About Pioneer Athletics

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At Sacred Heart University, our athletics programs are about more than just competition and winning. Our programs are built on a longstanding tradition of helping our student-athletes realize their potential, strengthen their character, and empower their minds while developing self-confidence and valuable leadership skills.

Our athletic programs are predicated on the philosophy that success in the classroom and positive participation in the greater University community will lead to success on the athletic field.

Our student-athletes have the opportunity to compete against some of the most competitive National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institutions in the nation to develop these valuable life skills. As a full member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) and as an associate member of Atlantic Hockey(AH) and the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), our teams take the field, court, and ice against top-flight national and regional schools.

The Department of Athletics has undergone tremendous growth over the past five years and now fields 32 varsity teams, including 17 women's programs and 15 men's programs, as well as 10 junior varsity teams. Among New England private colleges, Sacred Heart University is one of only a small handful to offer such a diverse assortment of NCAA athletic programs. Sacred Heart University made a major commitment to its athletics programs, bringing them in line with its top-flight academic and service programs, when it elevated the varsity programs to the NCAA Division I level in September 1999.