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 has built a wonderful tradition. The school is a member of the Big South Conference and offers 15 sports. For men, the sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track, soccer and tennis. Basketball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball are offered for women. Women’s golf has been announced as the newest Bulldog sport, and will begin competition in the 2016-2017 academic year.
UNC Asheville student-athletes consistently perform well in the classroom. In 2014-15, 65 student athletes earned Dean’s List or Chancellor’s List honors. Men’s and women’s tennis, women’s basketball, and women’s outdoor track have earned national recognition for their work in the classroom.
Highlights for 2014-15 include a member of the men’s soccer team leading the NCAA in total saves and saves per game. The baseball team finished inside the top 20 nationally in both total double plays and double plays per game. Our men’s basketball team won back-to-back Big South Conference championships in 2011 and 2012. The Bulldogs won the 2012 title in the first season of play in Kimmel Arena in front of a sell-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 baseball team won the 2006 Big South Conference championship and advanced to its first-ever NCAA Regional competition.
The women’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 after winning the Big South championship. They were named the most improved team in the country in 2004, and in 1984, the women’s basketball team made history by winning the NAIA National Championship. Our volleyball team captured its fifth Big South Conference regular-season of 2006, making it to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever.
Facilities
The UNC Asheville Athletics Department utilizes various on-campus and community facilities for its 15 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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