Wittenberg University has long been a pioneer in athletics and recreation, offering a broad-based intercollegiate athletics program and leading the way in competitive opportunities for female student-athletes. Tiger teams have enjoyed tremendous success in intercollegiate competition dating back to the late 1800s, and today Wittenberg boasts the men's basketball program with the most wins and the football program that was the first to reach 700 all-time victories in NCAA Division III.
With 25 intercollegiate athletics teams — 12 for men and 13 for women — in addition to numerous club sport opportunities, Wittenberg has something to meet every student's needs and interests. As a member of NCAA Division III and the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), Wittenberg is committed to its Mission & Values that promote the wholeness of person and a balance between competitive opportunities and academic success.
Fall: Men's Cross Country; Women's Cross Country; Field Hockey; Football; Men's Soccer; Women's Soccer; Women's Volleyball
Winter: Men's Basketball; Women's Basketball; Men's Indoor Track & Field; Women's Indoor Track & Field; Men's Swimming & Diving; Women's Swimming & Diving
Spring: Baseball; Women's Bowling; Men's Golf; Women's Golf; Men's Lacrosse; Women's Lacrosse; Men's Outdoor Track & Field; Women's Outdoor Track & Field; Softball; Men's Tennis; Women's Tennis; Men's Volleyball
New in 2024: Esports at Wittenberg
NCAA Team Champions
Wittenberg has won nine (9) NCAA Team Championships in four (4) different sports:
- Football (1962, 1964, 1969, 1973, 1975)
- Men's Basketball (1961, 1977)
- Women's Volleyball (2011)
- Men's Golf (2017)
NCAA Individual Champions
Wittenberg student-athletes have won three (3) NCAA Individual Championhips in two different sports:
- Bob Cherry (Men's Track and Field - 300 meters, 1962)
- Sheila Simon (Women's Track and Field - High Jump, 1973)
- Skip Ivery (Men's Track and Field - 110-Meter Hurdles, 2003)
All-Americans
- Wittenberg student-athletes have earned 513 All-America awards (last updated January 2024) across more than 20 different sports.
NCAA Division III
Since 1973, Wittenberg has been a member of NCAA Division III, sending an average of four teams per year into national championship competition. Colleges and universities in NCAA Division III stress overall quality of the educational experience and the successful completion of academic programs.
The Division III experience provides for participation in a competitive athletics environment. Student-athletes push themselves to achieve excellence and build upon their academic success with new challenges and life skills within an environment that fosters health and wellness. Student-athletes are encouraged to pursue the full spectrum of opportunities available during their time in college. In this way, Division III provides an equitable and inclusive environment for student-athletes to take responsibility for their own paths, follow their passions and discover their potential through a comprehensive educational experience.
Notably, Wittenberg has finished in the top 25 percent in the NCAA Division III National Association of Collegiate Directors' of Athletics (NACDA) Directors' Cup standings almost every year since it was established in 1995, with a high of 20th out of more than 430 NCAA Division III schools in 2002-03. At least three Tiger teams have earned national finishes every year.
North Coast Athletic Conference
In 1989, after many years in the Ohio Athletic Conference, Wittenberg made the move to the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), the first league in the country devoted to equal emphasis on men's and women's sports. Tiger teams boast the most conference championships in football, women's basketball, field hockey and volleyball, while standing a close second in men's basketball.
Founded in 1983, the NCAC is dedicated to fostering a complementary relationship between intercollegiate athletics and the pursuit of academic excellence. Conference membership currently includes nine academically selective colleges and universities in three states.
Member Institutions
- Denison University - Granville, Ohio
- DePauw University - Greencastle, Indiana
- Hiram College - Hiram, Ohio
- Kenyon College - Gambier, Ohio
- Oberlin College - Oberlin, Ohio
- Ohio Wesleyan University - Delaware, Ohio
- Wabash College - Crawfordsville, Indiana
- Wittenberg University - Springfield, Ohio
- College of Wooster - Wooster, Ohio
- John Carroll University - University Heights, Ohio (will begin competition in 2025)
Wittenberg University student-athletes earn a wide variety of All-NCAC awards each school year. As of the end of the calendar year 2023, Wittenberg teams have won 118 NCAC regular season championships, with the Tigers ranking first in league history for titles in football (17), women's basketball (13), and women's volleyball (26). Annually, Wittenberg places among the top half in the North Coast Athletic Conference All-Sports standings, highlighted by a first-place finish in the Dennis Collins Memorial All-Sports Trophy standings following the 2009-10 season.
Athletics Facilities
The Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex (HWA) is the centerpiece of athletics activity at Wittenberg. The HWA includes Pam Evans Smith Arena, which can go from three full-sized basketball or volleyball courts to a 3,000-seat venue for intercollegiate athletic events or a 4,300-seat concert venue, Wittenberg Natatorium that provides a high-quality competition and practice venue for water sports at Wittenberg, Bob Rosencrans Hall of Honor Fitness Center, and the state-of-the-art Bates Strength Center. In addition, The Steemer opened in 2019, is one of the most impactful facilities in all of NCAA Division III, offering a year-round, indoor competition and practice facility outfitted with a 100-yard turf field, a 300-meter track, and batting cages for baseball and softball.
Wittenberg's athletics facilities also include high-quality venues for Tiger tennis, golf, softball, and baseball teams. Click here to learn more about Wittenberg's athletics facilities
