SIU Edwardsville Cougars
Encyclopedia
The Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
, located in Edwardsville
, Illinois
. The Cougars are a member of NCAA Division I and compete within the Ohio Valley Conference
. The university has a total of 16 varsity sports teams.
Division I and joined the Ohio Valley Conference
in 2008. The Cougars also compete in the Missouri Valley Conference
for men's soccer and the Southern Conference
for wrestling. SIUE previously competed in Division II as a part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference
(GLVC).
Men's Intercollegiate Sports
Women's intercollegiate athletic teams
Division II level in the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
. The SIUE also fields a JV team at the ACHA Division III level in the MACHA Silver Division. The varsity team concluded the 2009-2010 season winning the MACHA Gold Division Championship over Missouri State University
5-1, the win was the team's 5th MACHA Championship in 8 seasons.Starting in the 2010-2011 season, the Cougars JV team will compete in the Pacific Region of the ACHA's Division III league. This move will allow the JV team to be eligible for National Rankings, Regional Tournaments, and a National Championship. The ice hockey teams play their games at the East Alton Ice Arena in East Alton, IL; fifteen minutes from campus.
in the Great Plains Collegiate Inline Hockey League
.In the 2010 NCRHA National Championships
held April 7-11 in San Jose, CA the club finished as the National Runner Ups to the West Chester University Golden Rams. It was the teams second straight appearance at the National tournament, first appearance in the Final Four and National title game.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, commonly abbreviated SIUE, is a four-year coed public university in Edwardsville, Illinois about from St. Louis, Missouri. SIUE was established in 1957 as an extension of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and is the younger of the two largest...
, located in Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The Cougars are a member of NCAA Division I and compete within the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
. The university has a total of 16 varsity sports teams.
Move to NCAA Division I
In 2007 the university moved to the NCAANational 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 I and joined the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
in 2008. The Cougars also compete in the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
for men's soccer and the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
for wrestling. SIUE previously competed in Division II as a part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference
Great Lakes Valley Conference
The Great Lakes Valley Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes at the NCAA's Division II level. Member institutions are located in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin....
(GLVC).
Sports
The SIUE Department of Athletics sponsors the following sports:Men's Intercollegiate Sports
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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....
- Soccer (Missouri Valley ConferenceMissouri Valley ConferenceThe Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
) - 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...
- Track & Field
- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
(Southern ConferenceSouthern ConferenceThe Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
)
Women's intercollegiate athletic teams
- 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...
- 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...
- 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....
- Soccer
- 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...
- 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...
- Track & Field
- 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...
Softball
SIUE won its first NCAA Division II softball championship in 2007 by defeating Lock Haven 3-2 in the longest championship game in history (twelve innings). The Cougars won their last sixteen consecutive games of the season.Ice Hockey
Club Ice Hockey competes at the American Collegiate Hockey AssociationAmerican Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments....
Division II level in the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
The Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association is a ACHA club hockey league comprising colleges and universities in the Midwestern USA. The Gold Division comprises ACHA Division II club hockey programs. The Silver Division comprises smaller colleges and universities at the ACHA D-II and D-III levels...
. The SIUE also fields a JV team at the ACHA Division III level in the MACHA Silver Division. The varsity team concluded the 2009-2010 season winning the MACHA Gold Division Championship over Missouri State University
Missouri State University
Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
5-1, the win was the team's 5th MACHA Championship in 8 seasons.Starting in the 2010-2011 season, the Cougars JV team will compete in the Pacific Region of the ACHA's Division III league. This move will allow the JV team to be eligible for National Rankings, Regional Tournaments, and a National Championship. The ice hockey teams play their games at the East Alton Ice Arena in East Alton, IL; fifteen minutes from campus.
Inline Hockey
Roller Hockey competes at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Roller Hockey AssociationNational Collegiate Roller Hockey Association
The National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association , is non-profit corporation and is the national governing body of collegiate inline hockey in the United States...
in the Great Plains Collegiate Inline Hockey League
Great Plains Collegiate Inline Hockey League
The Great Plain Collegiate Inline Hockey League is a member organization of the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association.-Division I:-Division II:-Junior College:-B division:-External links:* * *...
.In the 2010 NCRHA National Championships
NCRHA Collegiate Roller Hockey National Championships
The annual NCRHA Collegiate Roller Hockey National Championships tournament determines the top inline hockey team in the NCRHA Division I, Division II, Junior College Division, and B Division....
held April 7-11 in San Jose, CA the club finished as the National Runner Ups to the West Chester University Golden Rams. It was the teams second straight appearance at the National tournament, first appearance in the Final Four and National title game.
Championships
i. National Championships:| Soccer (M) | 1972 (D2), 1979 (D1) |
| Softball | 2007 |
| Tennis (M) | 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, |
| Wrestling | 1984, 1985, 1986, |
Facilities
- Ralph Korte StadiumRalph Korte StadiumRalph Korte Stadium, otherwise known as "The Ralph", is a 3,000-capacity stadium located in Edwardsville, Illinois. It has an athletics track, and is also used for soccer...
(Bob GuelkerBob GuelkerBob Guelker is a deceased U.S. soccer coach and administrator. He coached 24 years at the collegiate level, winning seven national championships. He also coached the U.S. teams at both the 1971 Pan American Games and the 1972 Summer Olympics...
Field) is an outdoor 7,450-seat stadium that serves as the home for men’s and women’s soccer and track & field programs. Hunter Stadium was built in 1976 by the St. Louis football Cardinals as a training camp location and was renovated in 1988. The stadium is named after Dr. Harlen C. Hunter who founded the St. Louis Orthopedic Sports Medicine Clinic in Chesterfield in 1979. Hunter was the key to the upgrades of the playing surface in 1988.
- The Sam M. Vadalabene CenterVadalabene CenterThe Sam M. Vadalabene Center also known as the VC, is multi-purpose arena on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a capacity of 4,200. It is home to the Cougar basketball, volleyball, and wrestling team. The facility opened in 1984...
is a 4,000-seat indoor arena that opened in 1984 and is the home for Cougars basketball, volleyball, and wrestling team. In 2008 the Vadalabene center went under a $6 million dollar makeover. The renovation nearly tripled the number of chair back seating, as well as a new locker room, classroom, and new office spaces. The grand re-opening of the Vadalabene Center was held on February 7th, 2009 before the Men's Basketball game against South Dakota.
- SimmonsCooper Complex (Roy Lee Field) is the home for the baseball program.
- Cougar Stadium is the home to SIUE Softball.