The TCNJ Lions are the athletic teams representing The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). They are a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and compete within Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).[1]
| TCNJ Lions | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | The College of New Jersey |
| Conference | NJAC |
| NCAA | Division III |
| Athletic director | Amanda V. DeMartino |
| Location | Ewing, New Jersey |
| Varsity teams | 11 men's, 11 women's |
| Football stadium | Lions Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Packer Hall |
| Baseball stadium | George Ackerman Park |
| Softball stadium | Dr. June Walker Field |
| Soccer stadium | TCNJ Soccer Complex |
| Aquatics center | TCNJ Aquatic Center |
| Mascot | Roscoe the Lion |
| Nickname | Lions |
| Colors | |
| Website | tcnjathletics |
Overview
editThe school fields 11 varsity sports teams for men and women each and has captured 44 team national championships, as well as more than 40 individual and relay national championships, across multiple programs. The school's two most successful are the Women's Lacrosse team with 12 NCAA Division III Championships and the Women's Field Hockey team with 11 Division III NCAA Championships, the most of any team in D-III for either sport.
The wrestling team hosts has placed in the top 20 nationally for 30 consecutive years, including 5 national championships (1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987), 5 runner-up finishes, and numerous finishes in the top 5.
TCNJ's varsity teams are the top combined first- and second-place finishers of all 424 Division III schools in the nation over more than 25 years.[2]
In 1957, TCNJ, then known as Trenton State College, was a founding member of the NJAC (then called the New Jersey State Athletic Conference) along with five other state institutions.[3] Since then, and after the conference allowed women's sports in 1985, the school has been a powerhouse winning the most titles in men's cross country, women's cross country, field hockey, women's tennis, women's soccer.
The track and field teams have especially dominated the NJAC since the title was first contested in 1997, winning each year in both indoor and outdoor.
In 2017–18, TCNJ captured its first NJAC cup, after claiming titles in women’s cross country, field hockey, women’s tennis, women’s indoor track & field, and women’s lacrosse, and NJAC regular season titles in softball and baseball.[4][5]
Outside of varsity athletics the school also hosts 15 club sports including a men's ice hockey team that competes within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) at Division I.[6][7] The team is a member of the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League. Prior to 2022, the team competed in ACHA Division II and won championships in various conferences such as the Great Northeast Collegiate Hockey Conference (2012, 2014) and the Colonial States College Hockey Conference (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).[8] Following the jump to ACHA Division 1, a second men's ice hockey team was launched which currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (Men's 2A Tri-State Division).[9]
Sports
edit| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Baskeball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Field hockey |
| Football | Lacrosse |
| Soccer | Soccer |
| Swimming | Softball |
| Tennis | Swimming |
| Track and field (indoor) | Tennis |
| Track and field (outdoor) | Track and field (indoor) |
| Wrestling | Track and field (outdoor) |
Club sports
edit- Baseball
- Basketball (women)
- Bowling
- Crew
- Cheerleading
- Ice hockey
- Lacrosse (men and women)
- Rugby (men and women)
- Soccer (men and women)
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Ultimate frisbee
- Unified sports (Special Olympics and TCNJ students)
- Volleyball (men and women)
Championships
edit| National and NCAA championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Field Hockey | 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2011, 2014 | |
| Women’s Lacrosse | 1981 (AIAW), 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992*, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2006 | |
| Men's Soccer | 1964 (NAIA), 1965 (NAIA), 1996 | |
| Women’s Soccer | 1993, 1994, 2000 | |
| Softball | 1980 (AIAW), 1981 (AIAW), 1983, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996 | |
| Women’s Tennis | 1986 | |
| Wrestling | 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987 | |
- The NCAA vacated the 1992 Women's Lacrosse title due to use of an ineligible player during the tournament[10][11]
- List of individual TCNJ national champions
| New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 1960, 1961, 1981, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2017, 2019 | |
| Men's Basketball | 1967, 1989, 1998, 2019 | |
| Women's Basketball | 2001, 2004, 2006, 2009 | |
| Men's Cross Country | 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021 | |
| Women's Cross Country | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 | |
| Field Hockey | 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 | |
| Football | 1980, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2007 | |
| Women's Lacrosse | 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 | |
| Men's Soccer | 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1994, 2005 | |
| Women's Soccer | 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019 | |
| Softball | 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2019 | |
| Men's Swimming and Diving | 1994, 1995, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 | |
| Women's Swimming and Diving | 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 | |
| Men's Tennis | 1997, 1998, 2019[12] | |
| Women's Tennis | 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 | |
| Men's Track & Field (Indoor) | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 | |
| Men's Track & Field (Outdoor) | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 | |
| Women's Track & Field (Indoor) | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2019 | |
| Women's Track & Field (Outdoor)[13] | 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 | |
References
edit- ^ "TCNJ Lions". Retrieved 2023-07-29.
- ^ "TCNJ Athletics Championship Records" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-06-09.
- ^ "About the NJAC". njacsports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- ^ "TCNJ Captures 2017-18 NJAC Cup".
- ^ "TCNJ Captures NJAC Cup -". tcnjathletics.com.
- ^ "Sport Clubs | Department of Recreation and Wellness". Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- ^ "TCNJ Ice Hockey - ACHA Men's D-II | The College of New Jersey Lions". tcnj.pointstreaksites.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- ^ Battista, Michael (February 18, 2019). "TCNJ WIN 3RD STRAIGHT COLONIAL CUP!". Colonial States College Hockey Conference. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "Instagram Post (In The Den)". www.instagram.com. ACC Hockey. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
The Lions' Division II team will compete out of the M2A Division within the ACC!
- ^ "Louisville isn't the 1st NCAA champion to vacate a championship -- here are the rest". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- ^ "The College of New Jersey NCAA Division III National Championships" (PDF). TCNJ Athletics. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "No. 28 TCNJ Captures NJAC Men's Tennis Title". njacsports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- ^ "New Jersey Athletic Conference Champions" (PDF). TCNJ Athletics. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
