Conference Ohio Valley Conference Athletic director Teresa Phillips Varsity teams 7 men's & 8 women's | NCAA Division I Location Nashville, Tennessee | |
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University Tennessee State University | ||
The Tennessee State Tigers and Lady Tigers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Tennessee State University (TSU), located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The Tigers athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes in the NCAA Division I, including the Football Championship Subdivision. As a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, Tennessee State is the only HBCU competing in Division I that is not a member of an athletic conference made up entirely of historically black institutions (MEAC and SWAC). The TSU mascot is Aristocat the Tiger, and the school colors are blue and white.
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Teams
A member of the Ohio Valley Conference, Tennessee State University sponsors teams in seven men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports:
Athletic Facilities
Source:
Men's Basketball: Gentry Center
Women's Basketball: Gentry Center
Football: Nissan Stadium & Hale Stadium
Softball: Tiger Stadium
Tennis: TSU Tennis Court Complex
Indoor Track & Field: Gentry Center
Outdoor Track & Field: Edward S. Temple Track
Volleyball: Kean Hall
Highlights
In 1957, coach John McClendon and three-time All-American Dick Barnett led the then-Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State University to become the first historically black college (HBCU) to win a national basketball title, winning the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship. The school went on to win the NAIA title again in 1958 and '59.
The women's track and field team won the championship of the Amateur Athletic Union national senior outdoor meet for all athletes 13 times in 1955–1960, 1962, 1963, 1965–1967, 1969 and 1978. The team likewise won the AAU national indoor championship 14 times in 1956–1960, 1962, 1965–1969 and 1978–1980.
By 2009, approximately 100 TSU football players had been drafted by the National Football League.
In 2014, From the Rough was released which is a movie based on a true story about the successes and challenges of the first African-American woman (Dr. Catana Starks) to coach a Division I college men's golf team. Starks helped develop several noteworthy golf players at Tennessee State.
In 2016, the men's basketball team ranked 17th in the nation for home attendance. During the 2015-2016 basketball season, the men's team tied the school record for the most Division I wins with 20.
The Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, Tennessee is annually one of the largest and most anticipated HBCU football classics in the nation.