University of Tennessee at Martin - Athletics

Athletics

Athletic teams have participated in the Ohio Valley Conference since 1991. Previously, UTM was a member of the Gulf South Conference.

The university mascot was changed from "Pacers" to "Skyhawks" in 1995. The reasoning behind the "Skyhawks" moniker was described thus:

• The first educational institution on the site of UT Martin was Hall-Moody Bible Institute. The school's athletic teams were called "sky pilots", a frontier term for preachers in that day, but perhaps the students were thinking of the glamorous flying aces of World War I.
• During World War II, UT Junior College contracted with the Naval War Training Service to help train pilots, who completed their flight training at an airport located on the current site of Westview High School.
• Red-tail hawks are indigenous to the West Tennessee region.

Prior to being known as "Pacers" the university's teams were called "Volunteers." The name was changed in 1971, largely due to fact that, on account of the former junior college status of the school, the teams were often referred to as the "Baby Vols."

Basketball

In 2011 and 2012 consecutively, the Skyhawk women's basketball team qualified for the NCAA Tournament, 2011 was the 1st appearance for the university in that tournament.

Tennis

The Skyhawk women’s tennis team won its fifth Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2011. Coach Dennis Taylor also earned his sixth OVC Coach of the Year award.

Soccer

The Skyhawk soccer team claimed its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship in fall 2011 and made its first appearance in the NCAA women’s soccer tournament.

Rodeo

The UT Martin rodeo team, the only collegiate rodeo team in Tennessee, is a member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Recent successes include Jeff Askey’s winning the bull-riding national championship in 2010, the women’s rodeo team capturing the Ozark Region title in spring 2011, and the men’s team finishing second in the region. Both teams advanced in June 2011 to the College National Finals Rodeo.