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| Averett athletics photo by Drew Wilson |
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference President’s Council has approved Averett 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.
The move will bolster the conference's membership in football, as the ODAC loses two members: Emory & Henry to Division II and Southern Virginia, an associate member for football, to the USA South for all sports.
Averett comes to the ODAC from the USA South. The ODAC will return to 15 full members in the fall of 2022, barring other changes, and the USA South will return to 18 member schools.
“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 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 fits 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 school 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 Tiffany M. Franks, president of Averett. “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, 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 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 school's official NCAA-sponsored athletics history began in the mid-1970s when it joined the then-Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which became the 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 1970s. Softball and women’s volleyball were added in the 1980s, followed by women’s soccer and baseball in the 1990s and football and women’s lacrosse in the 2000s. 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 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.