OUR PURPOSE: Athletic opportunities at the Division III level provide positive educational outcomes and growth for participants, as well as other valuable benefits for member institutions and communities. The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) exists to provide a framework for realizing these opportunities through athletic competition, guided by our commitment to shared values and bounded by the educational missions and institutional identities of the respective members. Together, member institutions strive to foster a climate of excellence and integrity in the conduct of their athletic programs.

OUR VALUES: Together, we are committed to:

1. Upholding the centrality of the academic mission of our member institutions

* emphasizing that academic priorities clearly guide each institution
* providing athletic opportunities that complement the broader educational experience
* implementing practical scheduling strategies to minimize missed class time
* supporting normal academic progress toward a degree and post-baccalaureate study if
  applicable.

2. Enhancing the quality of the student-athlete experience
* inviting intensity with civility; the highest levels of athleticism within ethical boundaries
* cultivating positive leadership on campus and role modeling in the community
* emphasizing positive character development
* nurturing healthy school loyalty, with spirited but wholesome rivalries within the conference
* expecting competitive integrity among players, coaches, support staff and spectators

3. Encouraging broad-based programs rather the competitive extremes
* including equity of opportunity among the genders and across the sports
* encouraging multiple-sport sponsorship, rather than single-sport membership
* making a wide range of participation opportunities available to all students
* limiting non-traditional season involvements

4. Maintaining competitive equity within the conference
* involving private institutions, in geographic proximity to each other
* emphasizing round-robin conference competition and excellence within the league, with
  national prominence a by-product rather than a primary emphasis
* providing an efficient and effective conference administrative structure

Conference History

Entering its 32nd year, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) is one of the nation's largest Division III conferences.  The 14-member ODAC, including Catholic's associate status, stands as the second-largest multi-sport NCAA Division III conference in the country behind the 15-member American Southwest Conference in Texas.

The league was formed on May 18, 1975 as the Virginia College Conference and began operations in September of 1976. (The name change to ODAC became effective January 1, 1976). Charter members were eight colleges located in the state of Virginia: Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite College, Emory & Henry College, Hampden-Sydney College, Lynchburg College, Randolph-Macon College, Roanoke College and Washington & Lee University.

From its initial year of operation through the 1981-82 academic year, the ODAC sponsored competition in 10 men's varsity sports, including football, soccer, and cross country in the fall; basketball, wrestling, and indoor track and field in the winter; and baseball, golf, tennis, and outdoor track and field in the spring. Women's sports were added prior to the 1982-83 school year. Today, the ODAC has grown to sponsor championships in 22 sports.

The conference expanded in the late 1980s, early 1990s and most recently in 1999. Virginia Wesleyan became the 13th member of the conference in 1988 and began full-scale competition in the league in the 1989-90 academic year. Guilford College, voted into the conference in the spring of 1990, began competing for conference championships in the 1991-92 season. Catholic University was accepted for football-only membership by the conference in January 1999.

Over the past 15 years the conference and the City of Salem, Va., have gained national attention through hosting over 40 NCAA Division III championships including football, men's basketball, softball and baseball. The growing list of titles passed out in Salem began in the fall of 1993 with the DIII Football championship. This coming year the city and conference will host the football (December), men's basketball (March), women's lacrosse and women's softball (May) championships.

Current Conference Members:

Bridgewater College, Catholic University (associate), Eastern Mennonite University, Emory & Henry College, Guilford College, Hampden-Sydney College, Hollins University, Lynchburg College, Randolph-Macon College, Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Roanoke College, Sweet Briar College, Virginia Wesleyan College, Washington and Lee University.

ODAC Sports Sponsorships:

 

2007-2008 ODAC SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS

ALL VARSITY SPORTS

MEN'S SPORTS

SCHOOLS

BB

BSK

CC

FB

GOLF

LAX

SOC

TEN

ITF

OTF

TOTAL

BRIDGEWATER

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

9

CATHOLIC*

X

1*

EAST. MENNONITE

X

X

X

X

X

X

6

EMORY & HENRY

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

7

GUILFORD

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

8

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

8

LYNCHBURG

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

9

RANDOLPH-MACON

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

7

RANDOLPH

X

X

X

X

4

ROANOKE

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

9

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

9

WASHINGTON & LEE

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

10

* Catholic competes in the conference in football only.

WOMEN'S SPORTS

SCHOOLS

BSK

CC

FH

LAX

RID

SB

SOC

SW

TEN

OTF

ITF

VB

TOTAL

BRIDGEWATER

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

12

EAST. MENNONITE

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

8

EMORY & HENRY

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

7

GUILFORD

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

8

HOLLINS

X

X

X

X

X

X

6

LYNCHBURG

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

11

RANDOLPH-MACON

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

8

RANDOLPH

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

8

ROANOKE

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

10

SWEET BRIAR

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

7

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

10

WASHINGTON & LEE

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

11