History Roanoke Maroons

1 history

1.1 football
1.2 rivalries
1.3 school colors
1.4 nickname , mascot

history

roanoke athletics began in 1870 when college fielded first baseball team. men s basketball program, added in 1911, received national recognition in 1939 when team finished third in national invitational tournament, premiere postseason tournament of era; , more 1,300 wins (almost 2,000 games played; better 60% winning percentage on more 90 years) among successful in nation. frankie allen, arguably greatest men s basketball player in virginia college history (2,780 points , 1,758 rebounds), graduated roanoke in 1971.

roanoke teams have won 2 national championships: 1972 ncaa division ii men s basketball championship , 1978 division ii men s lacrosse championship. in 2001, roanoke student casey smith won individual national championship in division iii women s 10,000m track , field event. in 2009, student robin yerkes secured roanoke s fourth national championship when won individual championship in division iii women s 400m track , field event. yerkes decorated athlete ever graduate roanoke, earning 12 all-american honors in multiple events.

roanoke teams have won 101 conference championships (as of may 2013; 47 in men s sports, 54 in women s sports) since college joined odac founding member in 1976. roanoke has won more conference championships other odac school in men s lacrosse (18), women s basketball (13), women s lacrosse (10) , softball (8). roanoke , hampden-sydney college tied conference championships in men s basketball (10).

football

roanoke s football program discontinued during world war ii after more 60 years of competition. club sport, first varsity game occurred in 1892 against allegheny institute. final game 42–0 loss catawba college on november 13, 1942.

in 1985, salem city government constructed 8,000 seat stadium, salem football stadium adjacent roanoke s elizabeth campus, 2 miles main campus, location of athletic fields , residence halls. constructed salem s public high school, many hoped college revive football program , team play in stadium, college declined. stadium hosts annual ncaa division iii football championship game though roanoke not compete in sport.

rivalries

roanoke , washington , lee university have been rivals more century. rivalry, strongest in men s lacrosse, fueled long history of athletic contests; schools have competed since 1870s. rivalry influenced conference affiliation , geography; schools charter members of old dominion athletic conference , located within hour drive of each other on interstate 81. both schools traditionally have nationally ranked men s lacrosse teams , ranked in top twenty when meeting late in season. in addition washington , lee, contests lynchburg college, hampden-sydney college, randolph macon college, , bridgewater college draw attention; of members of old dominion athletic conference.

roanoke , virginia tech rivals in late 19th , 20th centuries when virginia tech small college. in 1877, schools competed in virginia tech s first intercollegiate baseball game (virginia tech won 53–13), , in 1896, virginia tech first wore current athletic colors – maroon , burnt orange – in football game against roanoke. in 1895, roanoke , virginia tech charter members of defunct virginia intercollegiate athletic association along randolph-macon college, university of richmond, , college of william , mary, , in 1926, roanoke , virginia tech played inaugural football game @ virginia tech s miles stadium.

school colors

roanoke has 2 sets of school colors, blue , gold academic use , maroon , gray athletic use. dates 1907 when baseball team needed new uniforms, not obtain in blue , gold. maroon , gray uniforms purchased substitute. within few years, maroon , gray adopted roanoke s official athletic colors. college athletic nickname became maroons well. in recent years, black has been added accent color roanoke athletic uniforms maroon, gray, black, , white.

nickname , mascot

roanoke s athletic nickname maroons , mascot rooney, maroon-tailed hawk. mascot revealed on april 17, 2009 during annual alumni weekend festivities. roanoke has competed maroons on 100 years, color without mascot represent college.