William & Mary Tribe
Encyclopedia
The William & Mary Tribe are the athletic teams for the College of William & Mary. The name Tribe now refers to the unity and comradery that William & Mary student-athletes share when competing in the classroom and on the field. William & Mary has transitioned through several official nicknames since its athletic program began in 1893. From 1893 to 1909, William & Mary football players were known as the Orange and White because those were the old official school colors. From 1910 to 1916, the team colors changed to orange and black, leading to a change in nickname to "The Orange and Black." From 1916 to the mid-1980's, William & Mary athletic teams were referred to as the Indians. And, most recently, from 1978 to the present day they have been known as the Tribe.
During the 2006-07 school year, then-College President Gene Nichol chose to remove the two tribal feathers from William & Mary’s logo due to NCAA regulations. On April 6, 2010, it was revealed that a griffin
would become the new mascot.
William & Mary has won two team national championships (both in men’s tennis
), the AIAW championships in women's golf, the NAIA championships in women's gymnastics, thirteen USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships, and many individual national championships. The College has more conference championships than any other school in the Colonial Athletic Association. As of the end of the 2004-05 academic year, the Tribe had won 84 conference championships. Dating back to the athletic program’s beginning, there have been over 142 conference titles in all.
and owner of the Trenton Thunder
, who later donated $2 million to build the team's Plumeri Park
, played on the baseball team as a second baseman and outfielder. Plumeri also funded the Joseph J. Plumeri Endowment Fund for baseball scholarships for the school. The baseball team qualified for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
in 1983 and 2001.
, W&M were champions or co-champions in 1942, 1947, 1966, and 1970. In the 1960s, future Willis Group Holdings
Chairman & CEO Joe Plumeri played on the football team on scholarship as a halfback
for Lou Holtz
. After joining the Yankee Conference
, the Tribe won the Mid-Atlantic Division in 1993 and won the conference championship in 1996. After the Yankee Conference's 1997 merger with the A-10 Conference, the Tribe were co-champions in 2001 and 2004. After the Colonial Athletic Association
began sponsoring football with the 2007 season, the Tribe were co-champions in 2010.
The 2004 season saw William & Mary reach the Division I-AA national semi-finals before finally falling to rival James Madison University
.
In 2008, the Tribe played Richmond
, at home, on the very last game of the season. Both teams entered the game needing a win to secure a playoff spot, while the loser would not reach the postseason. William & Mary trailed by 14 points going into the 4th quarter but made a huge comeback (largely due to Derek Cox
) to send the game into overtime. After failing to convert a field goal themselves, the Tribe would go on to lose the game by a field goal. William & Mary missed the playoffs because of it. Richmond, however, would go on an improbable run to win the NCAA Division I Football Championship by defeating the University of Montana 24–7.
In 2009, the Tribe played their academic rivals, the Virginia Cavaliers
(UVA), in a season opening match-up for both schools in Charlottesville
for the first time since 1986. The Tribe upset Virginia 16–14. It was the second Tribe win over UVA in as many tries and mirrored several other recent wins by CAA (FCS) programs over those in the ACC (FBS). The Tribe finished the year 11-3, after a run to the national semifinals that ended with a 14-13 loss to CAA rival and eventual champion Villanova.
after winning the regular season conference title and the 2010 National Invitation Tournament
after beating both Wake Forest University
and the University of Maryland
on the road during the regular season. They have appeared in seven conference tournament finals; while in the Southern Conference
they lost the tournament final in 1958, 1961, 1965, and 1975, and while in the ECAC South
(precursor to the Colonial Athletic Association
) they lost the 1983 final to James Madison University
, 41-38. Their most recent conference tournament final appearances came in the 2008 CAA
final when W&M dropped a 68-59 decision to George Mason University
and in the 2010 CAA final when W&M lost to Old Dominion University
60-53.
Total conference championships:
Total conference championships:
. He played from 1981–1983 and scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over UConn in the 1983 ECAC Tournament Championship to give William & Mary their second ever conference tournament championship crown. Stewart ended his career with 10 goals and 12 assists while playing as a defender.
The majority of the Tribe's success in men's soccer was overseen by Al Albert
during an illustrious 33 year career as head coach. In 2004, Albert passed the coaching reins to his capable protege, Chris Norris. Norris was a player and assistant coach at W&M for 13 years before becoming Albert's successor in Williamsburg.
(with 29) and UConn
(with 28) are the William & Mary Tribe (23). As of the end of 2010, they are on an NCAA-record 29-year consecutive winning seasons streak (tied with North Carolina), dating back to 1982, capturing ten conference tournament crowns in that span. Twice have players been selected at the NSCAA
National Player of the Year (1987, 1995), and three times the team has made it all the way to the Tournament’s Elite 8 (1987, 1994, 1997).
, Delaware (UD)
, and Old Dominion (ODU)
. In recent years, the William & Mary-George Mason
basketball series has attracted much attention after Mason’s improbable run in the 2006 NCAA Championship
, coupled with W&M’s conference tournament championship appearance
in 2008. Additionally, every year William & Mary squares off against the Richmond Spiders
in what is termed the "Oldest Football Rivalry in the South." The Tribe first visited Richmond in 1898, losing 15-0. However, William & Mary holds the all-time series edge 59-54-5. The winner of this annual contest wins the Capital Cup.
In addition, William & Mary football maintains a lighthearted contest with their academic rival UVA unofficially coined "The Jefferson Cup." The Tribe stunned UVA on September 5, 2009 with a 26-14 victory on the season opener at Charlottesville. The Tribe last took home the Jefferson Cup in 1986 with a less dramatic 41-37 victory over The Cavaliers.
Notable graduates from the athletic programs include Jon Stewart
, Adin Brown
, Mike Leach
, Buster Ramsey
, Darren Sharper
, Mike Tomlin
, Bill Chambers
, J. D. Gibbs, Steve Christie
, Wade Barrett and Derek Cox
.
During the 2006-07 school year, then-College President Gene Nichol chose to remove the two tribal feathers from William & Mary’s logo due to NCAA regulations. On April 6, 2010, it was revealed that a griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
would become the new mascot.
William & Mary has won two team national championships (both in men’s tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
), the AIAW championships in women's golf, the NAIA championships in women's gymnastics, thirteen USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships, and many individual national championships. The College has more conference championships than any other school in the Colonial Athletic Association. As of the end of the 2004-05 academic year, the Tribe had won 84 conference championships. Dating back to the athletic program’s beginning, there have been over 142 conference titles in all.
Baseball
In the 1960s Joe Plumeri, future Chairman & CEO of Willis Group HoldingsWillis Group Holdings
Willis Group Holdings is a global insurance broker headquartered in the Willis Building, London, United Kingdom. It has more than 400 offices in 120 countries, and approximately 17,000 employees...
and owner of the Trenton Thunder
Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
, who later donated $2 million to build the team's Plumeri Park
Plumeri Park
Plumeri Park is The College of William & Mary Tribe baseball team's home stadium located in Williamsburg, Virginia. It has been in use since 1999. Joseph J...
, played on the baseball team as a second baseman and outfielder. Plumeri also funded the Joseph J. Plumeri Endowment Fund for baseball scholarships for the school. The baseball team qualified for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
in 1983 and 2001.
Football
The football team has won eight conference championships. While a member of the Southern ConferenceSouthern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
, W&M were champions or co-champions in 1942, 1947, 1966, and 1970. In the 1960s, future Willis Group Holdings
Willis Group Holdings
Willis Group Holdings is a global insurance broker headquartered in the Willis Building, London, United Kingdom. It has more than 400 offices in 120 countries, and approximately 17,000 employees...
Chairman & CEO Joe Plumeri played on the football team on scholarship as a halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
. After joining the Yankee Conference
Yankee Conference
The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. It once sponsored competition in many sports, but eventually became a football-only league...
, the Tribe won the Mid-Atlantic Division in 1993 and won the conference championship in 1996. After the Yankee Conference's 1997 merger with the A-10 Conference, the Tribe were co-champions in 2001 and 2004. After the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
began sponsoring football with the 2007 season, the Tribe were co-champions in 2010.
The 2004 season saw William & Mary reach the Division I-AA national semi-finals before finally falling to rival James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
.
In 2008, the Tribe played Richmond
Richmond Spiders football
The Richmond Spiders are a college football team representing the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the Division I Football Championship Subdivision champion for the 2008 season. Richmond currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of the NCAA's Division I...
, at home, on the very last game of the season. Both teams entered the game needing a win to secure a playoff spot, while the loser would not reach the postseason. William & Mary trailed by 14 points going into the 4th quarter but made a huge comeback (largely due to Derek Cox
Derek Cox
Derek Sinclair Cox is an American football cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at William & Mary.-High school career:Cox attended Junius H. Rose High School in...
) to send the game into overtime. After failing to convert a field goal themselves, the Tribe would go on to lose the game by a field goal. William & Mary missed the playoffs because of it. Richmond, however, would go on an improbable run to win the NCAA Division I Football Championship by defeating the University of Montana 24–7.
In 2009, the Tribe played their academic rivals, the Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(UVA), in a season opening match-up for both schools in Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
for the first time since 1986. The Tribe upset Virginia 16–14. It was the second Tribe win over UVA in as many tries and mirrored several other recent wins by CAA (FCS) programs over those in the ACC (FBS). The Tribe finished the year 11-3, after a run to the national semifinals that ended with a 14-13 loss to CAA rival and eventual champion Villanova.
Men's basketball
Traditionally, the Tribe has not been a storied basketball program. Their only postseason berths ever were the 1983 National Invitation Tournament1983 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:...
after winning the regular season conference title and the 2010 National Invitation Tournament
2010 National Invitation Tournament
-Arizona State Bracket:-Virginia Tech Bracket:-Mississippi State Bracket:-NIT Final Four - NIT Semifinals and NIT Championship Game:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City-See also:*2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
after beating both Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
and the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
on the road during the regular season. They have appeared in seven conference tournament finals; while in the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
they lost the tournament final in 1958, 1961, 1965, and 1975, and while in the ECAC South
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
(precursor to the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
) they lost the 1983 final to James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
, 41-38. Their most recent conference tournament final appearances came in the 2008 CAA
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
final when W&M dropped a 68-59 decision to George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
and in the 2010 CAA final when W&M lost to Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
60-53.
Cross Country / Track & Field
The College of William & Mary’s most dominant sports are its men’s and women’s cross country and track & field teams. The totals below are current as of the end of the 2010-11 season.Men
The men's cross country team has qualified for fourteen straight NCAA Division I championships, and 24 total NCAA championship appearances. Alumnus Brian Hyde represented the United States in the 1996 Olympics.Total conference championships:
- Cross Country - 33
- Track & Field - 27
Women
The women's cross country squad has made six NCAA championship appearances, most recently in 2005.Total conference championships:
- Cross Country - 17
- Track & Field - 10
Men
The Tribe men’s soccer team has produced two First Team All-Americans and fourteen NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 2010. They have won eight conference tournaments since the program's inception in 1965. The most famous alumnus from this program is TV pundit Jon StewartJon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
. He played from 1981–1983 and scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over UConn in the 1983 ECAC Tournament Championship to give William & Mary their second ever conference tournament championship crown. Stewart ended his career with 10 goals and 12 assists while playing as a defender.
The majority of the Tribe's success in men's soccer was overseen by Al Albert
Al Albert (soccer coach)
Al Albert is an American college soccer coach. Albert is best known for his longstanding tenure as the head coach of The College of William and Mary men's soccer program in Williamsburg, Virginia.-Early life:...
during an illustrious 33 year career as head coach. In 2004, Albert passed the coaching reins to his capable protege, Chris Norris. Norris was a player and assistant coach at W&M for 13 years before becoming Albert's successor in Williamsburg.
Women
When counting all-time women’s soccer NCAA Tournament appearances, just behind national powerhouses North CarolinaNorth Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer
The North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I soccer...
(with 29) and UConn
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
(with 28) are the William & Mary Tribe (23). As of the end of 2010, they are on an NCAA-record 29-year consecutive winning seasons streak (tied with North Carolina), dating back to 1982, capturing ten conference tournament crowns in that span. Twice have players been selected at the NSCAA
NSCAA
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. The NSCAA has grown from a handful of college soccer coaches to more than 22,000 members, making it the largest coaching organization in the world. Its members coach at all levels of...
National Player of the Year (1987, 1995), and three times the team has made it all the way to the Tournament’s Elite 8 (1987, 1994, 1997).
Other sports
In addition to the sports listed above, the College of William & Mary also fields Division I teams for men and women in gymnastics, swimming and diving, golf and tennis. Exclusive to women are field hockey, lacrosse and volleyball.National championships
William & Mary has won two national championships, both of which are men’s tennis in the NCAA. The Tribe won back-to-back national championships in 1947 and 1948.Rivalries
William & Mary’s most heated rivalries are with James Madison (JMU)James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
, Delaware (UD)
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
, and Old Dominion (ODU)
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
. In recent years, the William & Mary-George Mason
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
basketball series has attracted much attention after Mason’s improbable run in the 2006 NCAA Championship
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
, coupled with W&M’s conference tournament championship appearance
2008 CAA Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 CAA Men's Basketball Tournament was an NCAA Division 1 College Basketball Conference tournament that was held at the Richmond Coliseum on March 7–10, 2008, to decide the Colonial Athletic Association conference champion...
in 2008. Additionally, every year William & Mary squares off against the Richmond Spiders
Richmond Spiders
The Richmond Spiders represent the University of Richmond, a member of the NCAA's Division I and a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football and women's golf, which participate as members of the Colonial Athletic Association....
in what is termed the "Oldest Football Rivalry in the South." The Tribe first visited Richmond in 1898, losing 15-0. However, William & Mary holds the all-time series edge 59-54-5. The winner of this annual contest wins the Capital Cup.
In addition, William & Mary football maintains a lighthearted contest with their academic rival UVA unofficially coined "The Jefferson Cup." The Tribe stunned UVA on September 5, 2009 with a 26-14 victory on the season opener at Charlottesville. The Tribe last took home the Jefferson Cup in 1986 with a less dramatic 41-37 victory over The Cavaliers.
Notable alumni
- Main article: List of William & Mary alumni#Sports
Notable graduates from the athletic programs include Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
, Adin Brown
Adin Brown
Adin Brown is an American soccer player who is currently without a club.-College:A highly-touted prospect and a starting goalkeeper for the United States in the run-up prior to the 2000 Summer Olympics, Brown played college soccer at the College of William and Mary...
, Mike Leach
Mike Leach (long snapper)
John Michael Leach is an American football long snapper for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
, Buster Ramsey
Buster Ramsey
Garrard Sliger "Buster" Ramsey was an American football player who starred at William and Mary and was the first head coach of the American Football League's Buffalo Bills in 1960...
, Darren Sharper
Darren Sharper
Darren Mallory Sharper is an American football safety who currently is a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at William & Mary....
, Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin
Michael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history...
, Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers (basketball)
William B. "Bill" Chambers is an American former college basketball player for the William & Mary Tribe.He attended E. C...
, J. D. Gibbs, Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
, Wade Barrett and Derek Cox
Derek Cox
Derek Sinclair Cox is an American football cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at William & Mary.-High school career:Cox attended Junius H. Rose High School in...
.
Fight songs
In addition to the most common Fight Song, the "William and Mary Victory March" (composed in the 1930s by Rolf Kennard) is occasionally heard before games. There is a long-running superstition that playing the Victory March during a game will lead to a bad result.See also
- List of NCAA college football rivalry games