TCNJ Lions
Logo
UniversityThe College of New Jersey
ConferenceNew Jersey Athletic Conference
NCAADivision III
Athletic directorAmanda V. DeMartino
LocationEwing, New Jersey
Varsity teams11 men's, 11 women's
Football stadiumLions Stadium
Basketball arenaPacker Hall
Baseball stadiumGeorge Ackerman Park
Softball stadiumDr. June Walker Field
Soccer stadiumTCNJ Soccer Complex
Aquatics centerTCNJ Aquatic Center
MascotRoscoe the Lion
NicknameLions
Colors     
Websitetcnjathletics.com

The TCNJ Lions are the athletic teams representing The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). They are a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and compete within Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).[1]

Overview

The school fields 11 varsity sports teams for men and women each and has captured 44 team national championships, as well as more than 40 individual and relay national championships, across multiple programs. The school's two most successful are the Women's Lacrosse team with 12 NCAA Division III Championships and the Women's Field Hockey team with 11 Division III NCAA Championships, the most of any team in D-III for either sport.

The wrestling team hosts has placed in the top 20 nationally for 30 consecutive years, including 5 national championships (1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987), 5 runner-up finishes, and numerous finishes in the top 5.

TCNJ's varsity teams are the top combined first- and second-place finishers of all 424 Division III schools in the nation over more than 25 years.[2]

In 1957, TCNJ, then known as Trenton State College, was a founding member of the NJAC (then called the New Jersey State Athletic Conference) along with five other state institutions.[3] Since then, and after the conference allowed women's sports in 1985, the school has been a powerhouse winning the most titles in men's cross country, women's cross country, field hockey, women's tennis, women's soccer.

The track and field teams have especially dominated the NJAC since the title was first contested in 1997, winning each year in both indoor and outdoor.

In 2017–18, TCNJ captured its first NJAC cup, after claiming titles in women’s cross country, field hockey, women’s tennis, women’s indoor track & field, and women’s lacrosse, and NJAC regular season titles in softball and baseball.[4][5]

Outside of varsity athletics the school also hosts 15 club sports including a men's ice hockey team that competes within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) at Division I.[6][7] The team is a member of the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League. Prior to 2022, the team competed in ACHA Division II and won championships in various conferences such as the Great Northeast Collegiate Hockey Conference (2012, 2014) and the Colonial States College Hockey Conference (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).[8]

Men's athletics

Women's athletics

Club sports

Championships

National and NCAA championships[edit]

Field Hockey 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2011, 2014
Women’s Lacrosse 1981 (AIAW), 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992*, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2006
Men's Soccer 1964 (NAIA), 1965 (NAIA), 1996
Women’s Soccer 1993, 1994, 2000
Softball 1980 (AIAW), 1981 (AIAW), 1983, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996
Women’s Tennis 1986
Wrestling 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987

New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championships[edit]

Baseball 1960, 1961, 1981, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2017, 2019
Men's Basketball 1967, 1989, 1998, 2019
Women's Basketball 2001, 2004, 2006, 2009
Men's Cross Country 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021
Women's Cross Country 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
Field Hockey 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
Football 1980, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2007
Women's Lacrosse 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Men's Soccer 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1994, 2005
Women's Soccer 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019
Softball 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2019
Men's Swimming and Diving 1994, 1995, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Women's Swimming and Diving 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Men's Tennis 1997, 1998, 2019[11]
Women's Tennis 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Men's Track & Field (Indoor) 1998,1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Men's Track & Field (Outdoor) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Women's Track & Field (Indoor) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2019
Women's Track & Field (Outdoor)[12] 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

References

  1. ^ "TCNJ Lions". Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  2. ^ "TCNJ Athletics Championship Records" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  3. ^ "About the NJAC". njacsports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  4. ^ "TCNJ Captures 2017-18 NJAC Cup".
  5. ^ "TCNJ Captures NJAC Cup -". tcnjathletics.com.
  6. ^ "Sport Clubs | Department of Recreation and Wellness". Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  7. ^ "TCNJ Ice Hockey - ACHA Men's D-II | The College of New Jersey Lions". tcnj.pointstreaksites.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  8. ^ Battista, Michael (February 18, 2019). "TCNJ WIN 3RD STRAIGHT COLONIAL CUP!". Colonial States College Hockey Conference. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  9. ^ "Louisville isn't the 1st NCAA champion to vacate a championship -- here are the rest". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  10. ^ "The College of New Jersey NCAA Division III National Championships" (PDF). TCNJ Athletics. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "No. 28 TCNJ Captures NJAC Men's Tennis Title". njacsports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  12. ^ "New Jersey Athletic Conference Champions" (PDF). TCNJ Athletics. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
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