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Comparable Schools' Athletics Grades:
Quick StatsAthletic Division
NCAA Division I
Conference
America East
American Lacrosse Conference
Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) for wrestling and swimming & diving
Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference
Pioneer Football League
Southern Conference (for most sports)
School Colors
Red and black
School Mascot
Wildcat ("Mr. Cat")
Men Playing Varsity Sports
232 - 28 %
Women Playing Varsity Sports
163 - 19 %
College Prowler Take
Davidson is unique in its position as one of the smallest schools participating in NCAA Division I sports—and the whole college takes pride in its ‘Davidson vs. Goliath’ role. Since Davidson basketball’s impressive Elite 8 showing in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, school spirit has soared, and Belk Arena is frequently full to capacity. If students aren’t among the 25 percent playing a varsity sport, chances are they’re participating in club or intramural teams, or out in the stands rooting everyone else on. Most freshmen halls play “Flickerball,” Davidson’s own version of touch football; it not only fosters some healthy competition and fulfills the Phys Ed team sport requirement, but also substantially increases hall bonding. Still, students note that academics come first here, and that they’re frequently impressed with their friends’ abilities to succeed both in the classroom and on the field. The quintessential Davidson student is the student-athlete, and all athletes here are held very much to the same academic standards as everyone else. It is not infrequent to see a starter on the men’s basketball team head straight to the library after a big win. In an October 2002 Sports Illustrated report, Davidson tied Rice University for the highest overall graduation rate for NCAA Division I athletes, coming in at a whopping 91 percent. If you’re seeking a highly-selective liberal arts college and the highest level of athletic competition around, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option than Davidson.
Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
DavSD says: Davidson College 2016 Undecided  |
Varsity sports are a big deal at...
Varsity sports are a big deal at Davidson since we're Division 1. It seems like at least half of the student body is on a sports team. However, the men's basketball team gets the most attention by far. Their tournament run that ended in the Elite Eight last year has brought more national attention to campus then ever. Intramurals are popular too, but less advertised.
Athletics: February 16, 2009
Report |
Anonymous says:  |
About 25 percent of our student...
About 25 percent of our student body participates in some form of athletics. Most games are well-attended, with men’s soccer and basketball being the biggest spectator sports on campus. Students do not have to pay for tickets or wait in line for any sporting event—simply show your student ID, and you are in. Most students will participate at some point in intramural or club sports. Flickerball is played by most freshmen and allows students to receive team sport credit toward the PE requirement. |
Anonymous says:  |
Athletics is an area for...
Athletics is an area for improvement. School support for most events is not spectacular. While we tend to be very competitive in most of our sports, students find themselves too busy with school work or other activities to attend. |
Anonymous says:  |
For varsity sports, basketball and...
For varsity sports, basketball and soccer are really big, and large crowds come to football games, even though we have not been very good the last couple of years. Club and intramural sports are really popular, as well. I’ve been told that nearly 85 percent of Davidson students participate in some sport during their time here. |
FactsMen's Varsity Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Wrestling
Women's Varsity Sports
- Basketball
- Field hockey
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Volleyball
Intramurals
- 3-on-3 basketball
- 5-on-5 basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Flickerball
- Racquetball Singles
- Soccer (indoor, small field)
- Softball
Club Sports
- Baseball
- Crew
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Equestrian
- Fencing
- Field hockey
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Roller Hockey
- Rugby
- Running
- Sailing
- Soccer (men’s and women’s)
- Tennis
- Triathlon
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
Gyms and Facilities
- 24-Hour Workout Room - Located in the Union, the 24-hour workout room is open to students at any time of day or night, and features treadmills, orbitals, rowing machines, and Cybex weight systems. There are some free weights, but not as many as in Baker.
- Belk Arena in Baker Sports Complex - The centerpiece of the Baker Sports Complex is the John M. Belk Arena. Belk’s main feature is a main varsity basketball court with a hardwood floor. For athletic events, the Belk Arena seats nearly 6,000 with 1,343 permanent chair seats and over 4,400 bleacher seats. When the bleacher seating is retracted, two additional hardwood basketball courts and two hardwood volleyball courts are available.
- Cannon Pool in Baker Sports Complex - Viewed best from the lobby through fiberglass walls, Cannon is an eight-lane pool with a stainless steel movable bulkhead to accommodate competition in both yards and meters. The separate diving well features both one- and three-meter maxi-flex boards. The design includes a balcony for spectator seating and a wide stairway leading to a solar plaza.
- Davidson Outdoors Center - The Davidson Outdoors Center in the union includes a 25-foot climbing wall open to all Davidson students on regular weekly hours.
- Finley Physical Education Center in Baker Sports Complex - The center incorporates a complete Nautilus and free weight room, a state-of-the-art athletic medical facility, wrestling room, a dance studio, locker rooms, and seven racquetball courts.
- Knobloch Indoor Tennis Center in Baker Sports Complex - Knobloch features a durable, acrylic-based, hard court surface, covering four courts lit with indirect lighting, movable screens between courts, locker rooms, offices, and a conference room.
- Richardson Stadium - The Irwin Belk Track and Steve Smith Field of Richardson are home to the Wildcat football, soccer, and track and field teams. Let’s just say that it’s better than the field at your local high school.
- The Lake Campus - Students can enjoy over 100 acres of waterfront property located on beautiful Lake Norman. Seven miles from campus, the Lake Campus provides Davidson students with the unique opportunity to be involved in a host of water activities. The physical education program requires one water credit prior to the beginning of their junior year, which can be completed at the Lake Campus through water skiing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, wind surfing, or crew. The Lake also plays host to regattas sponsored by the club sailing and crew teams.
Athletic Fields
Richardson Stadium, baseball field, soccer field, intramural fields, field hockey field, football practice field, soccer practice field, lacrosse field
Getting Tickets
Tickets are free. For most sports, you need only present your CatCard to get into a game. For our claim to fame, basketball, you need to go pick up tickets a couple days in advance from the Ticket booth at Baker Sports Complex. It is generally very easy to get tickets, unless it is a particularly important game, or featured on ESPN (such as Blackout Belk or Whiteout Belk).
Most Popular Sports
Basketball, basketball, basketball. Though there is pretty good attendance at men’s soccer and football games, almost the entire student body frequently attends basketball games. With Davidson’s newfound basketball success, students can’t help but get involved and show some true school spirit; last year the basketball team made it to the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament.
Most Overlooked Teams
Unfortunately, most of them. Attendance at soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey games is disappointing in comparison to the huge turnout at basketball games.
Best Place to Take a Walk
Cross-country trails, Concord Road, around town
Most Recent Contributing Author
Name: Annie Maietta
Hometown: Weston, MA
Major: Undecided Annie has four siblings: one of her older sisters went to Davidson, and her younger brother aspires to. Contributing Author Internship
College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating
the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally
recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is
really like at your college. Read more about the internship.
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