FOREST, Va. --- The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) President’s Council has approved Averett University as a full-time conference member, as announced by the ODAC on Monday, March 8. The Cougars will officially become a member on July 1, 2022, and begin active league participation in the 2022-23 academic year.
“I am excited to welcome Averett to the ODAC,” said ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston. “The Cougars’ addition to the conference culminates a membership process that has worked diligently to bolster competitive opportunities for our conference members. We know Averett and its leadership very well. Its institutional philosophy and athletics prowess fits nicely with our membership.”
“All ODAC member institutions know Averett University well, and we are pleased they are joining us,” said Dr. David Bushman, President of Bridgewater College and current Chair of the ODAC President’s Council. “I am grateful for the good work of all those who helped bring this process to a successful conclusion, especially the leadership at Averett. I look forward to watching AU begin competition and become part of the ODAC family.”
Averett is a natural fit with current ODAC membership from a number of perspectives. That includes geography with the Danville, Virginia-based campus fitting well within the conference’s established footprint. The Cougars current and future sports sponsorship profile compares well with ODAC members. Averett features 16 programs that match ODAC sponsorship including men’s and women’s programs in basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis in addition to baseball, equestrian, football, men’s golf, softball, and women’s volleyball. The University announced the addition of women’s golf in December, which will begin competition during the 2021-22 season. Averett features an established men’s wrestling program, which several ODAC schools have added to their sports offerings over the past year-plus. AU also boasts thriving cheerleading, dance, and esports programs.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our institution and student-athletes, and one for which we have aspired for years,” stated Dr. Tiffany M. Franks, President of Averett University. “The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is steeped in history and tradition, and we are most honored to join.”
Averett’s introduction to the ODAC comes on the heels of a pair of previously announced membership changes. Emory & Henry College, a charter member of the ODAC, will leave the conference ranks following the 2021 spring season as it transitions to NCAA Division II. Southern Virginia University will also exit the league after the 2021 season, completing its two-year associate membership in football.
The loss of Emory & Henry and Southern Virginia impacts the ODAC’s sports sponsorship, especially in football. E&H will continue to play an ODAC football schedule in the fall of 2021, but it will exit the league for all other sports by June 30, 2021. SVU’s departure, following this spring, drops the league’s football sponsorship to eight programs. Averett's inclusion in the fall of 2022 returns most of the ODAC’s overall sponsorship to participation levels prior to Emory & Henry’s exit.
“Averett is excited to continue its tradition of success within a new conference that features great institutions,” said Meg Stevens, Averett Vice President, Director of Athletics and Operations. “We are very familiar with the ODAC member institutions and we look forward to continuing our relationships on and off the field as conference opponents.”
Averett University, founded in 1859 as a Baptist women’s college, traces its sports and recreation roots to the 1920’s. The University’s official NCAA-sponsored athletics history began in the mid-1970s when it joined the then Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which became the current USA South Athletic Conference in 2003.
Basketball, cross country, men’s golf, men’s soccer, and tennis were among Averett’s first varsity NCAA sports in the 1970’s. Softball and women’s volleyball were added in the 1980’s, followed by women’s soccer and baseball in the 1990’s and football and women’s lacrosse in the 2000’s. Averett revived its women’s lacrosse program and added men’s lacrosse and men’s wrestling for the 2017-18 academic year.
Averett has a rich history of more than 40 years of competing in NCAA Division III athletics. The Cougars have won 54 conference championships, made 24 NCAA Tournament appearances, and have earned one team and one individual NCAA national championship. Averett has produced more than 60 All-America selections and nearly 50 conference players of the year, along with garnering numerous other national, regional, state, and conference accolades.
Averett student-athletes have been equally successful in the classroom and in the community. Averett has produced 14 Academic All-America selections since 2011, and the athletic department has received national recognition multiple times for its work with Special Olympics. AU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has won four “Pennies for a Purpose” contests and five consecutive “Cans Across the Conference” competitions among USA South institutions, with proceeds benefiting local organizations or special causes.
About Averett University
Since 1859, Averett University has grown and developed into a dynamic institution that serves students of all ages, offering more than 30 undergraduate majors, minors and special programs, along with seven graduate programs with a number of concentrations. Dedicated to preparing students to serve and lead as catalysts for positive change, the University’s historic main campus is embedded in the heart of Southern Virginia with regional campuses throughout Virginia and online. Averett enrolls a diverse student body, and boasts an alumni network that spans the globe. Visit averett.edu for more info.
About the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Celebrating its 45th year of operation, the ODAC is one of the nation’s largest NCAA Division III conferences. The 17-member ODAC, including two associate members, sponsors championships in 24 sports (11 men, 12 women, 1 co-ed) and houses 12 co-educational schools and three single-gender institutions among its 15 full-time members. Headquartered in Forest, Va., the ODAC has garnered national recognition in co-hosting 73 NCAA Division III national championships with the city of Salem, Va., since 1993. The ODAC has also hosted two men’s and two women’s swimming and diving championships with the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.