The Citadel Bulldogs
Encyclopedia
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 sixteen different sports, nine for men and seven for women.
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.
(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.
, 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.
. 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
.
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.
'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
.
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
.
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...
, although the Rifle teams compete in the South Eastern Air Rifle Conference. The Citadel fields teams in sixteen different sports, nine for men and seven for women.
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 ConferenceSouthern 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...
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 ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC), The Citadel and six other schools joined the conference. Furman
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
and Davidson
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
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 StadiumJohnson Hagood Stadium
Johnson Hagood Stadium, is a 21,000-seat football stadium in Charleston, South Carolina that is the home field of The Citadel; it is named in honor of Brigadier General Johnson Hagood CSA, Class of 1847 who commanded Confederate forces in Charleston during the Civil War and later served as...
, 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
Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park
Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park is a stadium located in Charleston, South Carolina. The stadium is named after Charleston's longest serving mayor, Joseph P. Riley, Jr.. The stadium replaced College Park....
with the professional Charleston RiverDogs
Charleston RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Charleston, South Carolina. They play in the class A South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park...
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
McAlister Field House
McAlister Field House is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Charleston, South Carolina. It was built in 1939 and is home to The Citadel Bulldogs basketball, wrestling, and volleyball teams....
, 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 SouthMilitary Classic of the South
The Military Classic of the South is an American college football rivalry game played by The Citadel Bulldogs football team of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, and the VMI Keydets football team of the Virginia Military Institute. Although the teams first played in 1920, the...
. 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
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
, South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
, Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. PC was founded in 1880 by William Plumer Jacobs, a prominent Presbyterian minister who also founded the nearby Thornwell Home and...
, and Newberry College
Newberry College
Newberry College is a liberal-arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located on a historic campus in Newberry, South Carolina.The college has 1,025 students and a 19:1 student-teacher ratio...
.
Football
The Citadel has won two Southern ConferenceSouthern 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...
Championships, in 1961 and 1992. In 1960, the Bulldogs won the Tangerine Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus 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
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
.
Today, the Bulldogs are coached by Kevin Higgins
Kevin Higgins
-FCS Playoffs:Kevin Higgins' Record in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Playoffs:-Rivalry games:Kevin Higgins' Record in The Military Classic of the South :Kevin Higgins' Record in The Rivalry :...
, 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 ConroyPat Conroy
Pat Conroy , is a New York Times bestselling author who has written several acclaimed novels and memoirs. Two of his novels, The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, were made into Oscar-nominated films.-Early life:...
's My Losing Season
My Losing Season
My Losing Season is a memoir by Pat Conroy. It primarily deals with his senior season as the starting point guard on the basketball team of The Citadel in 1966–67. Conroy describes his tumultuous relationship with his coach, Mel Thompson, as well as the harsh, malevolent, male-dominated society of...
. 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
Chuck Driesell
Chuck Driesell is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach for The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Driesell previously served as an assistant coach under Gary Williams at the University of Maryland and spent six seasons as head coach at Marymount University...
, son of coaching legend Lefty Driesell
Lefty Driesell
Charles Grice "Lefty" Driesell is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Davidson College, James Madison University, and Georgia State University. During his 41-year coaching career, Driesell led teams from each school to the NCAA...
.
Baseball
The Citadel's most successful athletics program, the baseball team has won thirteen Southern Conference championships and eight Southern Conference Baseball TournamentSouthern Conference Baseball Tournament
The Southern Conference Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Southern Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.-Tournament:...
championships. As thirteen time participants in the NCAA tournament, The Citadel advanced to the 1990 College World Series
1990 College World Series
The 1990 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 1 to June 9. The forty-fourth tournament's champion was the University of Georgia, coached by Steve Webber...
, becoming a fan favorite in Omaha, before bowing out with a 1–2 record. The Bulldogs are coached by Fred Jordan
Fred Jordan (baseball)
Fred Jordan is the 26th head college baseball coach at The Citadel located in Charleston, South Carolina and has held that position since the 1992 season....
.
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.Club sports
- Ice Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Multisport (e.g., triathlon, road racing, cycling, swimming)
- Pistol
- Men's Rugby
- Women's Rugby
- Sailing
- Men's Soccer