University of Vermont - Athletics

Athletics

Main article: Vermont Catamounts See also: Vermont Catamounts men's ice hockey, Vermont Catamounts men's basketball, and Vermont Catamounts women's ice hockey

The athletic teams at UVM are known as the Catamounts. The university offers 18 varsity sports. Women's teams include basketball, cross-country, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, swimming and diving, and track and field (indoor and outdoor). Men's teams include basketball, cross-country, ice hockey, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, and track and field (indoor and outdoor). All teams compete at the NCAA Division I level. Most teams compete in the America East Conference. Men's and women's hockey teams compete in the Hockey East Association. The alpine and Nordic ski teams compete in the E.I.S.A. (Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association).

UVM’s athletic teams won seven straight America East Academic Cups (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011) for the best overall combined GPA among its student-athletes. UVM is the first school in the America East Conference to win three straight years and four times overall.

Highlights of recent varsity athletic seasons include the men's hockey teams trip to the Frozen Four in 2009 and women's and men's basketball teams advancement to the 2010 NCAA tournament following America East tournament championships, as well as men's basketball's advancement to the 2012 NCAA tournament following another America East championship, their 5th in 10 years (defeating Stony Brook 51-43). Also in 2012, the ski team won the NCAA Title in Bozeman, MT. This was their first NCAA Title since 1994.

Thirty-six former UVM athletes have competed in 16 Olympic Games (13 winter, 3 summer) and combined have won six Olympic medals.

In the winter of 2009, director of athletics Dr. Robert Corran announced that after the 2009 season, the UVM baseball and softball teams would be cut in order to bridge a severe budget gap the college was facing. Proposed budgets for 2009-2010 show much of the money from the cut programs has been re-allocated to Women's hockey, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse programs.