Tennessee State Tigers and Lady Tigers

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Tennessee State Tigers and Lady Tigers
Tennessee State Athletics logo.svg
University Tennessee State University
Conference Ohio Valley Conference (primary)
Horizon League (men's tennis)
NCAA Division I (FCS)
Athletic directorMikki Allen
Location Nashville, Tennessee
Varsity teams16 (8 men's and 8 women's)
Football stadium Nissan Stadium and Hale Stadium
Basketball arena Gentry Complex
Softball stadium Tiger Field
MascotAristocat the Tiger
NicknameTigers
ColorsReflex blue and white [1]
   
Website tsutigers.com
Tennessee state wordmark 2021.png

The Tennessee State Tigers and Lady Tigers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Tennessee State University (TSU), located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The Tigers athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) [2] and competes in the NCAA Division I, including the Football Championship Subdivision. [3] The women's track team is also known as the Tigerbelles. [4] As a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, Tennessee State is one of three HBCUs competing in Division I that is not a member of an athletic conference made up entirely of historically black institutions (MEAC and SWAC), the other two being Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University of the Colonial Athletic Association. [5] [6] The TSU mascot is Aristocat the Tiger, and the school colors are blue and white. TSU's main rival historically has been Kentucky State University, an HBCU located in the capital of Tennessee's northern neighbor.

Contents

Sports sponsored

A member of the Ohio Valley Conference, Tennessee State University sponsors teams in eight men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports and have plans for bringing back baseball. [7]

The only TSU team that competes outside the OVC is the men's tennis team. After the 2021–22 season, the OVC merged its men's tennis league into that of the Horizon League. All OVC mean's tennis members, including TSU, became Horizon associates in that sport. [8]

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Basketball Basketball
Cross countryCross country
Football Golf
GolfSoftball
Ice hockey Tennis
TennisTrack and field1
Track and field1Volleyball
1 – includes both indoor and outdoor.

Athletic facilities

Source: [9]

Tennessee State is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference Ohio Valley Conference logo in Tennessee State colors.svg
Tennessee State is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference
VenueSport(s) hosted
Gentry Center Basketball, indoor track and field
Nissan Stadium & Hale Stadium Football
Tiger StadiumSoftball
TSU Tennis Court ComplexTennis
Edward S. Temple TrackOutdoor track and field
Kean HallVolleyball

Highlights

In 1957, coach John McClendon and three-time All-American Dick Barnett led the then-Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State University to become the first historically black college (HBCU) to win a national basketball title, winning the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship. The school went on to win the NAIA title again in 1958 and '59. [10]

The women's track and field team won the championship of the Amateur Athletic Union national senior outdoor meet for all athletes 13 times in 1955–1960, 1962, 1963, 1965–1967, 1969 and 1978. The team likewise won the AAU national indoor championship 14 times in 1956–1960, 1962, 1965–1969 and 1978–1980. [11]

By 2009, approximately 100 TSU football players had been drafted by the National Football League. [12]

In 2014, From the Rough was released which is a movie based on a true story about the successes and challenges of the first African-American woman (Dr. Catana Starks) to coach a Division I college men's golf team. Starks helped develop several noteworthy golfers at Tennessee State such as Sean Foley and Robert Dinwiddie. [13]

In 2016, the men's basketball team ranked 17th in the nation for increase in home attendance. During the 2015-2016 basketball season, the men's team tied the school record for the most Division I wins with 20. [14]

The Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, Tennessee is annually one of the largest and most anticipated HBCU football classics in the nation. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Valley Conference</span> US college athletic conference

The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) is a collegiate 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 partnership with the Big South Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision, the lower of two levels of Division I football competition. The OVC has 11 members, seven of which compete in football in the conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference</span> Collegiate athletic conference

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Formed in 1913, it consists mostly of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), with all but one member located in the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics</span> North American college athletics association

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to their student athletes. Around $1.3 billion in athletic scholarship financial aid is awarded to student athletes annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horizon League</span> College sports league in the United States

The Horizon League is a collegiate athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the league's eleven member schools are located in and near the Great Lakes region and in part of the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Southern Tigers</span> Collegiate sports club in the United States

The Texas Southern Tigers represent Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas, in intercollegiate athletics. They field sixteen teams including men's and women's basketball, cross country, golf, and track and field; women's-only bowling, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball and football. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I and are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray State Racers</span> Athletic teams of Murray State University, Kentucky US

The Murray State Racers are the athletic teams that represent Murray State University (MSU), located in Murray, Kentucky, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) since the 2022–23 academic year. The Racers previously competed in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1948–49 to 2021–22; and in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1933–34 to 1947–48.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Kentucky Colonels</span> Eastern Kentucky University athletic teams

The Eastern Kentucky Colonels are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), located in Richmond, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the ASUN Conference since the 2021–22 academic year. Its football team competes in the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which starts play in 2023 as a football-only merger of the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Colonels previously competed in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1948–49 to 2020–21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morehead State Eagles</span> Collegiate sports club in the United States

The Morehead State Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Morehead State University (MSU), located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) since the 1948–49 academic year; while its football team competes in the Pioneer Football League (PFL). The Eagles previously competed in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1933–34 to 1947–48; and in the defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) from 1929–30 to 1932–33.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeast Missouri State Redhawks</span> Collegiate sports club in the USA

The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks are the athletic teams of Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States. The Redhawks athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level including the Football Championship Subdivision. The SEMO mascot is Rowdy the Redhawk and the school colors are red and black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIU Edwardsville Cougars</span> Athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

The SIU Edwardsville Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), located in Edwardsville, Illinois, United States. The Cougars' athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level. The SIUE mascot is Eddie the Cougar #57, and the school colors are red and white. Cougar teams have won seventeen NCAA national championships in five sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youngstown State Penguins men's basketball</span> Mens basketball team representing Youngstown State

The Youngstown State Penguins men's basketball team represents Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. The team currently competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 2001. Since 1972, home games are played at the 6,300-seat Beeghly Center on the YSU campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmont Bruins</span> Athletic teams representing Belmont University

The Belmont Bruins are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Belmont University located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The Bruins athletic program is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Prior to 2022, the Bruins were members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UT Martin Skyhawks</span> Athletic teams representing University of Tennessee at Martin

The UT Martin Skyhawks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) in Martin, Tennessee, United States. The Skyhawks athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level including the Football Championship Subdivision. The UTM mascot is Captain Skyhawk. The school colors are navy and orange. They were known as the Pacers until 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles</span> Athletic team of the University of Southern Indiana

The Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles are the athletic teams that represent the University of Southern Indiana, located outside Evansville in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. The Screaming Eagles compete as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Southern Indiana had previously been a member of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference from 1978 to 2022, when the school announced it would reclassify to NCAA Division I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Peay Governors</span> Athletic teams representing Austin Peay State University

The Austin Peay Governors are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Austin Peay State University, located in Clarksville, Tennessee, United States. The Governors athletic program is a member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) for all sports except football, in which it competes in the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The latter conference started play in the 2023 season as a football-only merger between two conferences in the second tier of Division I football, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)—the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference. Before the 2022–23 school year, the Governors were members of another FCS league, the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles</span> Athletic teams representing Tennessee Technological University

The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Tennessee Technological University (TTU), located in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. The TTU athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes in NCAA Division I, including the Football Championship Subdivision. The Tech mascot is Awesome Eagle, and the school colors are purple and gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014–15 Tennessee State Tigers basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2014–15 Tennessee State Tigers basketball team represented Tennessee State University during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by first year head coach Dana Ford, played their home games at the Gentry Complex and were members of the East Division of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 5–26, 2–14 in OVC play to finish in last place in the East Division. They failed to qualify for the OVC Tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 Tennessee State Tigers basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2015–16 Tennessee State Tigers basketball team represented Tennessee State University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by second year head coach Dana Ford, played their home games at the Gentry Complex and were members of the East Division of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 20–11, 11–5 in OVC play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the East Division. They lost in the quarterfinals of the OVC tournament to Austin Peay. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they lost in the first round to Ball State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 Tennessee State Tigers basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2016–17 Tennessee State Tigers basketball team represented Tennessee State University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by third-year head coach Dana Ford, played their home games at the Gentry Complex in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the East Division of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 17–13, 8–8 in OVC play to finish in a tie for fourth place in the East Division. As the No. 8 seed in the OVC tournament, they lost to Southeast Missouri State in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee State Lady Tigers basketball</span> College basketball team

The Tennessee State Lady Tigers basketball team represents Tennessee State University (TSU) in women's basketball in Nashville, Tennessee. The school's team currently competes in the Ohio Valley Conference. They play their home games at the Gentry Complex.

References

  1. Tennessee State University Brand Guide (PDF). December 31, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  2. "OVC Member Institutions". OVCSports.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  3. "Tennessee State University". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  4. Organ, Mike (June 28, 2015). "Drop history-rich Tigerbelles name? No way, TSU says". The Tennessean . USA Today Network . Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  5. "CAA Welcomes Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University as New Members" (Press release). Colonial Athletic Association. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  6. "CAA Welcomes North Carolina A&T as Newest Member of the Conference" (Press release). Colonial Athletic Association. February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  7. "TSUTigers.com - Official Site of Tennessee State Athletics". TSUTigers.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  8. "Horizon League Announces Innovative Partnership with Ohio Valley Conference and Men's Tennis Programs, Adds Chicago State as an Affiliate Member for Men's and Women's Tennis" (Press release). Horizon League. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  9. University, Tennessee State. "Page Not Found" (PDF). www.tnstate.edu. Retrieved February 18, 2018.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  10. "DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS" (PDF). National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  11. Tricard, Louise Mead (1996). American Women's Track and Field – A History, 1895 through 1980. Jefferson, North Carolina, U.S.: McFarland & Co., Inc.
  12. Insiders' Guide to Nashville, 7th. 2007. ISBN   9780762755677 . Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  13. "Story - From The Rough". fromtherough.com. December 7, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  14. "TSU Men's Basketball Ranked 17th Nationally in Home Attendance Increase" . Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  15. "Top 5 HBCU Football Classics Ranked by Attendance 2015". HBCU Lifestyle – Black College Living. December 27, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2021.