Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Template:Short description Template:Infobox sports league The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Of its 14 member schools, all but one are located in Virginia; the other full member is in North Carolina. The conference also has three associate members: one in Virginia, one in North Carolina, and one in Washington, D.C.
History
The conference was founded in May 1975 as the Virginia College Conference.<ref>"Virginia Colleges form Conference; 1976 Action Set". The Bee (Danville, Virginia). May 20, 1975. p. 8.</ref> 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 College joined and became the first member outside of Virginia. In 1981, Catholic University joined the conference after leaving Division I's ECAC South Conference. In 1982–83, women's sports were added, and Hollins College (now university), Randolph–Macon Woman's College (now Randolph College), and Sweet Briar College all joined. Mary Baldwin College (now university) joined in 1984. In 1988, Maryville left and was replaced by Virginia Wesleyan College (now university). In 1989 Catholic left the conference to become a charter member of the Capital Athletic Conference, returning in 1999 as a football-only member.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They were replaced by Guilford College two years later. The next school to leave the conference was Mary Baldwin, which left in 1992.
In 2010 the ODAC announced the addition of Shenandoah University as a full-time member, with its first full year of involvement during the 2012–13 academic year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The league office moved its physical location from Salem, to Forest in eastern Bedford County located just outside centrally located Lynchburg, Virginia. They also contracted Jim Ward Design for its new marks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On March 3, 2015, Sweet Briar College announced it was to close (cease operations) at the end of the 2015 summer session.<ref name=wapo>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name=open>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In June 2017, it was announced that Ferrum College would become the 15th full-time member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference after it moved from the USA 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 and Coast to Coast Athletic Conference to join the football-sponsoring USA South Athletic Conference as a full member.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
The conference has hosted Division III championships in football and men's basketball, both of which were held in Salem, 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, that Emory & Henry College, later a university, would leave the ODAC and begin its transition to Division II in July 2021 and compete in the South Atlantic Conference in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
The most recent change in conference membership was announced on March 8, 2021, that Averett University would leave the USA South and join its former USA South counterpart Ferrum College in the ODAC as a full member in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
On September 18, 2023, the ODAC announced that it would add men's volleyball as a sponsored championship sport, beginning the 2025 fall season of 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.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
On July 3, 2024, Gallaudet University announced that it would join the ODAC as an associate member for football for the 2025 fall season of the 2025–26 academic year.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Chronological timeline
- 1975 – The ODAC was founded as the Virginia Athletic Conference. Charter members included Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite College (now Eastern Mennonite University), Emory & Henry College (now Emory & Henry University), Hampden–Sydney College, Lynchburg College (now the University of Lynchburg), Randolph–Macon College, Roanoke College and Washington and Lee University. However, it was renamed to become the Old Dominion Athletic Conference on 1 January 1976, beginning the 1976–77 academic year, their first year of competition.
- 1980 – Maryville College joined the ODAC in the 1980–81 academic year.
- 1981 – Catholic University joined the ODAC in the 1981–82 academic year.
- 1982 – Women's sports were instated in the ODAC, also three women's sports institutions of Hollins College (now Hollins University), Randolph–Macon Woman's College (now Randolph College) and Sweet Briar College joined the ODAC in the 1982–83 academic year.
- 1984 – Mary Baldwin College (now Mary Baldwin University) joined the ODAC in the 1984–85 academic year.
- 1988 – Maryville left the ODAC after the 1987–88 academic year.
- 1989:
- Catholic (D.C.) left the ODAC to join the Capital Athletic Conference (now the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference or C2C) after the 1988–89 academic year.
- Virginia Wesleyan College (now Virginia Wesleyan University) joined the ODAC in the 1989–90 academic year.
- 1991 – Guilford College joined the ODAC in the 1991–92 academic year.
- 1992 – Mary Baldwin left the ODAC after the 1991–92 academic year.
- 1999 – Catholic (D.C.) rejoined the ODAC as an associate member for football in the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 academic year).
- 2011 – Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University joined the ODAC as associate members for women's swimming in the 2011–12 academic year.
- 2012 – Shenandoah University joined the ODAC in the 2012–13 academic year.
- 2015 – Ferrum College joined the ODAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming 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 after the 2015–16 academic year.
- 2017 – Catholic (D.C.) left the ODAC as an associate member for football after the 2016 fall season (2016–17 academic year).
- 2018 – Ferrum upgraded to join the ODAC for all sports in the 2018–19 academic year.
- 2019 – Southern Virginia University joined the ODAC as an associate member for football in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
- 2021:
- Southern Virginia left the ODAC as an associate member for football after the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year).
- Emory & Henry left the ODAC to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) by becoming an NCAA D-II Independent (which would later join the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) in 2022–23) after the 2020–21 academic year.
- Averett University joined the ODAC in the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2022 – Southern Virginia and Greensboro joined as associate members in men's wrestling in the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2023 – The ODAC added men's volleyball for the 2025 spring 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.
- 2025:
- Ferrum left the ODAC to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Conference Carolinas (CC) after the 2024–25 academic year.
- Gallaudet University joined the ODAC as an associate member for football in the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year).
Member schools
Current members
The ODAC currently has 14 full members, all are private schools:
- Notes
Associate members
The ODAC currently has three associate members, all are private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | JoinedTemplate:Efn | ODAC sport(s) |
Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallaudet University | Washington, D.C. | 1864 | Quasigovernmental | 1,740 | Bison | 2025 | Football | United East (UEC) |
| Greensboro College | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1838 | United Methodist | 1,250 | Pride | 2011 | Template:Sortname | USA South |
| 2022 | Template:Sortname | |||||||
| Southern Virginia UniversityTemplate:Efn | Buena Vista, Virginia | 1867 | LDS Church | 1,106 | Knights | 2022 | Template:Sortname | USA South |
- Notes
Former members
The ODAC had five former full members, all were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | JoinedTemplate:Efn | LeftTemplate:Efn | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Catholic University of America | Washington, D.C. | 1887 | Catholic Template:Small |
3,469 | Cardinals | 1981 | 1989Template:Efn | Landmark |
| Emory & Henry CollegeTemplate:Efn | Emory, Virginia | 1836 | United Methodist | 1,000 | Wasps | 1976 | 2021 | South Atlantic (SAC)Template:Efn |
| Ferrum College | Ferrum, Virginia | 1913 | United Methodist | 1,500 | Panthers | 2018Template:Efn | 2025 | Carolinas (CC)Template:Efn |
| Maryville College | Maryville, Tennessee | 1819 | Presbyterian Template:Small |
1,176 | Scots | 1980 | 1988 | C.C. South (CCS) Template:Small |
| Mary Baldwin CollegeTemplate:EfnTemplate:Efn | Staunton, Virginia | 1842 | Presbyterian Template:Small |
2,542 | Fighting Squirrels | 1984 | 1992 | USA South |
- Notes
Former associate members
The ODAC had three former associate members, all were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | JoinedTemplate:Efn | LeftTemplate:Efn | ODAC sport(s) |
Current primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Catholic University of AmericaTemplate:Efn | Washington, D.C. | 1887 | Catholic Template:Small |
3,469 | Cardinals | 1999 | 2017 | Football | LandmarkTemplate:Efn |
| Notre Dame of Maryland UniversityTemplate:Efn | Baltimore, Maryland | 1873 | Catholic Template:Small |
4,878 | Gators | 2011 | 2016 | Women's swimming | United East (UEC)Template:Efn |
| Southern Virginia UniversityTemplate:Efn | Buena Vista, Virginia | 1867 | LDS Church | 1,106 | Knights | 2019 | 2021 | Football | USA South |
- Notes
Membership timeline
This timeline is expressed with color bars.
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Colors =
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb(0.7,0.9,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb(0.9,0.8,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.8,0.9,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference when the other color has already been used
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:Full from:1976 till:end text:Bridgewater (1976–present)
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1976 till:end text:Eastern Mennonite (1976–present)
bar:3 color:Full from:1976 till:2021 text:Emory & Henry (1976–2021) bar:3 shift:(-25) color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:2022 text:D-II Ind. bar:3 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:SAC
bar:4 color:Full from:1976 till:end text:Hampden–Sydney (1976–present)
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1976 till:end text:Lynchburg (1976–present)
bar:6 color:Full from:1976 till:end text:Randolph–Macon (1976–present)
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1976 till:2024 text:Roanoke (1976–present) bar:7 color:Full from:2024 till:end
bar:8 color:Full from:1976 till:end text:Washington and Lee (1976–present)
bar:9 color:Full from:1980 till:1988 text:Maryville (Tenn.) (1980–1988) bar:9 shift:(15) color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1999 text:D-III Ind. bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:1999 till:2012 text:GSAC bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2022 text:USA South bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:2026 text:CCS bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:SAA
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1982 text:Catholic (1981–1989) bar:10 color:Full from:1982 till:1984 bar:10 color:FullxF from:1984 till:1989 bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:1999 text:CAC bar:10 shift:(-20) color:AssocF from:1999 till:2007 text:CAC (ODAC fb. 1999–2007) bar:10 shift:(-10) color:AssocF from:2007 till:2017 text:Landmark (ODAC fb. 2007–2017) bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2017 till:end text:Landmark
bar:11 color:FullxF from:1982 till:end text:Hollins (1982–present)
bar:12 color:FullxF from:1982 till:end text:Randolph (1982–present)
bar:13 color:FullxF from:1982 till:end text:Sweet Briar (1982–present)
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1984 till:1992 text:Mary Baldwin (1984–1992) bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:1995 text:D-II Ind. bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2007 text:AWCC bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:end text:USA South
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1989 till:end text:Virginia Wesleyan (1989–present)
bar:16 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:Guilford (1991–present)
bar:17 color:AssocOS from:2011 till:end text:Greensboro (2011–present)
bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2011 till:2016 text:Notre Dame (Md.) (2011–2016)
bar:19 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:Shenandoah (2012–present)
bar:20 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2018 text:Ferrum (2018–2025) bar:20 color:Full from:2018 till:2025 bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2025 till:end text:CC
bar:21 shift:(-130) color:AssocF from:2019 till:2021 text:Southern Virginia (2019–2021; fb.) bar:21 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text: (2022–present; m.wr.)
bar:22 color:Full from:2022 till:end text:Averett (2022–present)
bar:23 shift:(-40) color:AssocF from:2025 till:end text:Gallaudet (2025–present)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:4 start:1976
TextData =
fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:(0,20) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Old Dominion Athletic Conference membership history"
- > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space.
Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color <# </timeline>
Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color
Sports
Template:See also The conference sponsors championships in the following sports:
References
External links
Template:Old Dominion Athletic Conference navbox Template:NCAA Division III conference navbox Template:NCAA Division III football conference navbox