Furman Paladins

Last updated
Furman Paladins
Furman Paladins logo.svg
University Furman University
Conference Southern (primary)
Big South (women's lacrosse)
NCAA Division I (FCS)
Athletic directorJason Donnelly
Location Greenville, South Carolina
Varsity teams18 (8 men's, 10 women's)
Football stadium Paladin Stadium
Basketball arena Timmons Arena
Softball stadiumPepsi Stadium
Soccer stadiumStone Stadium
Tennis venueMickel Tennis Center
Outdoor track and field venueIrwin Belk Complex
Volleyball arenaAlley Gymnasium
Nickname Paladins
ColorsRoyal purple and white [1]
   
Website furmanpaladins.com
SoCon's logo in Furman's colors SoCon logo in Furman colors.svg
SoCon's logo in Furman's colors

The Furman Paladins are the varsity athletic teams representing Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, in intercollegiate athletics.

Contents

Furman competes in NCAA Division I athletics and is one of the smallest NCAA Division I schools in the nation. The university sponsors sixteen teams including football, women's lacrosse, men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, softball, track and field, and volleyball; and recently discontinued baseball and men's lacrosse. The Paladins are currently members of the Southern Conference. [2] The university also fields 16 club sports and many intramural teams.

In 2018, Furman placed in the top 75 best colleges in the NACDA Directors' Cup Division I Final Standings, being the only liberal arts college in the US and only member of the Southern Conference to do so. [3] In the 2019–2020 season, Furman finished in 32nd place in the NACDA Director's Cup Final Fall Standings. [4]

Teams

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Basketball Basketball
Cross countryCross country
Football Golf
Golf Lacrosse
Soccer Soccer
TennisSoftball
Track and fieldTennis
Track and field
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

A member of the Southern Conference, Furman sponsors teams in eight men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports: [5]

Football

In 1988 Furman won the NCAA I-AA National Football Championship. Furman was also a runner-up in the 1985 and 2001 NCAA I-AA National Football Championship game losing to Georgia Southern and Montana respectively, and a semifinalist in 1983, 1989 and 2005. Furman, Colgate, Lehigh, Fordham, Richmond and Villanova remain the only private universities that have appeared in the I-AA Football Championship game, and Furman was the first private school to win it, with Richmond becoming the second 20 years later. Furman also ranks 5th in NCAA Division I FCS playoff appearances with 18 appearances.

Over the past few years,[ when? ] Furman's football team has been consistently ranked in the top three spots in the NCAA I-AA polls, and has climbed to no. 1 in the nation in the Sports Network polls. The Paladins have also claimed 15 Southern Conference football titles, more than any school in league history. [6] Furman has only won one national championship in football.

Men's basketball

The men's basketball team is currently led by head coach Bob Richey and play their home games at the Timmons Arena. Furman's best decade has been 1970-1980 when the team made 6 appearances to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and made the Sweet Sixteen round in the 1974 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. In 2018, the Paladins entered the College Basketball AP Poll for the first time in program history, ranking #23 in the nation in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings on December 10. The Paladins appeared in the 2023 NCAA Tournament after a 43-year tournament absence, advancing to the second round after winning their first tournament game in 49 years.

Golf

Women's golf

Few collegiate woman golf programs have produced more professionals than Furman, which has 11 former Lady Paladins on the LPGA Tour, including two World Golf Hall of Fame inductees (Betsy King and Beth Daniel). Furman has claimed 18 Southern Conference championships: 1994–2002, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2015–2019. [7]

Furman won the AIAW national championship (which became the NCAA Championship in 1983) in 1976 and finished 3rd in 1974, 5th in 1975 and 3rd in 1977. Since 1983 it has made 19 appearances in the NCAA Women's Golf Championship, placing 2nd in 1987 and finishing 10 times in the top 12. [8]

In recent years, Furman's women's golf has been consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation by Golfweek [9] In the 2019–20 season, Furman's Natalie Srinivasan ended as the top ranked collegiate golfer in the nation according to Golfstat and was the recipient of the 2020 Annika Award. [10]

Men's golf

The men's golf team has won 13 Southern Conference championships: 1970, 1973, 1975–1977, 1984–86, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2010. PGA Tour players Brad Faxon and Bruce Fleisher played for the Paladins. The program nearly faced extinction in 2014 until a group of alumni led by Faxon helped keep the program going. [11]

Soccer

Coached by Doug Allison, the men's soccer team has been ranked as high as no. 3 in the nation and has produced a share of professional players. [12] Former star Clint Dempsey, who now plays club soccer for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer, is the #1 all-time leading goal scorer for the US team and, including goals scored at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil; and the all-time American scorer in the European league. [13] Ricardo Clark, a member of the United States Men's National Soccer Team and Houston Dynamo also played soccer for Furman. Current MLS players Shea Salinas of the San Jose Earthquakes, Chris Klute of the Colorado Rapids, Jonathan Leathers of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Walker Zimmerman of FC Dallas and member of the United States National Soccer team also played for the Paladins.

Tennis

Men's tennis

Furman men's tennis coach Paul Scarpa is the all-time winningest coach in American college tennis history, with a record spanning over 850 wins. [14] [15] A Florida State alumnus, he is a member of the ITA Men's Collegiate Hall of Fame, South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and USTA Southern Section Hall of Fame. [16] He also developed the current dual-match scoring system adopted by the NCAA since 1993 and is the inventor of the clay-court line Tenex tape used to mark clay courts throughout the world.

Scarpa captured coached 108 All-Southern Conference players in his career at Furman. Notably, one of the founders of Yik Yak, Tyler Droll, was a product of Furman Tennis. He also led Furman to 14 Southern Conference Championships, the most in league history, a consistent Top 50 NCAA Div 1 ranking and to the Quarterfinals in both the 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Individual Tennis Championships and the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Doubles Tennis Championships. [17] [18]

Since 2012, Furman men's tennis team has been coached by former world no. 1 in doubles Kelly Jones. During the 2019–2020 season Furman was ranked in the top 10 in the nation in doubles. [19]

Women's tennis

Furman women's tennis team has won 19 Southern Conference Championships since 1987, the most in league history, and has been ranked as high as no. 24 in the nation. [20] [21] [22] Since 1999, the women's tennis team has appeared in 12 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships. [23] Furman has had 2 players ranked in the top 10 in the nation in recent years in the individual rankings. [24] [25] During the 2019–2020 season Furman had 2 doubles teams ranked in the top 25 in the nation. [26]

Women's lacrosse

Started in 2015, the Women's lacrosse team was a member of the ASUN Conference from 2015 to 2017. In their three years as a member, they reached the semifinals of the ASUN Conference Lacrosse Championships 3 times. [27] They became part of the relaunched SoCon women's lacrosse league in 2018, reaching the final of the Southern Conference Lacrosse Championships both in 2018 and 2019. [28] After the SoCon disbanded its women's lacrosse league after the 2021 season, Furman moved that sport to the Big South Conference. [29]

Cross country and track and field

In the recent years, both Furman's men's and woman's track and field teams have been ranked in the top 15th in the nation in NCAA DI Cross Country National Poll. [30] [31] In 2018, Furman finished 2nd in the 5,000 meters NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships event. Furman finished 6th in the 2017 Women's 5,000 meters NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Furman finished 9th in the 2019 NCAA Division I Cross Country Women's Team Championships and 7th in the 2017 NCAA Division I Cross Country Women's Team Championships. Furman finished 5th in the 2018 NCAA Division I Cross Country Men's Individual Championships.

From 2013 to 2022 the Furman men's and women's cross country team has both won 10 consecutive Southern Conference Championships [32] Furman's Cross Country/Track and Field programs has been under the guidance of former Olympian and former Ohio State head coach Robert Gary since 2012.

Furman hosted the NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country championships for over a decade, and hosted the 1997 NCAA Cross Country national championship and the 2001 NCAA Cross Country national championship.

Rugby

Started in 1998, Furman's Rugby Club team won the East Coast Collegiate Division III Championship three years in a row from 2003 to 2005 and was runner-up in 2007 and 2008. [33] In 2011, Furman joined Division II and has appeared in the Division II Rugby Championships final four a record of 8 times in the last 10 years, placing 2nd in 2016 Division II Rugby Championships. [34] Furman ranked no. 6 in the nation in the Division II combined rankings from 2015 to 2019. [35]

Furman built a rugby stadium John S. Roberts Field on campus in 2008, with strong financial backing from alumni and friends. [36] Furman has made a commitment to its rugby program, promising $100,000 annually in scholarships and financial aid to rugby players. [36] Furman rugby is led by head coach John Roberts.

Nickname

The team nickname, the Paladins, was first used by a Greenville, South Carolina, sportswriter in the 1930s.[ citation needed ] For many years the name "Paladins" just referred to Furman's basketball team. Until 1963 the school's baseball teams were known as the "Hornets" and the football teams as the "Hurricanes".[ citation needed ] On September 15 of that year, the student body voted to make "Paladins" the official nickname of all of the university's intercollegiate athletic teams.[ citation needed ]

Discontinued teams

Baseball

The Furman Paladin baseball team was led by head coach Brett Harker. The team hosted its games at Latham Baseball Stadium on Furman's campus, but numerous home games were held at Fluor Field in downtown Greenville. The baseball program was terminated by the university on May 18, 2020, due to budget concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. [37]

Men's lacrosse

Furman Men's Lacrosse Club team was a member of the Southeast Lacrosse Conference in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. They added NCAA Division 1 Lacrosse in 2014 and played in the Atlantic Sun Conference for the 2014 season. [38] Since 2015 they played in the Southern Conference reaching the semifinals of the Southern Conference Lacrosse Championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. [39] As with varsity baseball, the men's lacrosse program was also discontinued on May 18, 2020, due to budget concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic. [37]

Related Research Articles

The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-America team for their sport. Some sports have multiple All-America teams and will list the honorees as members of a first team, second team, or third team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Gators</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Florida

The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as the "Gator Nation." The Gators compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and are consistently ranked among the top college sports programs in the United States. The University of Florida currently fields teams in nine men's sports and twelve women's sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke Blue Devils</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Duke University

The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry battalion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Cavaliers</span> University of Virginia intercollegiate sports teams

The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level, in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1953. Known simply as Virginia or UVA in sports media, the athletics program has twice won the Capital One Cup for men's sports after leading the nation in overall athletic excellence in those years. The Cavaliers have regularly placed among the nation's Top 5 athletics programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanford Cardinal</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Stanford University

The Stanford Cardinal are the athletic teams that represent Stanford University. Stanford's program has won 136 NCAA team championships, the most of any university. Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship each academic year for 48 consecutive years, starting in 1976–77 and continuing through 2023–24. Through June 2024, Stanford athletes have won 554 individual NCAA titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa State Cyclones</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Iowa State University

The Iowa State Cyclones are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Iowa State University, located in Ames. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Nittany Lions</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Penn State University

The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The intercollegiate athletics logo was commissioned in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas A&M Aggies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Texas A&M University

The Texas A&M Aggies are the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" was once common at land-grant or "ag" (agriculture) schools in many states. The teams are also simply referred to as "A&M" or "Texas Aggies," and the official school colors are maroon and white. The mascot is a rough collie named Reveille.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clemson Tigers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Clemson University

The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. Clemson competes for and has won multiple NCAA Division I national championships in football, men's soccer, and men's golf. The Clemson Tigers field twenty-one athletic teams, nine men's and twelve women's, across thirteen sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Towson Tigers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Towson University

The Towson Tigers, formerly the Towson College Knights, are the athletics teams of Towson University. All of the major athletic teams compete in the Coastal Athletic Association with 19 Division I athletic teams. Gymnastics competes in the EAGL conference, having rejoined the league in the Spring of 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navy Midshipmen</span> Sports teams of the United States Naval Academy

The Navy Midshipmen are the athletic teams that represent the United States Naval Academy. The academy sponsors 36 varsity sports teams and 12 club sport teams. Both men's and women's teams are called Navy Midshipmen or "Mids". They participate in the NCAA's Division I, as a non-football member of the Patriot League, a football-only member of the American Athletic Conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and a member of the Collegiate Sprint Football League (men), Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (men), Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges, Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics League (men), Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference (men) and Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. Navy is also one of approximately 300 members of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlebury Panthers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Middlebury College

The Middlebury Panthers are the 31 varsity teams of Middlebury College that compete in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. The Panthers lead the NESCAC in total number of national championships, having won 42 team titles since the conference lifted its ban on NCAA play in 1994. Middlebury enjoys national success in soccer, cross country running, field hockey, men's basketball, women's hockey, skiing, men's lacrosse and women's lacrosse, and fields 31 varsity NCAA teams and several competitive club teams including a sailing team (MCSC), a crew team, a water polo team, an ultimate frisbee team, and a rugby team. Since 2000, Middlebury's varsity squads have won 84 NESCAC titles. Currently, 28% of students participate in varsity sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights</span> Athletic program of the University of Central Florida

The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in unincorporated Orange County, Florida near Orlando. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Since men's soccer is not sponsored by the Big 12, they play in the Sun Belt Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Tigers</span> Athletics program of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas

The Trinity Tigers is the nickname for the sports teams of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). The school mascot is LeeRoy, a Bengal tiger. In the 1950s, LeeRoy was an actual tiger who was brought to sporting events, but today LeeRoy is portrayed by a student wearing a tiger suit. Early in its history, the school participated in Division I and Division II athletics, but by 1991 the entire program made the move to Division III, at which time it joined the SCAC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UC Davis Aggies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Califlornia, Davis

The UC Davis Aggies are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American International Yellow Jackets</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of American International College

The American International Yellow Jackets is composed of 22 teams representing American International College in intercollegiate athletics, including men’s and women's basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, and volleyball. Men's sports include baseball, football, ice hockey, and wrestling. Women's sports include field hockey, rugby, softball, and tennis. The Yellow Jackets compete in NCAA Division II and are members of the Northeast-10 Conference for all sports except ice hockey, which competes in NCAA Division I; men's volleyball, which competes as a de facto Division I member in the East Coast Conference; men's wrestling, which is an NCAA Division II Independent; and women's triathlon, which competes as a de facto Division I independent. The men's ice hockey team is a member of Atlantic Hockey America Division I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Lawrence Saints</span> Sports programs at St. Lawrence University

The St. Lawrence Saints are composed of 33 teams representing St. Lawrence University in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's alpine skiing, basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, nordic skiing, riding, rowing, soccer, squash, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's sports include baseball and football. Women's sports include field hockey, softball, and volleyball. The Saints compete in the NCAA Division III and are members of the Liberty League for all sports except ice hockey, which competes in NCAA Division I, as a member of ECAC Hockey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Chester Golden Rams</span> West Chester University of Pennsylvania sports teams

The West Chester Golden Rams represent West Chester University of Pennsylvania, which is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in intercollegiate sports. They compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in NCAA Division II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Flyers</span> Athletic teams that represent Lewis University

The Lewis Flyers are the athletic teams that represent Lewis University, located in Romeoville, Illinois, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) for most of its sports since the 1980–81 academic year; while its men's volleyball team competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). Since it is not a sponsored sport at the Division II level, the men's volleyball team is the only program that plays in Division I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Citadel Bulldogs</span> Sports teams of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina

The Citadel Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent The Citadel. All sports participate in the NCAA Division I except football, which competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Since 1936, varsity sports have competed in the Southern Conference. The Citadel fields teams in sixteen sports, nine for men and seven for women.

References

  1. "Graphic Design Guide" . Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  2. "Southern Conference Member Institutions - SoConSports.com—Official Web Site of The Southern Conference". Soconsports.com. Retrieved 2015-07-18.
  3. "2018 Learfield Directors' Cup Division I Final Standings" (PDF). Nacda.
  4. "2019-20 Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Division I Final Fall Standings" (PDF). NACDA.
  5. "Furman Paladins". Furman University. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  6. "Southern Conference Football Record Book 2020" (PDF). Soconsports. p. 78.
  7. "Southern Conference Women's Golf Record Book 2020" (PDF). Soconsports.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  8. "DIVISION I WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS RECORDS BOOK 2020" (PDF). NCAA.org. pp. 9–16.
  9. "College Rankings Archive". Golfweek. 6 April 2016.
  10. "2020 Annika Award Winner- Natalie Srinivasan". Annikaaward.com.
  11. Beth Ann Nichols (25 February 2014). "GOLFWEEK - Furman men's golf reinstated, college golf: Furman Paladins reinstate men's golf program after Brad Faxon, other step up". Golfweek.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  12. "USATODAY.com - Furman builds big reputation in men's soccer". www.usatoday.com. Archived from the original on 18 September 2002. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  13. "Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)". FIFA.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  14. Garber, Greg (9 March 2009). "Scarpa's record difficult to comprehend". ESPN.
  15. "Scarpa to be inducted into SoCon Hall of Fame". Furman News.
  16. "ITA Men's Collegiate Hall of Fame". ITATennis.
  17. "Southern Conference Men's Tennis Record Book 2020" (PDF). Soconsports.com. pp. 2, 14.
  18. "2002 NCAA Spring Championships Records Book" (PDF). NCAA.org. p. 91.
  19. "2019-20 Oracle ITA Division I Final Fall Rankings". Wearecollegetennis.com. 13 November 2019.
  20. "Oracle ITA Division I Women's Team Rankings — March 3, 2021". Wearecollegetennis. 3 March 2021.
  21. "Southern Conference Women's Tennis Record Book 2020" (PDF). Soconsports. p. 8.
  22. "March 3, 2020 - Oracle/ITA Division I Women's Rankings". ITATennis. 3 March 2020.
  23. "Southern Conference Women's Tennis Record Book 2020" (PDF). Soconsports. p. 12.
  24. "MARCH 3, 2009 - ITA DI WOMEN'S SINGLES RANKINGS". ITATennis.
  25. "Oracle/ITA Division I Women's Rankings Feb 5, 2020". 5 February 2020.
  26. "Oracle/ITA Division I Women's Rankings Top National Doubles Feb 5th, 2020". Wearecollegetennis. 5 February 2020.
  27. "ASUN Conference Women's Lacrosse Record Book" (PDF). p. 3.
  28. "Southern Conference Women's Lacrosse Record Book 2020" (PDF). p. 2.
  29. "Big South Adds Three Associate Members in Women's Lacrosse" (Press release). Big South Conference. June 7, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  30. "NCAA DI Men's Cross Country National Rankings". NCAA.
  31. "NCAA DI Women's Cross Country National Rankings". NCAA.
  32. "Southern Conference Cross Country Record Book 2019" (PDF). Soconsports.com. pp. 2, 13.
  33. Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  34. "Urugby Teams- Furman University". Urugby. 30 March 2015.
  35. "Goff Rugby Report Combined Men's DII College Rankings 2015-2019". Goffrugbyreport. 11 August 2020.
  36. 1 2 Archived January 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  37. 1 2 "Furman Implements Furloughs, Discontinues Baseball and Men's Lacrosse," Furman University Athletics, Monday, May 18, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  38. "UPDATE: Furman University (S.C.) Announces Men's, Women's DI Lacrosse". InsideLacrosse.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  39. "Southern Conference Men's Lacrosse Record Book 2020" (PDF). p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2020-10-26.