament. Over the last six years, the Bulldogs have won one Big South regular-season title, two Big South Tournament titles, advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice, played in the WBI twice, and earned two all-conference honors in 2020-21.
UNC Asheville men’s basketball team has a long and storied history with the Bulldogs having won seven Big South regular season titles in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2017, and 2018 and five Big South Tournament championships in 1989, 2003, 2011, 2012, and 2016. The Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times in 2003, 2011, 2012, and 2016. After the 2019-20 team had one of the largest turnarounds among Division I teams, the 2020-21 squad went 9-5 in conference play, earning a first-round bye in the Big South Tournament, and hosting a quarterfinal game for the first time since 2018, earning two all-conference honors in the process.
The Bulldogs had no shortage of accomplishments for 2021-22. Women’s swimming and diving went undefeated during regular season competition and finished a program-best third at the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Championships. Women’s golf advanced to play at the Big South Conference Championship for the first time in school history. Additionally, UNC Asheville picked up 27 Big South weekly awards across all sports, 25 all-conference honors, and three Big South Conference Student-Athletes of the Year awards in volleyball and indoor track and field.
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.
- The Cliffs at Walnut Cove serves as the home facility for the UNC Asheville women’s golf team. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Design opened in 2005 and was recognized by the PGA Tour as the only championship golf course to debut in tournament-ready condition.
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 www.uncabulldogs.com/
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