Helena Frye
The Citadel Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent The Citadel, with 16 varsity sports teams competing across a range of disciplines. The Citadel is affiliated with NCAA Division I athletics, with the exception of football, which competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. The basketball team has a long history, dating back to the 1900-01 season, and the team practices at the Mayberry Triplets Practice Facility, utilising the McAlister Field House for games and practices. The Citadel has won four Southern Conference Championships in basketball, with their most heated rivalries being with the VMI Keydets, Furman Paladins, Charleston Southern Buccaneers, and College of Charleston Cougars.
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What You'll Learn
The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team history
The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team represents The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, in the sport of men's college basketball. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Southern Conference South Division. The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team has a rich history, with several notable achievements and rivalries.
The Citadel Bulldogs have had a long-standing rivalry with Furman, although Furman has led the series in football for many decades. The rivalry with VMI has also intensified since the creation of the Silver Shako trophy for football in 1976. The game is now known as the Military Classic of the South. The College of Charleston, another crosstown rival, has become a major competitor in basketball and baseball, controlling the games in basketball since joining the Southern Conference.
The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team has had limited success in terms of championships. The team has never won a regular season or Southern Conference men's basketball tournament championship and has never participated in the NCAA Tournament. Their only postseason appearance was in the 2009 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, where they lost in the first round to eventual champion Old Dominion. In 1927, the Bulldogs won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament title, defeating Mercer for their only conference championship. In the history of their SoCon play, they have advanced past the quarterfinals just once, reaching the conference tournament final in 1959 before losing to West Virginia.
The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team uses the McAlister Field House, a 6,000-seat facility on campus, for their games and practices. The team's locker room is also located in McAlister, where banners hang to honour notable players. The Bulldogs have had several notable players and coaches throughout their history, including two-time Southern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year Regan Truesdale, Art Musselman, and Pat Conroy, who chronicled his life as a Citadel basketball player in his novels.
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The Citadel Athletics Department
The Citadel's Athletics Department fields a variety of teams, including football, men's basketball, baseball, rifle, and track and field. The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team competes in the Southern Conference, with the team having a 5-25 record in the conference. The Citadel's basketball team is coached by Ed Conroy, who previously led the program to a 20-win season.
The Athletics Department has seen some recent successes across various sports. The rifle team, for instance, secured a first-place win in the air rifle championship and finished second overall in the SoCon championship. In addition, cadet-athlete Mecca Jackson, a member of the track and field team, is pursuing a degree in Exercise Science with future plans to obtain a master's in Sports Management.
The Citadel's football program has also been in the spotlight, with former Bulldog player and defensive coordinator Maurice Drayton named as the new head football coach. The Bulldogs baseball team reached the 2025 Southern Conference Baseball Championships elimination game, where they faced off against the Mercer Bears but fell short with a 4-2 loss.
The Citadel's athletic facilities have also been utilized by professional sports organizations, with the Philadelphia 76ers conducting a week of preseason training inside McAlister Field House. The Athletics Department has also featured in the media, with Fox Sports providing coverage of the Bulldogs' basketball conference standings.
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Stadium and facilities
The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team is based at McAlister Field House, a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. Built in 1939, the facility was previously known as The Citadel Armory and was renamed in 1973 in honour of Col. David S. McAlister, a 1924 alumnus. The arena underwent a renovation in 1989, which expanded its seating capacity from 4,500 to 6,000. Since then, three basketball games have sold out: Duke in 1991, South Carolina in 1997, and the College of Charleston in 1999.
McAlister Field House is also used for wrestling and volleyball and hosts entertainment events, including concerts and college and high school commencements. The facility has hosted several athletic tournaments, including the opening rounds of the Southern Conference women's basketball tournament.
The Citadel's football programme is based at Johnson Hagood Stadium, which is entering its 67th season as of the most recently available information.
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Basketball team rivalries
The Citadel Bulldogs basketball team represents The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, in men's college basketball. The Citadel's basketball team is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Southern Conference South Division.
The Citadel Bulldogs have had a long history of rivalries with several teams. Here is a detailed look at some of these rivalries:
College of Charleston Cougars
The College of Charleston Cougars and the Citadel Bulldogs have a cross-town rivalry that dates back to 1901. The series halted after the 2016 game due to a close relationship between the coaches of the two teams at the time. However, the rivalry resumed in 2022 after a change in coaches. The Bulldogs hold a 57-40 lead in the series, but the Cougars have won 10 straight games and dominated the rivalry since becoming a Division I program. The rivalry has added spice due to the contrasting styles and philosophies of the teams and coaches, with the Cougars embracing a more modern approach.
VMI Keydets
The Citadel has a long-standing rivalry with the VMI Keydets. This rivalry extends beyond basketball as the two schools are the only Division I institutions that do not sponsor women's basketball teams. The rivalry in basketball intensified after the creation of the Silver Shako trophy for football in 1976, and the football game between the two is now known as the Military Classic of the South.
Furman Paladins
The Furman Paladins and the Citadel Bulldogs have the longest-running rivalry, especially in football, where the Paladins have led the series for many decades.
Charleston Southern Buccaneers
The Charleston Southern Buccaneers are also mentioned as one of The Citadel's heated rivalries, although specific details of this rivalry are not readily available in the sources provided.
Despite these rivalries, the Citadel Bulldogs basketball team has never won a regular-season or Southern Conference men's basketball tournament championship, nor have they participated in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
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The Citadel's NCAA Division I status
The Citadel, a military college in Charleston, South Carolina, has 16 varsity sports teams, collectively known as the Citadel Bulldogs. The Citadel Athletics Department is affiliated with NCAA Division I athletics, with the exception of football, which competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
The Citadel's basketball team, which dates back to the 1900-01 season, has never played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The team practices at the Mayberry Triplets Practice Facility and plays its games at McAlister Field House, a 6,000-seat facility on campus.
The Citadel has been a member of the Southern Conference since 1936, and all of its varsity sports teams compete in this conference. The school's most notable rivalries are with the VMI Keydets, Furman Paladins, Charleston Southern Buccaneers, and College of Charleston Cougars.
The Citadel's other varsity sports teams include baseball, rifle, women's soccer, and wrestling. The school also offers intramural, club, and recreational athletics programs that provide opportunities for all students to participate in extracurricular sports.
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Frequently asked questions
The Citadel basketball team is part of the school's athletics department, which is affiliated with NCAA Division I athletics.
The Citadel basketball team is called the Citadel Bulldogs.
The Citadel Bulldogs compete in the Southern Conference.
