Old Dominion Athletic Conference
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Formerly | Virginia College Conference |
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Association | NCAA |
Founded | 1975 |
Commissioner | Brad Bankston |
Sports fielded |
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Division | Division III |
No. of teams | 15 full, 2 associates (14 full in 2025) |
Headquarters | Forest, Virginia,U.S. |
Region | South Atlantic |
Official website | odaconline |
Locations | |
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TheOld Dominion Athletic Conference(ODAC) is anintercollegiate athletic conferencethat competes in theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA)Division III.Of its 15 member schools, all but one are located inVirginia;the other full member is inNorth Carolina.The conference also has two associate members: one in Virginia and one in North Carolina.
History[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/Old_Dominion_Athletic_Conference_old_logo.jpg)
The conference was founded in May 1975 as theVirginia College Conference.[1]On January 1, 1976, the name was changed to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The 1976–77 season was the first in which championships were offered. In 1980,Maryville Collegejoined and became the first member outside of Virginia. In 1981,Catholic Universityjoined the conference after leavingDivision I'sColonial Athletic Association.In 1982–83, women's sports were added, andHollins College(now university),Randolph–Macon Woman's College(now Randolph College), andSweet Briar Collegeall joined.Mary Baldwin College(now university) joined in 1984. In 1988, Maryville left and was replaced byVirginia Wesleyan College(now university). In 1989 Catholic left the conference to become a charter member of theCapital Athletic Conference,returning in 1999 as a football-only member.[2]They were replaced byGuilford Collegetwo years later. The next school to leave the conference was Mary Baldwin, which left in 1992.
In 2010 the ODAC announced the addition ofShenandoah Universityas a full-time member, with its first full year of involvement during the 2012–13 academic year.[3]
The league office moved its physical location fromSalem,toForestin easternBedford Countylocated just outside centrally locatedLynchburg, Virginia.They also contracted Jim Ward Design for its new marks.[4]
On March 3, 2015, Sweet Briar College announced it was to close (cease operations) at the end of the 2015 summer session.[5]However, on June 20, 2015, the Virginia Attorney General announced a mediation agreement that kept Sweet Briar College open for the 2015–16 academic year.[6]Sweet Briar reactivated its sports teams in the 2015–16 season and remained a full member of the ODAC.
On September 29, 2015, it was announced that Catholic University would withdraw in 2017 as associate member to join the new football league at theNew England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference.[7]
In June 2017, it was announced thatFerrum Collegewould become the 15th full-time member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference after it moved from theUSA South Conference.
Southern Virginia University,which joined the ODAC as a football only member in 2019, announced in December of that year that it was leaving both the ODAC andCoast to Coast Athletic Conferenceto join the football-sponsoringUSA South Athletic Conferenceas a full member.[8]
The conference has hosted Division III championships in football and men's basketball, both of which were held inSalem, Virginia.D-III softball has also used Salem as a championship host along with Division III women's lacrosse and volleyball on several occasions. Since 1993 - the conference and city have hosted over 80 Division III national championships.
It was announced on November 17, 2020, thatEmory & Henry Collegewould leave the ODAC and begin its transition to Division II in July 2021 and compete in theSouth Atlantic Conferencein 2022.[9]
The most recent change in conference membership was announced on March 8, 2021, thatAverett Universitywould leave theUSA Southand join its former USA South counterpartFerrum Collegein the ODAC as a full member in 2022.[10]
Chronological timeline[edit]
- 1975 – The ODAC was founded as the Virginia Athletic Conference. Charter members includedBridgewater College,Eastern Mennonite College(now Eastern Mennonite University),Emory & Henry College,Hampden–Sydney College,Lynchburg College(now the University of Lynchburg),Randolph–Macon College,Roanoke CollegeandWashington and Lee University.However, it was renamed to become the Old Dominion Athletic Conference on 1 January 1976, effective beginning the 1976–77 academic year, their first year of competition.
- 1980 –Maryville Collegejoined the ODAC, effective in the 1980–81 academic year.
- 1981 –Catholic Universityjoined the ODAC, effective in the 1981–82 academic year.
- 1982 – Women's sports were instated in the ODAC, also three women's sports institutions ofHollins College(now Hollins University),Randolph–Macon Woman's College(now Randolph College) andSweet Briar Collegejoined the ODAC, effective in the 1982–83 academic year.
- 1984 –Mary Baldwin College(now Mary Baldwin University) joined the ODAC, effective in the 1984–85 academic year.
- 1988 – Maryville left the ODAC, effective after the 1987–88 academic year.
- 1989
- Catholic (D.C.) left the ODAC, effective after the 1988–89 academic year.
- Virginia Wesleyan College(now Virginia Wesleyan University) joined the ODAC, effective in the 1989–90 academic year.
- 1991 –Guilford Collegejoined the ODAC, effective in the 1991–92 academic year.
- 1992 – Mary Baldwin left the ODAC, effective after the 1991–92 academic year.
- 1999 – Catholic (D.C.) re-joined the ODAC as an associate member for football, effective in the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 academic year).
- 2011 –Greensboro CollegeandNotre Dame of Maryland Universityjoined the ODAC as associate members for women's swimming, effective in the 2011–12 academic year.
- 2012 –Shenandoah Universityjoined the ODAC, effective in the 2012-13 academic year.
- 2015 –Ferrum Collegejoined the ODAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming, effective in the 2015–16 academic year.
- 2016 – Notre Dame (Md.) left the ODAC as an associate member for women's swimming by discontinuing the sport, effective after the 2015–16 academic year.
- 2017 – Catholic (D.C.) left the ODAC as an associate member for football, effective after the 2016 fall season (2016–17 academic year).
- 2018 – Ferrum upgraded to join the ODAC for all sports, effective in the 2018–19 academic year.
- 2019 –Southern Virginia Universityjoined the ODAC as an associate member for football, effective in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
- 2021
- Southern Virginia left the ODAC as an associate member for football, effective after the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year).
- Emory & Henry left the ODAC to join theDivision IIranks of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) by becoming anNCAA D-II Independentin the 2021–22 academic year. They joined theSouth Atlantic Conference(SAC) in the 2022–23 academic year.
- Averett Universityannounced that it would join the ODAC, effective in the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2022 – Southern Virginia and Greensboro joined as associate members in men'swrestlingin the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2023 – The ODAC announced that it would add men's volleyball for the 2025 season (2024–25 academic year), initially with seven full members. At the time of announcement, Eastern Mennonite, Randolph–Macon, and Roanoke had established programs; Averett and Virginia Wesleyan were preparing to play their first varsity seasons in 2024; and Lynchburg and Randolph had committed to starting varsity play in 2025.[11]
- 2025
- Ferrum will leave the ODAC to join theDivision IIranks andConference Carolinas(CC) in the 2025–26 academic year.
- Gallaudet Universitywill join the ODAC as an associate member for football for the 2025 season (2025–26 academic year).[12]
Member schools[edit]
Current members[edit]
The ODAC currently has 15 full members; all areprivateschools:
- Notes
- ^Ferrum competed in the ODAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming from 2015–16 to 2017–18.
- ^This institution is a men's college, therefore it does not compete in women's sports.
- ^abThis institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
- ^Hollins University does not have an official athletic nickname.
- ^This institution is a former women's college, which has eventually turned into a co-educational college (Randolph since 2007–08).
- ^Non-basketball member.
Associate members[edit]
The ODAC currently has two associate members; both areprivateschools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Primary conference |
ODAC sport(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greensboro College | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1838 | Private | 1,250 | Pride | 2011–12 | USA South | Women's swimming & diving |
2022–23 | Men's college wrestling | |||||||
Southern Virginia University | Buena Vista, Virginia | 1867 | LDS Church | 1,106 | Knights | 2022–23 | USA South | Men's college wrestling |
Future associate members[edit]
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Primary conference |
ODAC sport(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gallaudet University | Washington, D.C. | 1864 | Quasigovernmental | 1,740 | Bison | 2010 | United East (UEC) | football |
Former members[edit]
The ODAC has four former full members; all areprivateschools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Catholic University of America | Washington, D.C. | 1887 | Catholic (Pontifical) |
3,469 | Cardinals | 1981 | 1989[a] | Landmark |
Emory & Henry College | Emory, Virginia | 1836 | United Methodist | 1,000 | Wasps | 1976 | 2021 | South Atlantic (SAC)[b] |
Maryville College | Maryville, Tennessee | 1819 | Presbyterian | 1,176 | Scots | 1980 | 1988 | C.C. of the South (CCS) |
Mary Baldwin College[c][d] | Staunton, Virginia | 1842 | Presbyterian | 2,542 | Fighting Squirrels | 1984 | 1992 | USA South |
- Notes
- ^Catholic (D.C.) would later re-join the ODAC as an associate member for football from 1999 to 2016 (1999–2000 to 2016–17 school years).
- ^Currently anNCAA Division IIathletic conference.
- ^Mary Baldwin was formerly a women's college, therefore it did not offer men's sports during the school's tenure within the conference; but eventually became co-ed since the 2017–18 school year.
- ^Currently known asMary Baldwin Universitysince 2016.
Former associate members[edit]
The ODAC had three former associate members; all areprivateschools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | ODAC sport(s) |
Current primary conference |
Current conference in former ODAC sport(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Catholic University of America[a] | Washington, D.C. | 1887 | Catholic (Pontifical) |
3,469 | Cardinals | 1999 | 2017 | football | Landmark | |
Notre Dame of Maryland University[b] | Baltimore, Maryland | 1873 | Catholic (SSND) |
4,878 | Gators | 2011 | 2016 | women's swimming | United East (UEC) | (dropped sport) |
Southern Virginia University | Buena Vista, Virginia | 1867 | LDS Church | 1,106 | Knights | 2019 | 2021 | football | USA South |
- Notes
Membership timeline[edit]
This timeline is expressed with color bars.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/2z4xrc4cj2sup7zzqjo217ajza6jn4u.png)
Purple denotes football playing member.
Green denotes non-football playing member.
Red denotes associate member (football-only).
Blue denotes associate member (non-football).
Sports[edit]
The conference sponsors championships in the following sports:
Sport | Men's | Women's |
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Baseball | ![]() |
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Basketball | ![]() |
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Cross Country | ![]() |
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Equestrian | ![]() | |
Field Hockey | ![]() | |
Football | ![]() |
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Golf | ![]() |
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Lacrosse | ![]() |
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Soccer | ![]() |
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Softball | ![]() | |
Swimming | ![]() |
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Tennis | ![]() |
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Track and field (indoor) | ![]() |
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Track and field (outdoor) | ![]() |
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Volleyball | [a] | ![]() |
Wrestling | ![]() |
- ^The ODAC will begin sponsoring men's volleyball in 2024–25.
References[edit]
- ^"Virginia Colleges form Conference; 1976 Action Set".The Bee(Danville, Virginia). May 20, 1975. p. 8.
- ^"D3 football Catholic returns to ODAC".D3Football.July 7, 1999.RetrievedFebruary 17,2012.
- ^"Shenandoah University to Join the ODAC".ODAC.September 29, 2010.RetrievedNovember 15,2010.
- ^"ODAC Unveils New Set of Logos".ODAC.October 13, 2010.RetrievedNovember 15,2010.
- ^Nick Anderson and Susan Svrluga (March 3, 2015)."Sweet Briar College to close because of financial challenges".The Washington Post.RetrievedJune 21,2015.
- ^Karin Kapsidelis (June 20, 2015)."Agreement reached to keep Sweet Briar open - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Virginia News And Politics".Richmond.RetrievedJune 21,2015.
- ^"NEWMAC Adds Eighth Football Member Catholic University".NEWMAC(published April 8, 2015). September 19, 2015.RetrievedOctober 1,2015.
- ^"Southern Virginia Set to Join USA South"(Press release). Southern Virginia University Athletics. December 11, 2019.RetrievedDecember 11,2019.
- ^"Emory & Henry College to Join South Atlantic Conference; Will Begin Competition in 2022-23"(Press release). South Atlantic Conference. November 17, 2020.RetrievedNovember 28,2020.
- ^"Averett University to Join the ODAC as a Full-Time Member".ODAC.March 8, 2021.RetrievedMarch 9,2021.
- ^"ODAC Approves Men's Volleyball as 26th Sponsored Sport"(Press release). Old Dominion Athletic Conference. October 6, 2023.RetrievedDecember 15,2023.
- ^"Gallaudet football to join the ODAC as an Associate Member in 2025"(Press release).Gallaudet University.July 3, 2024.RetrievedJuly 3,2024.