Roanoke College Athletics

Roanoke College’s athletics history began in 1870 when the school fielded its first baseball team. Since that time, the Maroons, as Roanoke athletic teams are now known, have built a tradition-rich history that has made the department one of the most respected in the country.

 

A member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, Roanoke College offers 19 varsity sports, 10 for women, nine for men. After winning two national championships as a member of the NCAA’s College Division (now split into Division II and III) during the 1970's, the Maroons joined the Division III Old Dominion Athletic Conference in the early 1980's.

 

The Roanoke athletic department first entered into the national spotlight in the late 1930's, when the fabled “Five Smart Boys” put together one of the best men’s basketball teams in small college history. They led the Maroons to the National Invitational Tournament (the premiere postseason tournament at the time) where they eventually finished third. In 1972, Roanoke became the first college in the state of Virginia to win a national championship when Charlie Moir led the Maroons to the NCAA College Division men’s basketball title. Six years later, and ten years into its history, the men’s lacrosse team reached the pinnacle of its sport, winning a national championship with a win over Hobart College in 1978.

 

With the move to Division III (which became an NCAA entity in 1973), in 1979 came continued athletic excellence. During the 1982-83 academic season, the men’s basketball team made its second appearance in the final four and the program reigned supreme in the 80’s, winning seven-straight ODAC Titles along with seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1981-87). The men’s lacrosse program won eight-straight ODAC Titles (1981-88) in the 80’s and didn’t lose a single conference game during that span.

 

In the 1990s, the Maroons again had great success at not only the conference level but also on the national scene.  The women’s basketball program won the ODAC seven times during the decade and once more in 2000 to give them 13 overall. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament in nine of the 10 years during that period and have 10 appearances overall. The men’s lacrosse team returned to the national title game for a third time in 1992 and the men’s soccer team reached the NCAA Quarterfinals in 1993.

 

The late 1990s saw the emergence of a new power in the Roanoke athletic department. The softball team, which began varsity play in 1997, won the first of four consecutive league championships in 1999 and made the first of four-straight NCAA appearances. The team reached the College World Series in both 2000 and 2001. By 2006, the program won seven ODAC titles and advanced to the NCAA’s in as many years. 

 

The 2000 season also saw the Maroons reel in their third national championship. This time, however, it came from an individual. Casey Smith won the NCAA Division III women’s track & field 10,000 meter run and that same season finished third in the 5,000 meters. The women’s track & field team has racked up the ODAC Championships along with regional and national recognition with seven ODAC Titles (3 indoor/4 outdoor since 2006) and five-straight NCAA National Championship appearances.

 

A new millennium brought new found success for the Roanoke athletic department. Having already earned its respect on the playing fields, the Maroons had three athletes earn Academic All-American status, the first three RC student-athletes to ever receive the honor. Those selections came on the heels of a men’s basketball student receiving the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 1999, just the second Roanoke student to get the award.

 

The highlights of the Roanoke athletic department are of course the two team and one individual national championships, but not to be overlooked are the 89 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships (42 men’s/47 women’s), over 200 All-Americans, and six national player of the year awards.