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The mission of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at The Citadel is to develop, maintain, and continue to improve a well-rounded program of athletics geared to the aims and objectives of The Citadel, the Southern Conference, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In order to carry out this mission, all athletics personnel must be familiar with the athletics policy as approved by the Board of Visitors and the President of The Citadel:
The Citadel policy on intercollegiate athletics includes a balanced program covering a broad spectrum of sports for men and women. The College will support this program to enable its representatives to be competitive in every respect. The Citadel will compete as a Division I institution under current NCAA and Southern Conference regulations. The athletics program will be conducted within the aims, standards and objectives of The Citadel as a comprehensive military college providing a quality education. The Department of Athletics is committed to gender and minority equity in all of its programs. In addition, for the safety and welfare of student-athletes, The Citadel maintains full-time certified trainers, a college surgeon, and special orthopedic doctors to provide medical support services.
The Citadel is a member of the NCAA with Football Championship Subdivision classification and Division I classification in all other sports. In addition, the college is a member of the Southern Conference, which is comprised of The Citadel, East Tennessee State University, Furman University, Mercer University, UNC-Greensboro, Samford University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Virginia Military Institute, Western Carolina University, and Wofford College.
The Sports Program
The Citadel Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 16 varsity teams including football, basketball, cross country, wrestling, indoor and outdoor track, baseball, rifle, and tennis for men; and golf, soccer, volleyball, rifle, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track for women. Each year, nearly 400 cadets participate as players, managers, or student trainers.
The Citadel’s intercollegiate teams are led by qualified coaches who are concerned with the overall development of the cadet-athlete. The graduation rate of Citadel athletes always ranks among the best of the Southern Conference.
Facilities
Athletic facilities at The Citadel are among the finest in the Southern Conference. Home football games are played in historic Johnson Hagood Stadium, a 11,000-seat facility built in 1948. The Bulldogs celebrated the re-opening of the West Stands at Johnson Hagood Stadium for the 2006 season, and in 2008, the West Side Tower opened its doors to The Citadel Family. The completed project features luxury suites, club seats, a state-of-the-art press box and all the expected amenities of a modern-day facility. The field was named Sansom Field in 2008, commemorating the loyalty and generosity of distinguished and active alumnus, William B. Sansom, ‘64. In the fall of 2001, the Altman Athletic Center opened. Located in the south end zone, the Center houses home and visitors’ locker rooms, officials’ rooms, and an entertainment area for The Citadel Brigadier Foundation. In the summer of 2020, the field was replaced with state of the art artificial turf due to the generosity of William B. Sansom, ‘64.
McAlister Field House, which houses the Athletic Department staff and several coaches’ offices, was built in 1939 and renovated in 1989, and a new floor was installed in 2016 due to the generosity of Jimmy and Mary Reed. Seating over 5,000 for Bulldog basketball games, McAlister Field House also serves as home of the volleyball and wrestling teams as well as the site for graduations, concerts and a variety of other events. Additional locker rooms have also been added to the Field House. In the summer of 2011, due in large part to private donations, The Citadel basketball program completed an overhaul of the basketball locker room. The main section of seat back stands has been renovated in the summer of 2020 due to the financial collaboration of the institution and athletic department.
Next to McAlister Field House is Vandiver Hall which opened in 1991 and provides the Bulldog soccer, baseball, wrestling, golf, volleyball, cross-country and track and field teams with a modern and well-equipped facility. Dressing and locker rooms, a golf driving range, a wrestling room, and a baseball batting tunnel are a few of the features of Vandiver Hall.
Seignious Hall, which is located directly behind Vandiver Hall, houses the football coaches’ offices and the football locker room. Also located in this facility are a spacious weight room, equipment room, and training room.
The Donald C. Bunch Courts at the Earle Tennis Center, which has often served as the site of the Southern Conference Men’s and Women’s Championships, receive a significant amount of play year-round. The women’s soccer team utilizes WLI Field along the Ashley River while the track and field teams use a track surrounding a multi-purpose turf field which was upgraded in 2018. The track was also resurfaced in 2018 due to a collaborative effort of donors and the institution to provide a five lane rubberized surface.
In April 1997, The Citadel’s baseball team moved into the new, state-of-the-art Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, located on the banks of the Ashley River. The 6,000-seat park, which has hosted the Southern Conference Baseball Championship on several occasions, features the Bulldog locker room, luxury suites, an indoor batting tunnel and a state-of-the-art video board. The Citadel utilizes nearby College Park as a practice site during the year.
The indoor rifle range, Inouye Markmanship Center, opened in the fall of 2005. Located behind WLI Field along the Ashley River, this facility allows for general firearms training for the entire Corps of Cadets, enhanced ROTC firearms training, and increased opportunities for Rifle and Pistol Team practices.
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