The History of Union Athletics
For over a century, Union Commonwealth University has enjoyed a rich history of excellence in intercollegiate athletics. Surprisingly, Union's first sponsored sport was women's basketball in 1905, which was soon followed by football that same year and men's basketball, tennis and baseball in 1906.
Since that time, Union has sponsored a host of sports from wrestling to tennis to swimming to golf to baseball to mountain biking. Union presently competes in 18 intercollegiate sports, which are men's and women's archery, baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's bowling, cheerleading, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field, and volleyball.
Union has garnered much success on the playing field, especially in recent years. The Bulldogs have nearly 100 conference championships, 66 national championships (individual/team), over 735 National Championship Appearances, and over 265 All-Americans. (For a complete listing of Union's national championships, click here.) During that time, Union has had numerous student-athletes named as All-Americans. (For a complete listing of Union's All-Americans, click here.)
After leaving Union, a number of student-athletes have experienced careers in the professional ranks. Several former baseballers played professionally with four being selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, while a dozen footballers made the jump to the next level with two signing NFL free-agent contracts. James Anderson, a former Bulldog standout on the hardwood, was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers of the National Basketball Association and spent seven years with the club.
As the individual and team success has grown over the years, so too has Union's athletic facilities. Since 1998, every athletic facility has undergone some form of renovation, giving Union one of the top overall athletic facilities in the NAIA. Most recently, lights were added to Williamson Stadium as well as the construction of the new Dan L. Sullivan Indoor Practice Facility.
With a full history of excellence, Union continues to set its sights set on bigger and better things in the seasons to come.
The Top 100 Moments in Union Athletics (As of 2005, which marked 100 years of Union Athletics)
Updated: 7-9-25