The Southern Virginia Knights are the athletic teams that represent

Southern Virginia University Southern Virginia University (SVU) is a private liberal arts college in Buena Vista, Virginia. The college, though not officially affiliated with a particular faith, embraces the values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS C ...

, located in

Buena Vista, Virginia Buena Vista ( ) is an independent city located in the Blue Ridge Mountains region of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,641. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the independent cities of Buena Vist ...

, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division III level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

USA South Athletic Conference The USA South Athletic Conference (formerly the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference or the Dixie Conference) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member schools are located in North Carolin ...

for most of its sports since the 2021–22 academic year; while its men's volleyball team competes in the

Continental Volleyball Conference The Continental Volleyball Conference is an intercollegiate men's volleyball conference associated with the NCAA's Division III. History On April 4, 2011, Gary Williams, Associate Athletic Director of Carthage College announced in Milwaukee the ...

(CVC).

History

SVU began its athletic program in the fall of 1997, one year after it became a four-year liberal arts college. In 1998, the Knights joined both the NAIA and the USCAA. The 2012–13 school year was SVU's first year as a provisional NCAA Division III member; it joined the Capital Athletic Conference, now known as the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference, on July 1, 2013, and became eligible for conference championships in 2014–15. After four successful provisional years, the Knights became a full NCAA Division III member on September 1, 2016. On December 11, 2019, Southern Virginia announced it would join the USA South Athletic Conference, effective beginning in the 2021–22 academic year. Southern Virginia University officially joined USA South on July 1, 2021. The school's athletics programs historically competed in the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...

(NAIA), and also competed in national tournaments of the

United States Collegiate Athletic Association The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is a national organization for the intercollegiate athletic programs of 72 mostly small colleges, including community/junior colleges, across the United States. The USCAA holds 15 national ...

(USCAA). Southern Virginia began its athletic program in the fall of 1997, one year after it became a four-year liberal arts college with an

LDS LDS may refer to: Organizations Religion * Latter Day Saint movement (LDS movement), a collection of independent church groups **The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest group within the Latter Day Saint movement * Latvijas ...

environment. In 1998, the Knights joined the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. The 2012–13 school year was SVU's first year as a provisional

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Division III member; it joined the Capital Athletic Conference (now known as the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference) on July 1, 2013, and became eligible for conference championships in 2014–15. Since the C2C never offered football under either of its names, Southern Virginia joined the

New Jersey Athletic Conference The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), formerly the New Jersey State Athletic Conference, is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. All of its current full members are public universities in New Jers ...

for football effective July 2014. After four successful provisional years, the Knights became a full NCAA Division III member on September 1, 2016. On August 9, 2017 Southern Virginia University officially changed its school colors from green and white back to its original colors of crimson and white. Two months later, on October 16, 2017, Southern Virginia University announced its football program would switch to the

Old Dominion Athletic Conference The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Of its 15 member schools, all but one are located in Virginia; the other ful ...

starting in the 2019–20 season. On February 20, 2018, the men's volleyball team became the first Southern Virginia program to be nationally ranked, ranking in at number eight in the AVCA and NCAA D-III poll. On July 12, 2018, Southern Virginia announced women's field hockey as a varsity sport becoming the 23rd varsity sport offered at the school. On April 4, 2019 Southern Virginia added men's rugby as a varsity sport to be offered. One week after announcing the addition of men's rugby, on April 11, 2019, Southern Virginia announced the addition of men's and women's swimming and diving. On December 11, 2019, Southern Virginia announced it would join the

, effective beginning in the 2021–22 academic year. Southern Virginia University officially joined the USA South Athletic Conference on July 1, 2021. The newest sport added to Southern Virginia University was announced on August 16, 2022 with the addition of women’s wrestling.

Sports sponsored

A member of the

, Southern Virginia University sponsors teams in fourteen men's, fourteen women's, and three co-ed varsity sports.

Men’s basketball

Women's basketball

* NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament appearances: 2022, 2024, 2025 The Southern Virginia women’s basketball team won the 2021–22 USA South Athletic Conference tournament championship. In their first ever appearance in the

NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament The NCAA Division III women's basketball championship is the annual tournament organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the national champions of women's collegiate basketball among its Division III members in the ...

the Knights advanced to the Round of 32, where they fell to the Transylvania Pioneers 55–77.

Men's cross country

In 2021, the Southern Virginia men's cross country team won the USA South Athletic Conference Championship, beating runner up

Berea College Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. It was integrated from as early as 1866 ...

. Southern Virginia placed five runners in the top twenty individually. This was Southern Virginia's first ever conference championship as a member of the USA South Athletic Conference. Runner Dylan May won the individual conference championship for men and was named Runner of the Year, Rookie Runner of the Year, and First Team All-Conference. Head coach Kyle Chandler was named coach of the year. Once again in 2022, the Southern Virginia men's cross country team won the USA South Athletic Conference Championship and runner Dylan May won the individual conference championship with runner Quin Meyer also earning a First Team All-Conference spot. Kyle Chandler was once again named coach of the year.

Women's cross country

In 2021, the Southern Virginia women's cross country team also won the USA South Athletic Conference Championship.

Football

Men's tennis

In the 2020–21 season, the men's tennis team won their first ever conference championship as a member of the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference. The men's tennis team then went on to advance to the NCAA Final 8 before being eliminated.

Track and field

The Southern Virginia University men's and women's track team both won the USA South Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on April 21, 2022. For the second year in a row, both the men's and women's track team won the 2023 USA South Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Men’s volleyball

* NCAA Division III men's volleyball tournament appearances: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 On March 30, 2019 the Southern Virginia Men's Volleyball team clinched the CVC regular season championship for the 2018–19 season. This was Southern Virginia's first ever conference championship as an NCAA Division III member. On April 13, 2019, Southern Virginia's men's volleyball program captured the University's first conference tournament title and first NCAA DIII Tournament appearance after defeating

Juniata College Juniata College () is a private liberal arts college in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1876 as a co-educational normal school, it was the first college started by members of the Church of the Brethren. It was originally founded as a cent ...

in five sets. On April 23, 2021, the Southern Virginia men's volleyball team lost in the NCAA Division III Final Four to

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

in five sets. This marks the longest a Southern Virginia team has lasted in the school's Division III era. On April 15, 2022, the Southern Virginia men’s volleyball team lost in the first round of the NCAA Division III men's volleyball tournament to Stevens. On April 22, 2023, the Southern Virginia men’s volleyball team lost in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III men's volleyball tournament to Vassar. On April 28, 2025, the Knights swept Springfield at the

Cregger Center The Cregger Center is a multi-purpose athletic and recreation facility in Salem, Virginia. Charles Moir Court is a 2,500 seat arena that houses the Roanoke College Men's and Women's basketball and volleyball teams. Kerr-Cregger Field House is the ...

Salem, Virginia Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combine ...

to win the 2025 NCAA Division III men's volleyball championship. It is the first NCAA championship in school history.

Women’s volleyball

On November 6, 2021 the Southern Virginia Women's Volleyball team won the USA South Athletic Conference tournament championship for the 2021–22 season. This was Southern Virginia's first ever women’s volleyball conference championship. In their first ever appearance in the NCAA Division III women's volleyball tournament, the Southern Virginia Women's Volleyball team lost 0–3 to Emory in the first round. For the second year in a row the Southern Virginia Women's Volleyball team won the USA South Athletic Conference tournament championship for the 2022–23 season. They once again lost in the first round of the NCAA Division III women's volleyball tournament, this time too Carnegie Mellon.

Wrestling

In 2017–18 Nico Ramirez became the first NCAA National Qualifier in Southern Virginia's school history and made it to the second round of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. Starting in the 2022–23 season, the wrestling program began competing in the

Classifications

Conference memberships

;Notes:

National Championships

Team

— (NCSAA) National Small College Athletic Association
— (USCAA) United States Collegiate Athletic Association