History of the Wildcats
The Davidson Wildcats are the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics teams representing Davidson College of Davidson, North Carolina, United States. A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), Davidson College sponsors teams in ten men's and nine women's NCAA-sanctioned sports. The Wildcats previously competed in the Southern Conference, and the wrestling team retains associate membership in that league since the sport is not sponsored by the A-10. The football team is a member of the Pioneer Football League, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conference of schools that do not offer athletic scholarships for football.
College Sports Established
1837
Location
Davidson, North Carolina
College Name
Davidson College
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division I
1936 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
Conference History
2014 - Present / Atlantic 10 Conference
1992 - 2014 / Southern Conference
1990 - 1992 / Big South Conference
1936 - 1988 / Southern Conference
Nickname
Wildcats - On November 10, 1917, a small cohort of 22 football players traveled to Atlanta to represent Davidson College against Auburn, one of the most formidable teams in the South. The Plainsmen had massacred their first four opponents, outscoring teams, 141-6.
According to one account, they were "big, quick, and undefeated" and heavily favored in the day's matchup. Davidson was 2-4 and started a line averaging 20 pounds less.
Not surprisingly, Auburn dominated the game, outgaining the "Red and Black" 240 yards to Davidson's 91 yards. Astoundingly, Davidson pulled together an offensive attack through the efforts of running back A.R. "Buck" Flowers and quarterback Henry Spann, delivering a "bewildering array of forward passes."
Davidson defeated one of the most powerful teams in the South that day, 21-7, with scrappiness that captured the awe and respect of Atlanta sportswriters. They wrote of the "Wildcats" from Davidson College, whose small stature and ferocious style proved overwhelming.
The Davidsonian picked up on the nickname, and it has been used ever since, replacing former, milder references such as "Red and Black," "Presbyterians" and "Preachers."
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
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