University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Encyclopedia
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university
located in Chattanooga, Tennessee
. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" (especially in reference to its collegiate athletics), is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System
; the others being in Knoxville and Martin.
UTC was founded in 1886 as then-private Chattanooga University, which was renamed in 1889 as U.S. Grant
University. In 1907, the university changed its name to University of Chattanooga. In 1969, the university merged with Zion College
/Chattanooga City College to form The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as part of the University of Tennessee System.
, who answers to the UT System President
. The current chancellor is Roger Brown.
program, Engineering
, Nursing
, English
, Chemistry
, Accounting , Psychology
, and Education
departments. The university offers over 140 undergraduate majors and concentrations, and over 50 undergraduate minors. Chattanooga also offers nearly 100 graduate programs and concentrations, including a highly ranked master's program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
and Ph.D.
programs in Computational Engineering and Physical Therapy
. In an effort to expand the horizons of its students body, Chattanooga recently began exchange with Kangnung National University of Kangnung, South Korea
Radio
bus routes 4, 7, 10, 14, 19, and 28. Route 14 only operates on weekdays during fall and spring terms, when the University is session. The route runs within and without the Chattanooga campus on McCallie, Houston, Vine, Douglas, Fifth, and Palmetto Streets. A recent extension serves Third, O'Neal and Central Streets, as well as Erlanger Hospital, and a large parking lot at Engel Stadium
. All students showing valid University identification cards (aka MocsCards) ride for free on all CARTA routes, year-round.
was constructed in 1974 to replace the aging John Storrs Fletcher Library (which has since been restored and renamed Fletcher Hall). As of 2005, the library's collection includes nearly 2 million items, including the Fellowship of Southern Writers
archives. In early 2008 the University was granted funding to build a new library and is currently in the building phase of the project.
The University broke ground in 2010 for the new $48 million 180000 square feet (16,722.5 m²) library. Construction is to be completed by Jan 2012.
and old gold
; their men's teams and athletes are nicknamed Mocs, and women's teams and athletes are Lady Mocs. Chattanooga athletics teams compete in NCAA
Division I (FCS for football
) in the Southern Conference
and have been ranked as a national top 100 athletic program by The National Association of Collegiate Director’s of Athletics (NACDA) in the Division I Learfield Sports Director’s Cup.
Basketball
Chattanooga's men's basketball program has been among the best in the Southern Conference since joining the league in 1977–78. The Mocs have won 10 SoCon Tournament titles, tied for first all-time with former member West Virginia and Davidson, 10 regular-season league championships prior to the change to the division format in 1995 and seven division titles for 27 totals titles. In 1997
, led by coach Mack McCarthy
and PG Wes Moore, the Mocs made a run to the Sweet 16 as a No. 14 seed, beating Georgia and Illinois before falling to Providence. Before making the move to Division I, Chattanooga won the Division II National Championship in 1977. In July 2008, the team was ranked number 48 on the ESPN
list of the most prestigious basketball programs since the 1984–85 season.
The Mocs won the SoCon tournament once again in 2009
. Defeating the College of Charleston Cougars
80-69 in the championship game on their home court at the McKenzie Arena
, the Mocs punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament
, their first since 2005
.
Jimmy Fallon from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
chose the Mocs as his team of choice going into the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The Wednesday night (March 18) show included a live Skype chat with Head Coach John Shulman, as well as representatives of the pep band and cheerleading squads made in studio. Fallon's band "The Roots" wrote and performed an ode to Shulman titled, "The Don Juan of the SoCon" and Shulman and his six seniors (Nicchaeus Doaks, Zach Ferrell, Kevin Goffney, Khalil Hartwell, Stephen McDowell and Keyron Sheard) made an in-studio appearance following their tournament game with UConn.
The Lady Mocs are the most successful women's basketball program in Southern Conference history with 15 regular season titles since 1983–1984, 10 consecutive conference championships at the end of 2008–2009 and 14 overall conference championships.
Golf
The men’s golf squad won its third consecutive Southern Conference trophy and finished 18th in the NCAA Championships in 2009.
Women’s golf posted a 3.46 team GOA in the spring while advancing to the NCAA Division I finals in just the second year of the program since disbanding in the mid-1980s.
Softball
The Mocs’ softball team has won 11 regular season titles and 10 SoCon Tournament Championships. They have also made 7 NCAA tournament appearances.
Wrestling
Chattanooga is home to the only NCAA Division I wrestling program in the state of Tennessee. The Mocs Wrestling team won their fifth consecutive Socon title in 2008–2009.
Football
The team plays in the Southern Conference in Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) (Socon). Terrell Owens played college football at UTC. The team posted consecutive winning seasons in 2009–2010 and 2010–2011. They play in Finley stadium, which has hosted the division-1 national championship for the last 13 years.
is a large horseshoe-shaped bend in the Tennessee River
directly below Lookout Mountain
.)
The mascot has taken on four distinct forms, with a water moccasin being the mascot in the 1920s, and then a moccasin
shoe (known as "The Shoe") was actually used as the school's mascot at times in the 1960s and 1970s. From the 1970s until 1996, the mascot was Chief Moccanooga
, an exaggerated Cherokee
tribesman.
In 1996, due to concerns over ethnic sensitivity, the Moccasins name and image were dropped in favor of the shortened "Mocs" and an anthropomorphized
northern mockingbird
, in accordance with the state bird, named "Scrappy" dressed as a railroad engineer. The school's main athletic logo features Scrappy riding a train (a reference to Chattanooga's history as a major railroad hub and to the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo
"). The mascot takes its name from former football
coach A. C. "Scrappy" Moore
.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
located in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" (especially in reference to its collegiate athletics), is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System
University of Tennessee system
The University of Tennessee system is one of two public university systems in the state of Tennessee. It consists of three primary campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Martin, a health sciences campus in...
; the others being in Knoxville and Martin.
UTC was founded in 1886 as then-private Chattanooga University, which was renamed in 1889 as U.S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
University. In 1907, the university changed its name to University of Chattanooga. In 1969, the university merged with Zion College
Zion College
Zion College was a Bible institute in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was founded in 1949 by Highland Park Baptist Church to train African American ministers and church workers.In 1964, the Zion College was renamed Chattanooga City College...
/Chattanooga City College to form The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as part of the University of Tennessee System.
Administration
Chattanooga uses the semester system, with five optional "mini-terms" in the summer. The leadership of the campus rests upon the chancellorChancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
, who answers to the UT System President
University of Tennessee system
The University of Tennessee system is one of two public university systems in the state of Tennessee. It consists of three primary campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Martin, a health sciences campus in...
. The current chancellor is Roger Brown.
Student Government Association of UTC
A voice for student leadership on campus, the SGA consists of senators representing districts/the college they belong to, such as the College of Arts and Sciences.Academics
Chattanooga is best known for its nationally ranked BusinessBusiness
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
program, Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, Nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Accounting , Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and Education
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
departments. The university offers over 140 undergraduate majors and concentrations, and over 50 undergraduate minors. Chattanooga also offers nearly 100 graduate programs and concentrations, including a highly ranked master's program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Industrial and organizational psychology
Industrial and organizational psychology is the scientific study of employees, workplaces, and organizations. Industrial and organizational psychologists contribute to an organization's success by improving the performance and well-being of its people...
and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
programs in Computational Engineering and Physical Therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
. In an effort to expand the horizons of its students body, Chattanooga recently began exchange with Kangnung National University of Kangnung, South Korea
Media and publications
Print- University Echo – Student newspaper
- Education About Asia – Educational magazine
- Sequoya Review – Literary magazine
- Modern Psychological Studies– Journal published by the Department of Psychology
Radio
- WUTC
- The Perch – Student-run online radio station
Research
- SimCenter is UTC's computational engineering and simulation center. In November 2005, SimCenter was listed as the 89th most powerful supercomputer by Top500TOP500The TOP500 project ranks and details the 500 most powerful known computer systems in the world. The project was started in 1993 and publishes an updated list of the supercomputers twice a year...
. On November 20, 2007, the University announced the center has been named a National Center for Computational Engineering. More recently, The SimCenter provided the academic research for a new source of alternative energy unveiled by Bloom Energy Corporation in Sunnyvale, California.
Campus
The University is served by CARTAChattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority
The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority is the mass transit provider for Chattanooga, Tennessee and its vicinity....
bus routes 4, 7, 10, 14, 19, and 28. Route 14 only operates on weekdays during fall and spring terms, when the University is session. The route runs within and without the Chattanooga campus on McCallie, Houston, Vine, Douglas, Fifth, and Palmetto Streets. A recent extension serves Third, O'Neal and Central Streets, as well as Erlanger Hospital, and a large parking lot at Engel Stadium
Engel Stadium
Engel Stadium is a stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The stadium was built in 1930 and holds 12,000 people. It was the home of the Chattanooga Lookouts until 1999 when they moved to their current stadium, AT&T Field. Tennessee Temple University has held their home games at Engel since the Lookouts...
. All students showing valid University identification cards (aka MocsCards) ride for free on all CARTA routes, year-round.
Academic buildings
Note: Dates of construction given when known |
- Administration Building – mailroom, parking services, motor pool and university police department
- Brenda Lawson Student Athlete Success Center – Scheduled to open in August 2008, the center will house the Wolford Family Strength and Conditioning Center and the ChattemChattemChattem is a Chattanooga, Tennessee, producer and marketer of over-the-counter healthcare products, toiletries, dietary supplements, topical analgesics, and medicated skin care products...
Basketball Center - Bretske Hall – Formerly the university cafeteria, now home to the Geology Department
- Brock Hall – Foreign languages, geography, anthropology, history and sociology departments.
- ChallengerSpace Shuttle ChallengerSpace Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
Center – The widow of Dick ScobeeDick ScobeeFrancis Richard "Dick" Scobee was an American astronaut. He was killed commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission.-Early life:...
, a Challenger astronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
, donated the building in her husband's memory. This educational simulation includes different space missions with project completed from mission control and a space station. - Cadek Hall – Home to the Cadek Conservatory, UTC Choral Department, and WUTC radio.
- Davenport Hall – Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Physical Therapy Departments
- Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science Building (EMCS)
- Fletcher Hall – (1939) Business Administration and Political Science departments. From 1939 to 1974, Fletcher housed both the local public library and the university library
- Founders' Hall – (1916) Chancellor's offices, University Relations
- Frist Hall – Office For Student with Disabilities, Mosaic Program , Communication Department. Once part of the Chattanooga metro hospital complex
- Grote HallIrvine W. GroteDr. Irvine Walter Grote was an American chemist and scholar. Born in the Cameron Hill section of Chattanooga, Tennessee, he entered the University of Chattanooga in 1918. After earning his bachelor's degree, he studied at Columbia University and earned a master's degree. He would later attend...
– (1968) Chemistry and physicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
departments - Guerry Hall – Houses admissions, honors program and reading room, Economics Department
- Holt Hall – Biology, English, philosophy, psychology, and religion departments
- Hooper-Race Hall – (1916) Records and registration, financial aid, and human resources departments. Recently, Hooper Hall reopened after a leadLeadLead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
and asbestosAsbestosAsbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
abatement project - Hunter HallGeorge Hunter (Coca-Cola bottler)George Thomas Hunter was a businessman and philanthropist in Chattanooga, Tennessee who inherited and ran the Coca-Cola Bottling empire from his uncle Benjamin Thomas. Hunter's most notable philanthropic efforts is the creation of The Benwood Foundation and The Hunter Museum of American Art...
EducationPedagogyPedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
Department - Lupton Library – (1974) see below
- Metropolitan Hall – Nursing department. Formerly housed the Chattanooga Metropolitan Hospital
- Old Math Building – Demolished in the late 1990s.
- President's House – Development (fundraising) Department
- Patten House – (1893) Located in the Fort Wood National Historic DistrictFort Wood National Historic DistrictThe Fort Wood National Historic District is a historic neighborhood in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is located just east of the UT Chattanooga campus, bounded roughly by Palmetto St., McCallie Av., Central Av., and Fifth St.-History:...
. Home of the Alumni Affairs Department. - Dorothy Patten Fine Arts Center – (1980) Houses the Dorothy Hackett Ward theatre, the Roland W. Hayes Concert Hall and the George Ayers Cress Art Gallery, referred to as the "FAC." Also houses the UTC Music and Theater Departments
- University Center – Bursar's Office, and Student areas include a computer lab, a recreation and game room, offices, main cafeteria, bookstore, classrooms and auditoriums; administrative areas include meeting rooms, administrative offices for the student development division, counseling and career planning, women's center, student placement and employment and cooperative education and Bursars Office
- University Hall – (1886) "Old Main." Demolished in 1917
Patten Chapel
- Patten Chapel is one of the busiest sanctuaries in Chattanooga. Mostly weddings and memorial services are held there. A bride's room has been prepared and is always ready. Reserving the chapel should be done around a year in advance as its popularity sees events almost every weekend. Wedding receptions are not hosted at the chapel.
Library
The Lupton Memorial Library, named for T. Cartter and Margaret Rawlings LuptonCartter Lupton
T. Cartter Lupton was an American businessman and Coca-Cola Bottling Company magnate who lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee and founded the Lyndhurst Foundation . He was the only child of John Thomas Lupton and Elizabeth Patten, and was married to Margaret Rawlings Lupton...
was constructed in 1974 to replace the aging John Storrs Fletcher Library (which has since been restored and renamed Fletcher Hall). As of 2005, the library's collection includes nearly 2 million items, including the Fellowship of Southern Writers
Fellowship of Southern Writers
The Fellowship of Southern Writers is a literary organization founded in 1987 in Chattanooga, Tennessee by 21 Southern writers and other literary luminaries...
archives. In early 2008 the University was granted funding to build a new library and is currently in the building phase of the project.
The University broke ground in 2010 for the new $48 million 180000 square feet (16,722.5 m²) library. Construction is to be completed by Jan 2012.
Notable alumni, students and faculty
- Hugh BeaumontHugh Beaumont (actor)Eugene Hugh Beaumont was an American actor and television director. He was also licensed to preach by the Methodist church...
, actor (most notably portrayed Ward CleaverWard CleaverWard Cleaver is a fictional character in the American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. Ward and his wife, June, are often invoked as archetypal suburban parents of the babyboomer 1950s. The couple are the parents of Wally, a thirteen-year-old in the eighth grade, and seven-year-old ...
on Leave It to BeaverLeave It to BeaverLeave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
), 1927 - Burwell Baxter Bell, U.S. ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
generalGeneral (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
, 1968 - North CallahanNorth CallahanNorth Callahan was an American historian and scholar. Born in Sweetwater, Tennessee, he was educated at the Tennessee Military Institute and the University of Chattanooga, where he graduated cum laude in 1930. He later earned a master's degree from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from New York...
, author and historian whose papers and book collection now reside in the UTC Lupton Library, 1919 - Gibby GilbertGibby GilbertC.L. "Gibby" Gilbert II is an American professional golfer who has won tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....
, PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
professional golfer, 1963 - Irvine W. GroteIrvine W. GroteDr. Irvine Walter Grote was an American chemist and scholar. Born in the Cameron Hill section of Chattanooga, Tennessee, he entered the University of Chattanooga in 1918. After earning his bachelor's degree, he studied at Columbia University and earned a master's degree. He would later attend...
, chemist, inventor of the active ingredient in RolaidsRolaidsRolaids is a brand of antacid produced by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The brand was acquired from Pfizer Consumer Healthcare as part of a merger in 2006. It was invented by American chemist Irvine W. Grote in the late 1920s...
and Bufferin, UC 1918; chemistry faculty, 1942–1969 - Dennis HaskinsDennis HaskinsDennis Haskins is an American actor known for his role as principal Richard Belding in the teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which aired from 1993 to 2000...
, actor (most notably portrayed Mr. Belding on Saved By The BellSaved by the BellSaved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
), 1972 - Leslie JordanLeslie JordanLeslie Allen Jordan is an American actor and playwright.- Early life and career :Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and at a height of 4 ft 11 in , Jordan has made numerous appearances in both film and television...
, Emmy-winning actor, 1982 - Terrell OwensTerrell OwensTerrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, NFL football player, basketball player, 1997 - Johnny TaylorJohnny Taylor (basketball)Johnny Antonio Taylor is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. A 6'9" small forward from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, Taylor was selected 17th overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic...
, basketball player, 1997 - Gerald WilkinsGerald WilkinsGerald Bernard Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'6" shooting guard/small forward, who played collegiately at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and later in the NBA.Gerald is the younger brother of former Atlanta Hawks superstar Dominique Wilkins and...
, basketball player, 1984 - Pez WhatleyPez WhatleyPezavan Whatley was a professional wrestler in the 1980s and early 1990s who wrestled primarily under the ring name Pez Whatley.-Career:...
, football player and UTC's first black wrestler, later became a pro wrestler - Barry MoserBarry MoserBarry Moser is a renowned artist, most famous as a printmaker and illustrator of numerous works of literature.Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1940, Moser studied at the Baylor School, Auburn University, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and did graduate work at the University of...
, artist and professor, 1970. - Charlie LongCharlie LongCharles Long is a former college and professional American football guard. In 1961 he joined the Boston Patriots of the American Football League. He played there for nine seasons and was a two-time AFL All-Star selection, and a member of the Patriots' All-1960s Team.-External links:*...
, basketball player, football player (NFL/AFL ALL-Pro) - Mindaugas KatelynasMindaugas KatelynasMindaugas Katelynas is a professional basketball player, currently playing for Lithuanian team BC Lietuvos Rytas.- Playing career :...
, basketball player, 2005 - Buster SkrineBuster SkrineDarryl "Buster" Skrine is an American football defensive back for the Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he was twice named to the First Team All-Southern Conference. He was selected with the 137th pick in the fifth round of the...
, NFL football player (Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
), 2011 - Eldra BuckleyEldra Buckley-San Diego Chargers:Buckley was not drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft, but was signed by the San Diego Chargers as a free agent. He was on the team's practice squad during the 2007 season and 2008 season. He was waived on February 26, 2009.-Philadelphia Eagles:...
, NFL football player, 2007
Athletics
Chattanooga's colors are navyNavy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
and old gold
Gold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....
; their men's teams and athletes are nicknamed Mocs, and women's teams and athletes are Lady Mocs. Chattanooga athletics teams compete in NCAA
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 I (FCS for football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
) in 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...
and have been ranked as a national top 100 athletic program by The National Association of Collegiate Director’s of Athletics (NACDA) in the Division I Learfield Sports Director’s Cup.
Basketball
Chattanooga's men's basketball program has been among the best in the Southern Conference since joining the league in 1977–78. The Mocs have won 10 SoCon Tournament titles, tied for first all-time with former member West Virginia and Davidson, 10 regular-season league championships prior to the change to the division format in 1995 and seven division titles for 27 totals titles. In 1997
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, led by coach Mack McCarthy
Mack McCarthy
Mack McCarthy is the former head college basketball coach for East Carolina University. On Saturday 3/6/10 athletic director Terry Holland announced that McCarthy will complete the season as head coach and then move to a fundraising role with East Carolina University...
and PG Wes Moore, the Mocs made a run to the Sweet 16 as a No. 14 seed, beating Georgia and Illinois before falling to Providence. Before making the move to Division I, Chattanooga won the Division II National Championship in 1977. In July 2008, the team was ranked number 48 on the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
list of the most prestigious basketball programs since the 1984–85 season.
The Mocs won the SoCon tournament once again in 2009
2009 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place between Friday, March 6 and Monday, March 9 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at McKenzie Arena...
. Defeating the College of Charleston Cougars
College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball
The College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Southern Conference. Home games are played at Carolina First Arena, located on College of Charleston's campus in Charleston, South Carolina, United States.-History:1920-21 was the...
80-69 in the championship game on their home court at the McKenzie Arena
McKenzie Arena
McKenzie Arena is the primary basketball arena for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It replaced Maclellan Gymnasium, a 4,177-seat gymnasium now used for women's volleyball and wrestling...
, the Mocs punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
, their first since 2005
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
.
Jimmy Fallon from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
chose the Mocs as his team of choice going into the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The Wednesday night (March 18) show included a live Skype chat with Head Coach John Shulman, as well as representatives of the pep band and cheerleading squads made in studio. Fallon's band "The Roots" wrote and performed an ode to Shulman titled, "The Don Juan of the SoCon" and Shulman and his six seniors (Nicchaeus Doaks, Zach Ferrell, Kevin Goffney, Khalil Hartwell, Stephen McDowell and Keyron Sheard) made an in-studio appearance following their tournament game with UConn.
The Lady Mocs are the most successful women's basketball program in Southern Conference history with 15 regular season titles since 1983–1984, 10 consecutive conference championships at the end of 2008–2009 and 14 overall conference championships.
Golf
The men’s golf squad won its third consecutive Southern Conference trophy and finished 18th in the NCAA Championships in 2009.
Women’s golf posted a 3.46 team GOA in the spring while advancing to the NCAA Division I finals in just the second year of the program since disbanding in the mid-1980s.
Softball
The Mocs’ softball team has won 11 regular season titles and 10 SoCon Tournament Championships. They have also made 7 NCAA tournament appearances.
Wrestling
Chattanooga is home to the only NCAA Division I wrestling program in the state of Tennessee. The Mocs Wrestling team won their fifth consecutive Socon title in 2008–2009.
Football
The team plays in the Southern Conference in Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) (Socon). Terrell Owens played college football at UTC. The team posted consecutive winning seasons in 2009–2010 and 2010–2011. They play in Finley stadium, which has hosted the division-1 national championship for the last 13 years.
Athletic venues
- Chamberlain FieldChamberlain FieldChamberlain Field was a stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It hosted the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs football team until they moved to Finley Stadium in 1997. The stadium held 10,501 people at its peak and was opened in 1908. When it closed, it was the second oldest on-campus...
– (1908–1997) - Finley Stadium – (1997–present)
- Maclellan GymnasiumMaclellan GymnasiumMaclellan Gymnasium is a 4,177-seat multi-purpose arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs women's volleyball and wrestling teams. It used to host the Mocs basketball teams until McKenzie Arena opened in 1982.-External links:*...
and natatoriumNatatoriumA natatorium is a term given for a building containing a swimming pool. In Latin, a cella natatoria was a swimming pool in its own building, although it is sometimes also used to refer to any indoor pool even if not housed in a dedicated building...
– (Gym opened 1961; natatorium opened 1968) - McKenzie ArenaMcKenzie ArenaMcKenzie Arena is the primary basketball arena for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It replaced Maclellan Gymnasium, a 4,177-seat gymnasium now used for women's volleyball and wrestling...
– (1982–present) aka the Roundhouse, due to its circular shape and the city's association with the railroad industry.
University nickname
The school's athletic teams are called the Mocs. The teams were nicknamed Moccasins until 1996. (The origin of the name is uncertain; however, Moccasin BendMoccasin Bend
Moccasin Bend Archaeological District is an archeological site in Tennessee that is included in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park....
is a large horseshoe-shaped bend in the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
directly below Lookout Mountain
Lookout Mountain
thumb|right|See seven statesLookout Mountain is located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southern border of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain, along with Sand Mountain to the northwest, makes up a large portion of the...
.)
The mascot has taken on four distinct forms, with a water moccasin being the mascot in the 1920s, and then a moccasin
Moccasin (footwear)
A moccasin is a slipper made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp . Though sometimes worn inside, it is chiefly intended for outdoor use, as in exploring wildernesses and running from...
shoe (known as "The Shoe") was actually used as the school's mascot at times in the 1960s and 1970s. From the 1970s until 1996, the mascot was Chief Moccanooga
Chief Moccanooga
Chief Moccanooga was the former athletic mascot for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, until 1996, when the university abandoned the mascot as potentially offensive...
, an exaggerated Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
tribesman.
In 1996, due to concerns over ethnic sensitivity, the Moccasins name and image were dropped in favor of the shortened "Mocs" and an anthropomorphized
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
northern mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird
The Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, is the only mockingbird commonly found in North America. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Turdus polyglottos....
, in accordance with the state bird, named "Scrappy" dressed as a railroad engineer. The school's main athletic logo features Scrappy riding a train (a reference to Chattanooga's history as a major railroad hub and to the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo
Chattanooga Choo Choo
"Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a song by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon . It was recorded in a big-band/swing manner by Glenn Miller and his orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade, which starred Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller and his orchestra, The Modernaires, Milton Berle...
"). The mascot takes its name from former football
American football
American 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...
coach A. C. "Scrappy" Moore
Andy Moore (American football)
Andrew Cecil "Scrappy" Moore, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Chattanooga, now the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, from 1931 to 1967, compiling a record of 171–148–13. He had the longest tenure and the...
.