Coker College Athletics Overview
COKER COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Intercollegiate Athletics
The Department of Athletics at Coker College serves to sponsor and promote activities that will enhance the total educational experience of the institution’s students, promote the recruitment and retention of qualified student-athletes, and assist in the development of campus spirit and pride. Participating students have opportunities for intellectual, social and leadership development through the intercollegiate athletic experience. The mission of this department is consistent with the missions of Coker College, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level and the Conference Carolinas.
Coker fields twelve intercollegiate teams. The men’s program includes baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and tennis while the women’s program includes basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The teams are named after the Coker mascot, the Cobra. The official colors are navy blue and gold.
Conference Affiliation
Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletic conference made up of 12 schools from North and South Carolina. These schools consist of: Anderson University, Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Coker College, Converse College, Erskine College, Lees-McRae 
College, Limestone College, Mount Olive College, Pfeiffer University, Queens University of Charlotte, and St. Andrews Presbyterian College.
Each of the following fifteen sports has a season-ending tournament: Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Women’s Tennis, Men’s Tennis, Men’s Golf, Women’s Golf, Women’s Soccer, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Cross Country, Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Lacrosse, Women’s Lacrosse and Volleyball. Most of these sports have an automatic qualification to NCAA regional competition.
Conference Commissioner Dr. Alan Patterson says, “Conference Carolinas is recognized regionally and nationally as a premier NCAA Division II conference which promotes athletics working in concert with student-athletes committed to academic success.”
National Affiliation – NCAA Division II
Life in the Balance. Higher education has lasting importance on an individual’s future success. For this reason, the emphasis on the student-athlete experience in Division II is a comprehensive program of learning and development in a personal setting. The Division II approach provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletics competition and development of positive societal attitudes in service to community. The balance and integration of these different areas of learning opportunity provide Division II student-athletes a path to graduation, while cultivating a variety of skills and knowledge for life ahead.
Division II Attributes
Learning: multiple opportunities to broaden knowledge and skills
Service: positive societal attitude through contributions to community
Passion: enthusiastic dedication and desire in effort
Sportsmanship: respect for fairness, courtesy; ethical conduct toward others
Resourcefulness: versatile skill set drawn from broad range of experiences
Balance: emphasis on collective knowledge; integration of skills
Points of Interest
• Traditional rivalries with regional institutions are included on the schedules of Coker College.
• Coker College, like other Division II members, usually features a number of local or in-state student-athletes.
• Coker College coaches perform other jobs or functions at the institution such as teaching, administration of events, etc.
• Coker student-athletes, like most other Division II student-athletes, may pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student loans and employment earnings.
• The Department of Athletics at our college is fully integrated into the institution’s operations and budget, like other academic departments on campus.
• The Division II membership, of which Coker College is included, is focused on an “academics first” philosophy and the division’s commitment to academic excellence supports the primary mission for the NCAA schools: “We are preparing student-athletes to go pro in something other than sports.”
• Coker College’s athletic events are affordable, fans are in close proximity to the action and the environment is fan friendly.
