Conference Peach Belt Conference Athletic director Lisa Sweany Varsity teams 11 | NCAA Division II Location Savannah, Georgia | |
University Armstrong State University | ||
The Armstrong State Pirates (also just Armstrong, formerly Armstrong Atlantic State) are the athletic teams that represent Armstrong State University (renamed from Armstrong Atlantic State University in 2014), located in Savannah, Georgia, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Pirates and Lady Pirates compete as members of the Peach Belt Conference for all 11 varsity sports. Armstrong has been a member of the Peach Belt since 1990.
History
Athletics at Armstrong began at the start of the school's history in the 1930s with its teams known as the Geechees. The school won state championships as a junior college in 1938 in men's basketball and men's tennis. Athletics were suspended during World War II. Following the war, the college added new athletic programs, and in 1948 men's basketball won a second state championship.
Armstrong joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 1967 and became known as the Pirates after the college became a four-year institution. in 1973 it joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and became a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) with in-state rivals Valdosta State, Columbus College, and Augusta College. In 1983, Armstrong State College upgraded athletics to NCAA Division I and became a charter member of the Big South Conference in 1985. Soon after in 1987, the Pirates returned to Division II, becoming a charter member of the Peach Belt Conference in 1990. Armstrong holds 91 PBC championships. In addition, the university has appeared in 133 NCAA Championships, winning 12 titles. Armstrong has produced 287 All-Americans. The Armstrong men's and women's tennis teams have combined to capture nine NCAA Division II national championships over the last eight seasons.