The Citadel Bulldogs

The Citadel Bulldogs
University	The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
Conference(s)	Southern Conference
NCAA	Division I
Athletics director	Larry Leckonby
Location	Charleston, SC
Varsity teams	14
Football stadium	Johnson Hagood Stadium
Basketball arena	McAlister Field House
Baseball stadium	Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park
Soccer stadium	WLI Field
Mascot	Bulldog
Nickname	Bulldogs
Fight song	"The Fighting Light Brigade"
Colors	Citadel Blue and White
Homepage	The Citadel Bulldogs

The Citadel Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. All sports participate in the NCAA Division I. Varsity sports compete primarily in the Southern Conference, although the Rifle teams compete in the South Eastern Air Rifle Conference. The Citadel fields teams in fourteen different sports, eight for men and six for women.

Teams

The Citadel competes in the following NCAA sports:

Men's sports

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cross country
• Football
• Rifle
• Tennis
• Track and field
• Wrestling

Women's sports

• Cross country
• Golf
• Rifle
• Soccer
• Track and field
• Volleyball

Defunct teams

• Men's Soccer
• Men's Golf

^[1]

Conference affiliation

The Citadel primarily competes in the Southern Conference. The Rifle teams compete in the Southeastern Air Rifle Conference.

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association

From 1909 to 1935, The Citadel played as a part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a congolomerate of many schools which gave birth to the Southern Conference during a clash over freshman eligibility. The Citadel remained in the SIAA after eight schools joined with six non-SIAA members to create the SoCon in 1921.

Southern Conference

Shortly after thirteen schools departed the Southern Conference to form the Southeastern Conference (SEC), The Citadel and six other schools joined the conference. Furman and Davidson also joined in 1936, making them the oldest current members of the conference, although Davidson was not a member from 1988-91.

Facilities

The Citadel football team plays in Johnson Hagood Stadium, a 21,000 seat stadium just to the south of campus. The team practices at the Mayberry Triplets Practice facility on the north edge of campus, and utilizes Seignious Hall, on campus, for locker rooms, team meeting space, and weightlifting. The baseball team shares 6,000 seat Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park with the professional Charleston RiverDogs of the Class-A South Atlantic League for games, and practices at College Park, on Rutledge Avenue. The basketball, wrestling, and volleyball teams use McAlister Field House, a 6,000 seat facility on campus for games and practices. The basketball team's locker room is also in McAlister. The Soccer team practices and plays on WLI Field. The Rifle team uses the Inouye Marksmanship Center, which is situated behind WLI field on the banks of the Ashley River. All teams, other than Football and basketball, utilize Vandiver Hall for locker rooms, baseball batting cages, and team meeting space.

Rivalries

The Citadel's most heated rivalries are with the VMI Keydets, Furman Paladins, and College of Charleston Cougars. Furman has been the longest running rivalry, although two decades of Paladin dominance in the 1970s and 1980s have removed some of the drama. While The Citadel has played VMI in many sports for decades, the rivalry has only developed since the creation of the Silver Shako trophy for football in 1976. The football game is now known as the Military Classic of the South. Crosstown rival College of Charleston has become a major rivalry in basketball and baseball, although the Cougars have controlled the games in basketball since joining the Southern Conference.

Other historical rivalries include Clemson, South Carolina, Presbyterian College, and Newberry College.

Football

The Citadel has won two Southern Conference Championships, in 1961 and 1992. In 1960, the Bulldogs won the Tangerine Bowl against Tennessee Tech. The Bulldogs participated in the FCS Playoffs three times, advancing to the second round in 1992 before losing to eventual runner-up Youngstown State.

Today, the Bulldogs are coached by Kevin Higgins, who is in his seventh season. The Citadel is in its second year of the triple option offense, having abandonded the spread prior to the 2010 season.

Basketball

The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team dates to the 1900–01 season, posting an all-time record of 914-1176. The Citadel's 1966–67 season is chronicled in Pat Conroy's My Losing Season. In the 2008–09 season, the Bulldogs participated in the postseason for the first time, playing in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, bowing out in the first round to eventual champion Old Dominion

Today's Bulldogs are coached by second year head coach Chuck Driesell, son of coaching legend Lefty Driesell.

Baseball

The Citadel's most successful athletics program, the baseball team has won thirteen Southern Conference championships and eight Southern Conference Baseball Tournament championships. As thirteen time participants in the NCAA tournament, The Citadel advanced to the 1990 College World Series, becoming a fan favorite in Omaha, before bowing out with a 1–2 record. The Bulldogs are coached by Fred Jordan.

Wrestling

Main article: The Citadel Bulldogs wrestling

The Citadel Bulldogs wrestling team has claimed Southern Conference championships in 1967 and 2004, and have placed many wrestlers in NCAA meets. They are currently coached by Rob Hjerling.

Rifle

The Rifle team is coached by William Smith, in his 12th season. Under Smith's leadership, the team returned to varsity status in 2001. The Bulldogs have claimed SEARC championships in 2001-02 and 2010-11 and NCAA National Championships in 1963 and 1965. They compete at the Inouye Marksmanship Center, a highly advanced facility that The Citadel plans to offer as the centerpiece of a bid to host the NCAA championships in the near future.^[2][3]

Club sports

• Ice Hockey
• Lacrosse
• Multisport (e.g., triathlon, road racing, cycling, swimming)
• Pistol
• Men's Rugby
• Women's Rugby
• Sailing
• Men's Soccer

^[4]

References

1. ^ http://www.citadelsports.com
2. ^ http://www.citadelsports.com/sports/rifle/2011-12/files/2011-12_Rifle_Quick_Facts.pdf
3. ^ http://catalog.proemags.com/publication/04670be6?SPSID=45334&SPID=4033&DB_OEM_ID=9700#/04670be6/1
4. ^ "Citadel Club Sports". http://www.citadel.edu/root/club-sports. 

External links

• Official website