Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Encyclopedia
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) is an NCAA
Division III athletic conference. Its member schools are located primarily in Virginia
, with other members in North Carolina
and Washington, DC. Only the American Southwest Conference
in Texas
is larger in Division III.
The only school that has left the conference is Mary Baldwin College
, which left in 1999 to join the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference
. Catholic University was a fulls-sport member in the 1980s along with Maryville College (Tenn). Both resigned their memberships in the mid- to late 80s.
In 2010 the ODAC announced the addition of Shenandoah University
to its full-time membership, with its first full year of involvement during the 2012-13 academic year, the league office moved its physical location from Salem, Virginia
, to Forest, Virginia
, just outside of centrally located Lynchburg, and contracted with Jim Ward Design for its new marks
The conference hosts the Division III championships in football and men's basketball, both of which are held in Salem, Virginia
. DIII softball has called Salem home along with Division III women's lacrosse and volleyball. Since 1993 - the conference and city have hosted over 50 Division III National Championships.
† Women's college, therefore not competing in men's sports
^ Men's college, therefore not competing in women's sports
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division III athletic conference. Its member schools are located primarily in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, with other members in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and Washington, DC. Only the American Southwest Conference
American Southwest Conference
The American Southwest Conference is a college athletic conference, founded in 1996, whose member schools compete in the NCAA's Division III. The schools are located in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
is larger in Division III.
History
The conference was founded in 1975 as the Virginia College Conference. On January 1, 1976, the name was changed to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The 1976–77 season was the first in which championships were offered. In 1982–83, women's sports were added. In 1988, Virginia Wesleyan was added as a member, and, in 1990, Guilford became the first member located outside Virginia. In 1999, Catholic was admitted as a football-only member.The only school that has left the conference is Mary Baldwin College
Mary Baldwin College
Mary Baldwin College is a private, independent, and comprehensive four-year liberal arts women's college in Staunton, Virginia. It was ranked in 2008 by US News & World Report as a top-tier, master's level university in the South. Mary Baldwin offers pre-professional programs in law, medicine,...
, which left in 1999 to join the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference
Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference
The Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference was an eight-member college athletics conference founded in 1995 and given official status in 1999. It competed in NCAA Division III and as its name implies, only offered championships in women's sports. In the conference's later years, several of its...
. Catholic University was a fulls-sport member in the 1980s along with Maryville College (Tenn). Both resigned their memberships in the mid- to late 80s.
In 2010 the ODAC announced the addition of Shenandoah University
Shenandoah University
Shenandoah University is a comprehensive private university located in Winchester, Virginia in the United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,800 students across more than ninety programs in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah...
to its full-time membership, with its first full year of involvement during the 2012-13 academic year, the league office moved its physical location from Salem, Virginia
Salem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in Virginia, USA, bordered by the city of Roanoke to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census...
, to Forest, Virginia
Forest, Virginia
Forest is a census-designated place in Bedford County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,006 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Forest is located at ....
, just outside of centrally located Lynchburg, and contracted with Jim Ward Design for its new marks
The conference hosts the Division III championships in football and men's basketball, both of which are held in Salem, Virginia
Salem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in Virginia, USA, bordered by the city of Roanoke to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census...
. DIII softball has called Salem home along with Division III women's lacrosse and volleyball. Since 1993 - the conference and city have hosted over 50 Division III National Championships.
Member teams
| College | Enrollment | Nickname | Football? | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater College Bridgewater College Bridgewater College, is a private, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college located in Bridgewater, Virginia, a town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States... |
1,690 | Eagles | Yes | Bridgewater, VA |
| Eastern Mennonite University Eastern Mennonite University Eastern Mennonite University is a private liberal arts university in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, affiliated with one of the historic peace churches, the Mennonite Church USA. Its main campus is on the edge of the small city of Harrisonburg, Virginia, about three miles from state-owned... |
998 | Royals | No | Harrisonburg, VA |
| Emory & Henry College Emory and Henry College Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia... |
1000 | Wasps | Yes | Emory, VA |
| Guilford College Guilford College Guilford College, founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society of Friends , is an independent college whose stated mission is to: provide a transformative, practical and excellent liberal arts education that produces critical thinkers in an inclusive, diverse environment, guided by Quaker... |
2,682 | Quakers | Yes | Greensboro, NC |
| Hampden–Sydney College^ | 1,120 | Tigers | Yes | Hampden Sydney, VA |
| Hollins University Hollins University Hollins University is a four-year institution of higher education, a private university located on a campus on the border of Roanoke County, Virginia and Botetourt County, Virginia... † |
816 | *None* | No | Roanoke, VA |
| Lynchburg College Lynchburg College Lynchburg College is a private college in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA, related by covenant to the Christian Church with approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The Princeton Review lists it as one of the 368 best colleges in the nation... |
2,500 | Hornets | No | Lynchburg, VA |
| Randolph College Randolph College Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational.... |
522 | WildCats | No | Lynchburg, VA |
| Randolph–Macon College | 1,146 | Yellow Jackets | Yes | Ashland, VA |
| Roanoke College Roanoke College Roanoke College is an private, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college is located in Salem, Virginia, a suburban independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia... |
2,100 | Maroons | No | Salem, VA |
| Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar College is a liberal arts women's college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, about north of Lynchburg, Virginia. The school's Latin motto translates as: "She who has earned the rose may bear it."... † |
724 | Vixens | No | Amherst, VA |
| Virginia Wesleyan College Virginia Wesleyan College Virginia Wesleyan College is a small Methodist liberal arts college on the border of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Virginia offering a Bachelor of Arts in many disciplines and has added Bachelor of Science programs as well... |
1,446 | Marlins | No | Virginia Beach, VA |
| Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of... |
2,200 | Generals | Yes | Lexington, VA |
† Women's college, therefore not competing in men's sports
^ Men's college, therefore not competing in women's sports
Associate members
| College | Enrollment | Nickname | Sport | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic University The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops... |
3,469 | Cardinals Catholic Cardinals football The Catholic University Cardinals football team represents the Catholic University of America in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III college football competition as a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference . The team played its first game in 1895 and was a major college... |
Football | Washington, DC |
| Greensboro College Greensboro College Greensboro College is a four-year, independent, coeducational liberal-arts college, also offering four master's degrees, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1838... |
1,250 | Pride Greensboro College Greensboro College is a four-year, independent, coeducational liberal-arts college, also offering four master's degrees, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1838... |
Women's Swimming | Greensboro, NC |
| Notre Dame of Maryland University | 4878 | Gators | Women's Swimming | Baltimore, MD |
Sports
The conference sponsors championships in the following sports:- men's and women's basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- men's and women's soccer
- men's and women's lacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- men's and women's indoor track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- men's and women's outdoor track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- men's and women's tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- men's and women's cross countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- softballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- field hockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- volleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- equestrianDressageDressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
- swimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- golfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....