Savannah State Tigers | |
---|---|
University | Savannah State University |
Conference | SIAC (primary) |
NCAA | Division II |
Athletic director | Opio Mashariki |
Location | Savannah, Georgia |
Varsity teams | 13 (6 men's, 7 women's) |
Football stadium | Ted Wright Stadium |
Basketball arena | Tiger Arena |
Baseball stadium | Tiger Baseball Field |
Softball stadium | Lady Tiger Softball Field |
Tennis venue | Tiger Tennis Courts |
Nickname | Tigers and Lady Tigers |
Colors | Burnt orange and reflex blue [1] |
Website | ssuathletics |
The Savannah State Tigers and Lady Tigers are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia.
Savannah State University holds membership in the NCAA Division II (as members of the SIAC) and participates in the following sports: football, baseball, basketball (men and women), cross-country (men and women), tennis (men and women), track and field (men and women), volleyball (women only), golf (men), and softball (women). [2] [3] [4] On March 20, 2010, the Tigers were accepted as provisional members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) beginning on July 1, 2010. [5] On September 8, 2011, the university was confirmed as a full member of the MEAC Conference, making the Tigers eligible to participate in all conference championships and earn the conference's automatic berth to NCAA postseason competition in all sponsored sports. [6] Before moving to Division I-AA, Savannah State was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the NCAA Division II (1981–2005), NCAA Division II and the Southeastern Athletic Conference in the NAIA (1929–1961).
Savannah State announced on April 17, 2017, that all of its intercollegiate athletic programs were going to be reclassified to NCAA Division II, citing that maintaining Division I status was not financially feasible. [7] Just under eight months later on December 7, the university revealed its plans to apply for re-entry to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference by February 1, 2018. [8] These plans were later approved and Savannah State was re-admitted into the SIAC on July 2, 2019.
Season | Sport | Conference | Notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | [9] | |
1979 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | regular season and tournament title | [10] [11] |
1980 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | regular season and tournament title | [10] [11] |
1981 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | regular season and tournament title | [10] [11] |
1991 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [12] | |
1994 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [12] | |
1995 | Baseball | SIAC | [13] | |
1996 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [12] | |
1996 | Baseball | SIAC | [13] | |
1997 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [12] | |
1997 | Baseball | SIAC | [13] | |
1998 | Baseball | SIAC | [13] | |
1998 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [12] | |
1999 | Baseball | SIAC | [13] | |
2012 | Men's Basketball | MEAC | regular season conference champions | |
2012 | Softball | MEAC | Southern Division Conference Champions | |
2013 | Baseball | MEAC | Southern Division Conference Champions Conference tournament champions | |
2015 | Women's Basketball | MEAC | Conference tournament champions | |
2022 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | Conference tournament champions | [14] |
The official school colors for Savannah State are Burnt Orange and Reflex Blue. [15] White is often used as a secondary color and for alternate jerseys.
Athletics at Savannah State University are administered by the Savannah State University Athletic Department. The department is headed by an athletic director who is responsible for the department's oversight and all matters related to the school's 16 NCAA Division I sports teams for men and women. [16] The department dedicates about $2 million per year for its sports teams and facilities. [17]
The current athletic director is Sterling Steward Jr. [18]
Most athletic teams have on-campus facilities for competition, including Ted A. Wright Stadium for football and track and field, [19] and Tiger Arena for basketball and women's volleyball.
Ted A. Wright Stadium is an 8,500 seat multi purpose stadium which opened in 1969. [20] The stadium's name is an homage to former Savannah State Football coach Theodore Wright, who coached the team from 1947 to 1949. [21]
Track and field renovations were made at Ted A.Wright Stadium in the mid 1990s as part of the "Olympic Legacy Package". The "Olympic Legacy Package" included a 400-meter track and competitive field areas. [22]
Tiger Arena is a 5,000-seat multi purpose arena that opened in 2000. Tiger Arena replaced Willcox-Wiley Gymnasium, [23] costing $9.6 million to construct. [24]
The traditional rival, in all sports, is in-state Fort Valley State University. [25]
Men's sports | Women's sports |
---|---|
Baseball | Basketball |
Basketball | Cross country |
Cross country | Golf |
Football | Softball |
Golf | Tennis |
Track and field† | Track and field† |
Volleyball | |
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor. |
The football team is traditionally the most popular sport at Savannah State. The games are played at Ted A. Wright Stadium. Since moving to NCAA Division I – FCS in 2000, the Tigers have compiled a 17–88 record as of the 2009–2010 season. [26] Prior to moving to Division I – FCS, the team compiled a 97–108–4 record in NCAA Division II (1981–2000), a 15–20–0 record in NCAA Division III (1973–1980) and a 1–1–0 record as a member of the NAIA. [27] [28]
Savannah State competes in NCAA Division II as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference since July 2019, and plays home games in Tiger Arena on the university campus.
The school gained notoriety when they finished the 2004–2005 men's basketball season a winless 0–28, the first Division I team to do so since Prairie View A&M University in 1991–1992. [29] [30] [31] The Tigers were the 2011–12 MEAC regular season champions and received an automatic bid into the 2012 NIT, their first ever appearance in any Division I tournament as a Division I member. The team posted a 21–10 overall mark and lead the MEAC in scoring defense, only allowing 58.9 points per game and were second in the conference in scoring margin (+5.4). [32]
The Tigers defeated Benedict College, 76–62, to win the 2022 SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament. [14]
Savannah State Tigers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Information | ||||
League | NCAA Division II | |||
Location | Savannah, Georgia | |||
Nickname(s) | Tigers | |||
Mascot | Tiger | |||
Manager | Carlton Hardy | |||
Uniforms | ||||
The head coach is Carlton Hardy. [33]
NCAA Division I Independent SIAC (NCAA Division II) NCAA Division III NAIA Southeastern
Season | Wins | Losses | Conference Record | Head coach | Notes | References | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | |||||
2009 | 25 | 26 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | |||
2008 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | |||||
2007 | 30 | 23 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | [33] [35] | ||
2006 | 30 | 19 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | [33] | ||
2005 | 0-0 | Jamie Rigdon | [36] | ||||
2004 | 0-0 | Jamie Rigdon | [36] | ||||
2003 | 0-0 | Jamie Rigdon | [36] | ||||
2002 | Jamie Rigdon | [36] | |||||
2001 | Jamie Rigdon | [36] | |||||
2000 | Jamie Rigdon | [36] | |||||
1999 | 38 | 10 | Jamie Rigdon | SIAC Champions and #4 seed in the NCAA Division II South Regional baseball Tournament | [13] [34] [36] | ||
1998 | Jamie Rigdon | SIAC Champions; Savannah State placed on four years probation and scholarships reduced in six sports | [13] [36] [37] | ||||
1997 | Jamie Rigdon | SIAC Champions | [13] [36] | ||||
1996 | Jamie Rigdon | SIAC Champions | [13] [36] | ||||
1995 | Wesley McGriff | SIAC Champions | [13] [38] | ||||
1994 | Wesley McGriff | [38] | |||||
1993 | Wesley McGriff | [38] | |||||
1992 | Wesley McGriff | [38] | |||||
1991 | |||||||
Totals | NCAA Division I-AA Independent results | ||||||
NCAA Division II results | |||||||
NCAA Division III results | |||||||
NAIA results | |||||||
Regular season results | |||||||
Playoff results | |||||||
All games including playoffs |
Some notable Savannah State baseball players and coaches include:
Name | Class year | Position | Notability | Reference(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mark Eric Alvarez | Pitcher | Signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006 | [40] | |
Brandon Jackson | Outfielder | 16th round selection of the 1999 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | [41] | |
Kyle McGowin | Pitcher | First Team All-American in 2013, 5th round selection of the 2013 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | [42] | |
Jeff Urgelles | Catcher | Minor League Baseball player and Major League Baseball coach for the Miami Marlins | [43] |
Savannah State Lady Tigers basketball is a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) member. They currently play in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). [44]
The Lady Tigers started playing in 1928 and in 1974 joined Division II. They compiled a 339–394 record in Division II before moving on to Division I in 2002. [45] In Division I, the Lady Tigers are 148–260. [45] The Lady Tigers won 6 total SEAC Championships. [45]
The Lady Tigers will move back to Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) after the 2018–19 season [46]
The current coach is Don Andrews who entered his first season as head coach in 2008. [47]
The Women's Tennis Team won the SIAC championship in 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998. [12]
In 2014, the Women's Tennis team set the program record for Division I wins. [48]
The Women's tennis team started playing in 1984–85. [49] They joined the MEAC during the 2011–12 season. [49]
The current head coach is Jolanta Graham who replaced Schannon Gamble in 2012.
Savannah State's Women's volleyball team began play in 1985 before they moved to Division I in 2002. [50] They began MEAC play in 2011. [50]
Savannah State's Women's volleyball has not had much success in their previous 34 seasons. [50]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2007) |
The current head coach is Jose Gonzalez who entered his first season in 2008. [51]
In 2012, the Lady Tigers softball team completed their first .500 season and won a MEAC division title. [52]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2007) |
The current coach is Art Gelow. [53]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2007) |
The current coach is Ted Whitaker who entered his first season as head coach in 1999. [54]
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I, and in football, in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
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.
Stillman College is a private historically black Presbyterian college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 22 programs housed within three academic schools. The college has an average enrollment of 728 students and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Horace Randall Broadnax is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head men's basketball coach at Savannah State University. He was born in Plant City, Florida.
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The Rogers State Hillcats are the athletic teams that represent Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) for most of its sports as an associate member since the 2019–20 academic year ; while its men's soccer team competes in the Great American Conference (GAC). The Hillcats previously competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2013–14 to 2018–19; and in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2007–08 to 2012–13.
The Savannah State Tigers football team represents Savannah State University in college football. The Tigers are members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The football team is traditionally the most popular sport at Savannah State and home games are played at Ted A. Wright Stadium in Savannah, Georgia.
The Savannah State Tigers basketball team represents Savannah State University and competes in NCAA Division II as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference since July 2019. The Tigers play their home games in Tiger Arena on the university's Savannah, Georgia campus.
The Delaware State Hornets are the sixteen sports teams representing Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, tennis, and track and field; women's-only bowling, softball, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball.
The North Carolina A&T Aggies are the athletic teams that represent North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The Aggies compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) in all sports with the exception of football and women's bowling. North Carolina A&T fields varsity teams in 13 sports, five for men and eight for women. The football team competes in Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, in the CAA's technically separate football arm of CAA Football.
The Tuskegee Golden Tigers represent Tuskegee University in intercollegiate athletics. They are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and compete within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The university has a total of 10 varsity sports teams, five men's teams called the "Golden Tigers", and five women's teams called the "Tigerettes".
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) and competes in the NCAA Division I, including the Football Championship Subdivision. The women's track team is also known as the Tigerbelles. 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, the other two being Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University of the Colonial Athletic Association. The TSU mascot is Aristocat the Tiger, and the school colors are blue and white. TSU's main rival was historically Kentucky State University, an HBCU located in the capital of Tennessee's northern neighbor, but that rivalry has faded since KSU is now in NCAA Division II.
The Savannah State Lady Tigers women's basketball team represents Savannah State University in women's basketball. The school competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Lady Tigers play home games at Tiger Arena in Savannah, Georgia. The current head coach is Cedric Baker. Baker was named head coach on July 30, 2003.
The 2013–14 Savannah State Tigers basketball team represented Savannah State University during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by ninth year head coach Horace Broadnax, played their home games at Tiger Arena and were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 13–19, 10–6 in MEAC play to finish in fifth place. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the MEAC tournament where they lost to Norfolk State.
The 2014–15 Savannah State Tigers basketball team represented Savannah State University during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by tenth year head coach Horace Broadnax, played their home games at Tiger Arena and were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 9–22, 5–11 in MEAC play to finish in a tie for 11th place. They lost in the first round of the MEAC tournament to Delaware State.
The 2016 Savannah State Tigers football team represented Savannah State University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Tigers were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They were led by first-year head coach Erik Raeburn and played their home games at Ted Wright Stadium. They finished the season 7-4, 6-2 in MEAC play to finish in a three way tie for seventh place.
The 2017–18 Savannah State Tigers basketball team represented Savannah State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by 13th-year head coach Horace Broadnax, played their home games at Tiger Arena in Savannah, Georgia as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. With a win over South Carolina State on March 1, 2018, the Tigers earned a share of the MEAC regular season championship. They finished the season 15–17, 12–4 in MEAC play, finishing in a three-way tie for first place. Due to tie-breaking procedures, the Tigers received the No. 3 seed in the MEAC tournament, where they lost to North Carolina Central in the quarterfinals.
The 2018 Savannah State Tigers football team represented Savannah State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Tigers were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They were led by third-year head coach Erik Raeburn and played their home games at Ted Wright Stadium. They finished the season 2–8, 1–6 in MEAC play to finish in last place.
The 2018–19 Savannah State Tigers basketball team represented Savannah State University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by 14th-year head coach Horace Broadnax, played their home games at Tiger Arena in Savannah, Georgia as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 11-20 overall, 8-8 in MEAC play to finish in seventh place. As the No. 7 seed in the MEAC tournament they lost in the first round to No. 11 seed Delaware State.
The 2020 NCAA Division I baseball season, play of college baseball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began on February 14, 2020. On March 12, it was announced that the 2020 NCAA tournament would be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision whether to continue with an abbreviated season was left to individual schools and conferences.