Troy University is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...

Troy, Alabama Troy is a city in and the county seat of Pike County, Alabama, United States. It was formally incorporated on February 4, 1843. Between 1763 and 1783, the area where Troy sits was part of the colony of British West Florida.The Economy of Bri ...

. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priva ...

(SACS) to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. In August 2005, Troy State University, Montgomery; Troy State University, Phenix City; Troy State University, Dothan; and Troy State University (main campus) all merged under one accreditation to become Troy University. Prior to the merger, each campus was independently accredited. The merger combined staff, faculty, and administrators into a single university. Today, the university serves the educational needs of students in four Alabama campuses and 60 teaching sites in 17 U.S. states and 11 countries. Troy University has over 100,000 alumni in 50 states of the U.S. and in other countries.

History

Troy University is a public university with its main campus located in Troy, Alabama. It was founded as a

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

in 1887 with a mission to educate and train new teachers. Over time, the school evolved into a four-year college and in 1957 the Alabama Board of Education adopted the name "Troy State College" and granted it the right to issue master's degrees. In the 1960s the college opened satellite sites in Montgomery, Phenix City, and Dothan to serve the military personnel posted at

Maxwell AFB Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

, Fort Benning and

Fort Rucker Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training installation for U.S. Army Aviators and ...

. More sites associated with military centers located throughout the United States and abroad followed in the subsequent decades. As a leader in online education, Troy University began offering online courses in the Fall Semester of 1997. Troy University is known for its innovation in offering in-class and online academic programs in servicing traditional, nontraditional, and military students. In spring 2018, Troy University was ranked #19 among the "Most Innovative Schools" in '' U.S. News & World Report'' annual peer assessment survey. The main campus enrollment as of the fall of 2016 is 7,911 students. The campus consists of 36 major buildings on plus the adjacent Troy University Arboretum. Telephone Booth at Troy University

At least three prominent political figures have been associated with Troy University. George Wallace Jr., son of the late

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

George C. Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...

, who is a former administrator at the university.

Max Rafferty Maxwell Lewis Rafferty Jr. (May 7, 1917 – June 13, 1982) was an American writer, educator, and politician. The author of several best-selling books about education, Rafferty served two terms as California State Superintendent of Public Instru ...

, the

California Superintendent of Public Instruction The state superintendent of public instruction (SPI) of California is the nonpartisan (originally partisan) elected executive officer of the California Department of Education. The SPI directs all functions of the Department of Education, execut ...

from 1963 to 1971, was dean of the education department from 1971 until his death in 1982. Former Governor

John Malcolm Patterson John Malcolm Patterson (September 27, 1921 – June 4, 2021) was an American politician. Despite having never stood for public office before he served one term as Attorney General of Alabama from 1955 to 1959, and, at age 37, served one term as ...

taught U.S. history at the institution during the 1980s.

Name change

On April 16, 2004, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the institution from Troy State University to Troy University. The transition to the new name was completed in August 2005 and was the fourth in the school's history. When created by the Alabama Legislature on February 26, 1887, it was officially named the Troy State Normal School. The school was located in downtown Troy until moving to the present location on University Avenue in 1930. In 1929, the name was changed to Troy State Teachers College and it subsequently conferred its first baccalaureate degree in 1931. In 1957, the legislature voted both to change the name to Troy State College and to allow it to begin a master's degree program. The name was changed once again in 1967 to Troy State University.

Troy University System

The Troy University System (formerly known as the Troy State University System) is a public university system in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

that coordinates and oversees the three branch universities of Troy University. The system was formed in 1982, as the campuses in Dothan and Montgomery were granted independent accreditation status. In April 2004, "State" was dropped from the university's name to reflect the institution's new, broader focus. In August 2005, all Troy campuses were unified under one accreditation. Troy University has a total of four campuses located across the state of Alabama: * Troy University (main campus) *

Troy University at Montgomery Troy University at Montgomery is a satellite campus of Troy University and is located in Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama. It is part of the Troy University System. The campus is located in the western part of downtown, and includes the ...

Troy University at Dothan Troy University at Dothan is a satellite campus of Troy University and is located in Dothan, Alabama, Dothan, Alabama. The campus has its roots in extension courses offered at Fort Rucker, Fort Rucker, Alabama in the 1950s. A separate Troy Stat ...

Troy University at Phenix City Troy University at Phenix City is a satellite campus of Troy University and is located in Phenix City, Alabama Phenix City is a city in Lee and Russell counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Russell County. As of the ...

In addition to the four campuses, there are also 23 additional support sites across the southeastern United States and other countries.

Academics

Structure

Troy University cumulatively offers 46 bachelor's degree programs, 22 master's degree programs, and 3 doctoral programs.

Schools/colleges

The university is composed of five colleges, a graduate school, and a division of general studies: *College of Arts & Sciences *College of Communications & Fine Arts *College of Education *College of Health & Human Services *The Sorrell College of Business *The Graduate School *The Division of General Studies

Confucius Institute

Established in 2007, the

Confucius Institute Confucius Institutes (CI; ) are public educational and cultural promotion programs funded and arranged currently by the , a government-organized non-governmental organization (GONGO) under the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic o ...

at Troy University is a public institution affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, funded and arranged in part by

Hanban Hanban (), also known as Confucius Institute Headquarters, is the colloquial abbreviation for the Office of Chinese Language Council International (). It was originally called the China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language ( ...

, which is itself affiliated with the

Chinese government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, m ...

, and the stated aim of which is to promote the

Chinese language Chinese (, especially when referring to written Chinese) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and many minority ethnic groups in Greater China. About 1.3 billion people (or approximately 16% of the ...

and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

, support local Chinese teaching, and facilitate cultural exchanges. The institute also offers summer camps for high school students, consultation for economic development, and promotion of Chinese outreach programs. Some have expressed concerns related to academic freedom and political influence of the Chinese government specially regarding such things as the comment of a former senior Chinese official,

Li Changchun Li Changchun (born February 1, 1944) is a retired Chinese politician and a former senior leader of the Chinese Communist Party. He served on the Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party's top leadership council, and as the top official ...

that Confucius Institutes are "an important part of China's overseas propaganda set-up". Troy University was the first college in Alabama to open a Confucius Institute.

Center for International Programs

The university has over 800 international students from 75 countries on the main campus, and offers special programs for students such as the English as Second Language Center (ECL). Troy also has a dormitory named Pace Hall.

Rankings and reputation

In 2018, Troy University's overall acceptance rate was 91%, and the on-time graduation rate was 35%. In 2018, 58% of the freshman class had to take remedial courses in English and mathematics. Troy University considers, but does not require,

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...

or ACT scores for admission. Troy University has acquired different institutional rankings from various sources: *In 2019, ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'' ranked Troy as the 640th-best school in the nation. ''Forbes'' overall ranking centers on the value of the degree obtained by a university's students and measures, in part, the marketplace success of a school's graduate. *'' U.S. News & World Report'' in several categories for Regional Universities, South Region, for 2020: {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" , - , - , Regional University, South , , #51 , - , Top Public Schools , , #27 , - , Best Online Graduate Business Programs (Excluding MBA) , , #61 (tie) , - , Best Online Graduate Business Programs for Veterans (Excluding MBA) , , #27 , - , Best Online MBA Programs , , #95 (tie) , - , Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans , , #53 (tie) , - , Best Online Master's in Criminal Justice Programs , , #17 (tie) , - , Best Online Master's in Criminal Justice Programs for Veterans , , #11 (tie) , - , Best Online Graduate Education Programs , , #89 (tie) , - , Most Innovative Schools , , #14 , - , Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs , , #14 (tie) , - , Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs for Veterans , , #6 (tie) , -

Campus

Troy University's main campus is located near downtown Troy. The campus sits along rolling hills with many old oak trees present along the streets and throughout campus. The first two buildings that were built on campus were John Robert Lewis Hall (formerly Bibb Graves Hall) and Shackelford Hall, both of which are still standing on campus today. Bibb Graves, who was Alabama's governor at the time of the building's dedication, is remembered for commissioning the

Olmsted Brothers The Olmsted Brothers company was a landscape architectural firm in the United States, established in 1898 by brothers John Charles Olmsted (1852–1920) and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. (1870–1957), sons of the landscape architect Frederick Law O ...

architectural firm of Brookline, Massachusetts, to design the campus landscape plan. The Troy University Board of Trustees voted to rename the hall in

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

's honor on August 26, 2020. Across from the chapel is a very small lake named Lake Lagoona, which is the drainage point of the creek that runs through the Trojan Oaks Golf Course. The Trojan Oaks Golf Practice Course, which used to be full-service, 9-hole, 3,211-yard golf course, is one of the pristine features of the campus with its rolling hills, oak and pine trees, and a creek running through most of the course. Troy was one of only 87 universities in the United States to have operate a full-service golf course on its own campus before closing the course and revamping it into a golf practice facility, and is still one of the few schools to operate a 9-hole or greater practice course on its campus. One of the favorite features of the campus is Janice Hawkins Park, which features an amphitheater, walking trails, a lagoon and several prominent art installations. Paved sidewalks curve throughout that park, and a pedestrian bridge straddles the lagoon on one end. Among the art installations are the "Violata Pax Dove", by the artist Fred "Nall" Hollis, and 200 replica terracotta warriors that are spread throughout the park, representing the famous excavations in China.

Student life

Student body

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Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

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Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

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Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

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Economic diversity Economic diversity or economic diversification refers to variations in the economic status or the use of a broad range of economic activities in a region or country. Diversification is used as a strategy to encourage positive economic growth and d ...

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Residence halls

Students who live on campus at Troy have a choice of 12 different residential halls to choose from: * Clements Hall (coed by floor) * Gardner Hall (men) * Hamil Hall (women) * Honors Cottage (coed) * Newman Center (coed by floor) * Pace Hall (coed by floor) * Rushing Hall (formerly New Residence) (coed by building) * Shackelford Hall (coed by floor) * Trojan Village (coed by floor) * University Apartments (coed)

Trojan Dining Hall

The Trojan Dining Hall is a large, two-story state-of-the-art dining hall with a restaurant-style collection of venues. Some of the restaurants inside the dining hall include a Boar's Head Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, The Wild Mushroom, Bella Trattoria, Flying Star Diner, Basic Kneads Artisan Bakery, and Magellan's. The hall also features an outdoor dining area with a large fountain. Trojan Dining Hall 6

Trojan Center

The Trojan Center is the activity center on campus for students. It features a movie theater, meeting rooms, gathering spaces, large ballrooms, the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore, Starbucks, mail room, student activity offices, and a food court that features restaurants such as Chick-fil-A,

Steak 'n Shake Steak 'n Shake Operations, Inc. (doing business as Steak 'n Shake) is an American casual restaurant chain concentrated primarily in the Midwestern United States with locations also in the South, Mid-Atlantic and Western United States, Europe, ...

, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Mein Bowl,

Great American Cookies Great American Cookie Co., doing business as Great American Cookies is an American chain of independently owned and operated franchised stores that specialize in gourmet cookies, especially cookie cakes. It has over 290 stores in the U.S., part ...

, and

Marble Slab Creamery Marble Slab Creamery (Marble Slab) is an American chain of ice cream shops owned by FAT Brands. Its corporate offices are in Atlanta, Georgia. There are more than 392 stores in various countries, all independently owned and franchised. Histo ...

Recreation

Many recreational activities are available on campus. The Trojan Fitness Center offers fitness machines, free weights, and cardiovascular machines. Trojan Games recreation room has two billiard tables, two table tennis tables, and a foosball game. The Natatorium houses an eight-lane Olympic-style pool. The Recreation Center Gym has two basketball courts, a cardio room, a dance room, and a large outside pool. Wright Hall Gym, located adjacent to the Natatorium, offers a basketball court, two volleyball courts, and four badminton courts. The Intramural Fields consist of four flag football fields, two softball fields, and one soccer field. Trojan Arena, the newest facility on campus, is the home to the basketball, volleyball, and track programs, as well as being used for the university's commencement ceremonies and other special events with seating capacity of 6,000. The new Trojan Arena replaces the university's longtime basketball and events facility, Sartain Hall, which opened in 1962. Trojan Arena is equipped with 5,600 chair-back seats and several VIP suites and boxes. Under the main court is of basketball practice space. Beyond the normal concession area is a food court-style lounge and a simulated court area on the concourse. The arena includes seven upper-level suites and an exclusive Stadium Club area for donors, while also adding floor seating for students. Among the latest technology features of the new arena is a three-tiered rotunda at the main entrance, an interior concourse with concession stands, and a food court-styled dining center with various specialty food items. It features an LED ribbon board that panoramically encircles the entire arena with two video boards that enhances the total sports gaming experience, the only one of its kind in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojan Arena is also home to the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, with digital displays of its honored members located adjacent to the rotunda. The campus also features a natatorium that includes a 9-lane, Olympic-sized swimming pool. The university is currently in the middle of building an exclusive $25 million recreation center for students. The facility will be located in the area formerly known as the Sartain Hall parking lot, near George Wallace Drive. Once completed, the building will house a multi-activity court, a basketball court, a free-weight training area, a circuit weight training area, special aerobic rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a multi-level walking track and four offices.

Greek life

Twenty-two traditional Greek organizations are on Troy's campus. In 2019, about 10% of undergraduate men and 13% of undergraduate women were active in Troy's Greek system. Troy's IFC and NPC organizations have traditional Greek housing for members use. {, style="text-align:left; class="wikitable" , - ! IFC Fraternities , Alpha Tau Omega (ΑΤΩ) , ,

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fiftee ...

(ΔΚΕ) , ,

Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha (), commonly known as Lambda Chi, is a college fraternity in North America which was founded at Boston University in 1909. It is one of the largest social fraternities in North America, with more than 300,000 lifetime members a ...

(ΛΧΑ) , ,

Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as or Teke, is a social college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899, at Illinois Wesleyan University. The organization has chapters throughout the United States and Canada, making the Fraternity an interna ...

(TKE) , , FarmHouse (FH) , ,

Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi (), commonly known as Pi Kapp(s), is an American Greek Letter secret and social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston i ...

(ΠΚΦ) , ,

Sigma Chi Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American fraternal literary societies. The fraternity has 244 active (undergraduate) chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more t ...

(ΣΧ) , - ! NPC Sororities ,

Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Gamma Delta (), also known as Alpha Gam, is an international women's fraternity and social organization. It was founded on May 30, 1904, by eleven female students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, making it the youngest member ...

(ΑΓΔ) , ,

Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Delta Pi (), commonly known as ADPi (pronounced "ay-dee-pye"), is an International Panhellenic sorority founded on May 15, 1851, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It is the oldest secret society for women. Alpha Delta Pi is a memb ...

(ΑΔΠ) , ,

Chi Omega Chi Omega (, also known as ChiO) is a women's fraternity and a member of the National Panhellenic Conference, the umbrella organization of 26 women's fraternities. Chi Omega has 181 active collegiate chapters and approximately 240 alumnae chap ...

(ΧΩ) , ,

Phi Mu Phi Mu () is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. The fraternity was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia as the Philomathean Society on , and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same y ...

(ΦΜ) , ,

Kappa Delta Kappa Delta (, also known as KD or Kaydee) was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University), in Farmville, Virginia. Kappa Delta is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university, whic ...

(ΚΔ) , , Alpha Omicron Pi (ΑΟΠ) , , , - ! NPHC Greek Life , Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) , ,

Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic ach ...

(ΖΦΒ) , , Delta Sigma Theta (ΔΣθ) , , Phi Beta Sigma (ФВΣ) , , Sigma Gamma Rho (ΣΓΡ) , , Omega Psi Phi (ΩΨΦ) , ,

Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never restricted membership on the basis of color, creed ...

(ΚΑΨ) , , Alpha Phi Alpha (ΑΦΑ) , , Iota Phi Theta (ΙΦΘ) Gamma Phi Delta Christian Fraternity

Music organizations

These six music organizations function under the supervision of the John M. Long School of Music: *

Phi Mu Alpha Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...

Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi), is a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November 27, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, at Oklahoma Agricult ...

Sigma Alpha Iota Sigma Alpha Iota () is a women's music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its m ...

Tau Beta Sigma Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority, (, colloquially referred to as TBSigma or TBS) is a co-educational service sorority. The sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Santa Fe Depot in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,800 active ...

* Phi Boota Roota * cNAfME, a student affiliate of the National Association for Music Education

Student media

The school newspaper, the ''Tropolitan'' (commonly referred to as "''The Trop''"), is located on the bottom floor of Wallace Hall. It is a weekly publication, written and produced entirely by students. The ''Palladium'' is located in adjacent offices in the same building. The Tropolitan has been ranked as one of the best college newspapers in the country, and was ranked as the #6 Best College Newspaper by the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC) in 2017. Also located in Wallace Hall is Troy University Television, also referred to as Troy TrojanVision. Troy University Television broadcasts three live entirely student-produced newscasts twice daily. TrojanVision Global News, TrojanVision Midday & TrojanVision Nightly News. Troy TrojanVision also produces a 30-minute sports show, Trojan Sports Now, every week. TrojanVision streams live online and can be seen at the university's YouTube page. Some of the students that major in broadcasting also help to produce ESPN sporting events for the university, including football, basketball, and baseball games. in 2017, TrojanVision was ranked as the #1 Best College TV Station by the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC).

The "Sound of the South" marching band

The Sound of the South is the official marching band of Troy University. The

marching band A marching band is a group of musical instrument, instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instrument, brass, woodwind instrument, woodwind, and percus ...

was established in 1939 and has been referred to by its current name since 1965. The band was named by John M. Long soon after he was hired as band director. The band, now boasting over 300 members on a regular basis, has enjoyed major success in performing at hundreds of marching band competitions, as well as dozens of different college and professional athletic venues. The band usually follows the football team to almost every away game, and has a smaller pep-band that plays at every home basketball game. It was during the thirty-two year tenure of Johnny Long, as he was commonly referred to, that the band program at Troy University established a prominent national reputation through its many featured appearances at music conventions, concert tours and recordings with the symphony band, as well as several nationally televised appearances with the "Sound of the South"

Marching Band A marching band is a group of musical instrument, instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instrument, brass, woodwind instrument, woodwind, and percus ...

. The band's "trademark" piece that is played before every performance of the band is called "The Fanfare" and was written by John M. Long in 1965.

Athletics

Troy State Normal School began its sports program in 1909, when it fielded its first football team. Through the early years, Troy's athletics nicknames were not official and varied by the sport and the coach. Eventually, teams all began to use the name "Troy State Teachers", but when the athletic teams moved into NAIA competition, the nickname was then changed to the "Red Wave". In the early 1970s, the student body voted to change the name to Trojans after many felt that Red Wave was too similar to the University of Alabama's nickname, the Crimson Tide. Prior to becoming a member of NCAA Division I athletics in 1993, Troy University was a member of the Gulf South Conference of the NCAA Division II ranks. Troy's primary rivals were Jacksonville State University, Livingston University (now the University of West Alabama), and the University of North Alabama. In 2004, Troy joined the Sun Belt Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Football

Troy University began playing football in 1909. The program has won three national championships, the NAIA national football championship in 1968, and the NCAA Division II national football championship in 1984 and 1987. Troy transitioned to the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined the conference for all other sports in 2005. In 2001, Troy defeated Mississippi State at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi, by a score of 21–9 which was the Trojans' first victory over a BCS level program. In 2004, the Trojans defeated a ranked BCS program for the first time ever, defeating #17 Missouri 24–14 at home on ESPN2. The Trojan football team made its first bowl game appearance in the Silicon Valley Football Classic on December 30, 2004, but lost to Northern Illinois, 34–21. In 2006, Troy won the Sun Belt Conference for the first time after defeating Middle Tennessee State toward the end of the 2006 season. Troy represented the Sun Belt Conference in the 2006 New Orleans Bowl as the conference champion for the first time where the Trojans defeated the Rice Owls of Conference USA by a score of 41–17. Troy participated in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl where the Trojans routed Ohio by a score of 48–21. Troy has most recently participated in the 2016 Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, which the Trojans won over Ohio 28–23. Former Troy football head coach

Larry Blakeney Larry Blakeney (born September 21, 1947) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Troy University from 1991 to 2014, compiling a record of 178–113–1 in 24 seasons. He is one of only two coaches t ...

served 25 seasons as head coach between 1990 and the end of the 2014 season. He has led the program to three Southland Football Conference titles and five Sun Belt Conference titles, as well as guided the Trojans to seven FCS playoff appearances and five FBS bowl games. Blakeney boasts an overall record of 178–113–1 as head coach at Troy. Blakeney is the winningest coach in the Troy University history and he is the 4th-winningest collegiate coach all time in the state of Alabama, only behind

Paul "Bear" Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of t ...

Cleve Abbott Cleveland Leigh "Cleve" Abbott (some sources say "Cleveland S. Abbott") (December 9, 1894 – April 14, 1955) was an American football player, coach and educator. He was the head coach of the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers football team fr ...

, and Ralph "Shug" Jordan. Blakeney is one of two coaches in college football history to be the head coach of a football program during its transition from Division II to I-A (the other being UCF's

Gene McDowell Eugene McDowell (July 4, 1939 – January 26, 2021) was an American college football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at University of Central Florida (UCF) from 1985 to 1997, compiling a record of 8 ...

Basketball

The Troy University men's basketball team was under the direction of head coach Don Maestri for 31 years until his retirement in 2013. Coach Maestri is the winningest coach in school history, with exactly 500 career wins, and he has won numerous conference coach-of-the-year awards during his tenure at Troy University. The program has won 11 conference championships in basketball, with six of them coming in the Division I era. On January 12, 1992, Troy defeated DeVry University of Atlanta by the score of 258–141 (or 253–141, according to some journalists). This is the highest-scoring game in

NCAA basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athle ...

history and Troy State's score of 258 is the highest score in NCAA basketball history. The Trojans competed in the 2003 NCAA Tournament in Nashville against Xavier University after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference title. In 2004, Troy was an NIT participant in a match-up against Niagara University. In 2008, coach Maestri was inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony in

Dothan, Alabama Dothan () is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties and the Houston county seat in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is Alabama's eighth-largest city, with a population of 71,072 at the 2020 census. It is near the state's southeastern corner ...

. In 2009, the Trojans finished 3rd place in the Sun Belt Conference and competed in the CBI against College of Charleston. After winning the Sun Belt regular-season title in 2010, the Trojans would be invited to play in the NIT once again against Ole Miss. Maestri is a member of the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame. Maestri was replaced by Phil Cunningham on March 26, 2013. The Troy University women's basketball team is currently under the direction of head coach

Chanda Rigby Chanda Rigby (born April 16, 1968) is an American basketball coach. Since 2012, she has been the head coach of the Troy Trojans women's basketball The Troy Trojans women's basketball program is the intercollegiate women's basketball of Troy ...

, a junior college standout and coaching veteran. The previous coach was Craig Kennedy.

Baseball

The Troy University baseball team won two Division II national championships in 1986 and 1987 under the leadership of coach Chase Riddle. One of Troy's biggest victories in baseball came in April 1998 when the Trojans knocked off the #3 nationally ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide by a score of 8–4 at Riddle-Pace Field on the Troy campus. Under the direction of current head coach Bobby Pierce, the Trojan baseball program has competed in the NCAA Baseball Tournament in 2006 and 2007. Troy also competed in the 1995 and 1997 NCAA Division One tournament under head coach John Mayotte. In 1999, the program tied the NCAA Division I record for most hits in the 6th inning, belting 14 hits (in the 6th) in a 34–4 rout of Stetson.

Rodeo

The program's governing body is the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. The rodeo program's home facility is the Pike County Cattlemen's Arena in Troy where it hosts a three-day rodeo each October that features college rodeo programs from throughout the southern region of the United States. Troy University calf roper Ben Mayworth won the 2007 national title in Casper, Wyoming, at the National Finals Collegiate Rodeo.

Women's soccer

The Troy University women's soccer team began in 2003 when the stadium, Jesse H. Colley Track/Soccer Stadium, was first constructed, seating 500. Later, in 2010, the stadium was renovated to include a press box to be used by both the track and soccer team. The field, costing around $1 million to build, measures about 115 yards by 75 yards. The team plays in the Sun Belt Conference, along with: South Alabama, Georgia State, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Arkansas State, Louisiana, Texas State, Little Rock, and ULM. Though, they are currently last in the east division with four conference points, compared to the leader's, South Alabama's, twenty-four points. Currently the team is led by head coach Ged O'Connor, and assistant coaches Nicole Waters and the new addition Kayla Saager. Ged O'Connor, hired in January 2017, is just the seventh head coach in this program's history. O'Connor had prior experience to coaching from being the head coach of the Saint Leo University women's soccer team for eleven seasons. Furthermore, Nicole Waters will enter her third season with the Troy University women's soccer program come fall of 2021. Before Troy, Waters was a graduate assistant at Mercer University for two seasons. She is a Canada native, but after her collegiate career at Dayton, coach Waters played professionally at FC Slovacko Zeny of the Czech Republican league. The newly hired Kayla Saager joined the Trojans in 2020. Her soccer experience includes playing at three colleges in her career (NC State, West Virginia, and Binghamton). Saager will be held responsible for coaching the Troy University's attacking side, specifically.

Campus academic features

Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors

The Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors was established on the campus of what was then known as Troy State University in Troy, Alabama by the National Band Association in 1979. The Hall of Fame contains the picture and biographies of band directors who have distinguished themselves in some way or who have made significant contributions to the field of band directing, conducting, or leadership.

The Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy

Troy University's Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy was formed in September, 2010 as the result of a $3.6 million gift from Troy alumnus Dr. Manuel H. Johnson,

BB&T BB&T Corporation (previously known as the Branch Banking and Trust Company) was one of the largest banking and financial services firms in the United States, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2019, BB&T announced its intentions to merge ...

, and the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. The center's mission is the advancement of

free market In economics, a free market is an economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of government or any ot ...

economic ideas and its research and teaching efforts explore the idea that economic freedom improves the quality of life for citizens. The new center is part of the university's Sorrell College of Business and it is housed inside Bibb Graves Hall. Dr.

Scott Beaulier Scott Beaulier is an American economist and academic administrator who is Dean of Business and Professor of Economics for the University of Wyoming's College of Business. He was previously Dean of North Dakota State University's College of Busines ...

served as the center's executive director from 2010 to 2015.

University libraries

The libraries on the Dothan, Montgomery, and Troy campuses house collections of more than 500,000 bound volumes, 40,000 media items, and nearly 1 million items in micro-form. The Troy University Library on the Troy campus is a

Federal Depository Library The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is a government program created to make U.S. federal government publications available to the public at no cost. As of April 2021, there are 1,114 depository libraries in the United States and its ter ...

Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park

The Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park is a park on the Troy University campus that features an amphitheater, walking trails, a lagoon and the International Arts Center, which houses two art galleries and an interpretive center known as Warriors Unearthed. In addition, there are 200 replica terracotta warriors designed by the artist Huo Bao Zhu that are displayed throughout the park in exhibits representing the historic excavations in China. It is built in the honor of Mrs. Janice Hawkins.

Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences

The university was recently awarded a $3.2 million grant from NIST to establish the Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences, a facility for research in recycling of plastic materials. The establishment of the center will facilitate and enhance Troy University's partnership with the local

plastic recycling Plastic recycling is the reprocessing of plastic waste into new products. When performed correctly, this can reduce dependence on landfill, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. A ...

industry in order to increase competitiveness in the marketplace. This will assist in improving and increasing job creation in Pike County. The assistance of Senator Shelby (R-Ala) was instrumental in obtaining the funding for this venture.

Notable alumni

File:WilliamGGregory.jpg,

William G. Gregory William George "Borneo" Gregory (born May 14, 1957) is an American retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force lieutenant colonel. Early life and education Gregory was born in Lockport (city), New York, Lockport, New York, into an Al ...

, 1984 File:KevinRKregel.jpg,

Kevin R. Kregel Kevin Richard Kregel (born September 16, 1956) is an American former astronaut, and former member of the Space Launch Initiative Project at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Personal data Born on September 16, 1956, Kregel grew up in Amityville ...

, 1988 File:Kevin A. Ford.jpg,

Kevin A. Ford Kevin Anthony Ford (born July 7, 1960) is a retired United States Air Force Colonel and NASA astronaut. Ford has received a number of special honors and awards, some of which are the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation M ...

, 1989 File:James Halsell.jpg,

James D. Halsell James Donald Halsell Jr. (born September 29, 1956) is a retired United States Air Force officer, a former NASA astronaut. The veteran of five Space Shuttle missions pled guilty in 2021 to two counts of manslaughter and two counts of assault ...

, 1983 File:Medal of Honor (15257829652).jpg, Bennie G. Adkins File:Lt Gen Howell.png,

Scott A. Howell Scott Alan Howell (born 1965) is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force, who most recently served as the 15th commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He previously served as the vi ...

, 1995 File:Gen Lori J. Robinson (2).jpg, Lori Robinson, 1992 File:CMSgt James A. Roy.jpg, James A. Roy, 2000 File:MarshallBWebb.jpg,

Marshall B. Webb Marshall Bradley "Brad" Webb (born November 27, 1961) is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who last served as commander of the Air Education and Training Command. He previously served as Commander, United States Air Force Speci ...

, 1994 File:Charles F Wald.jpg, Charles F. Wald, 1982 File:General Alfred G. Hansen - USAF.JPEG, Alfred G. Hansen, 1972 File:Gordon S. Holder.jpg, Gordon S. Holder File:Honore 300.jpg,

Russel L. Honoré Russel L. Honoré ( ; born September 15, 1947) is a retired lieutenant general who served as the 33rd commanding general of the U.S. First Army at Fort Gillem, Georgia. He is best known for serving as commander of Joint Task Force Katrina resp ...

File:Manuel H. Johnson.jpg, Manuel H. Johnson, 1973 File:Bobby Bright official photo.JPG,

Bobby Bright Bobby Neal Bright Sr. (born July 21, 1952) is an American former lawyer, farmer, and former politician who served as a U.S. Representative and was previously the three term Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama. He served from 2009 to 2011 as the Represe ...

, 1977 File:Steve Southerland, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg, Steve Southerland File:John M. Bednarek (3).jpg,

John Michael Bednarek John Michael "Mick" Bednarek is a retired United States Army officer. He was chief of the United States Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq and former commander of the United States First Army. Bednarek took command of the First Army on April ...

File:Don Gaetz (R-4th).jpg,

Don Gaetz Donald Jay Gaetz ( ; born January 22, 1948) is a Republican politician who served as a member of the Florida State Senate from 2006 to 2016, representing parts of Northwest Florida. He was Senate president from 2012 to 2014. He is the father of C ...

File:Bray Wyatt 2017.jpg,

Windham Rotunda Windham Lawrence Rotunda (born May 23, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bray Wyatt. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler, fol ...

aka

Bray Wyatt Windham Lawrence Rotunda (born May 23, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bray Wyatt. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler, fo ...

File:Vincent_Hancock_Rio_2016.jpg,

Vincent Hancock Vincent Charles Hancock (born March 19, 1989, in Port Charlotte, Florida) is an American shooter and Olympian who won the gold medal in the men's skeet at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing (with a then Olympic record), 2012 Summer Olympics in ...

, 2014 File:DeMarcus Ware.JPG,

DeMarcus Ware DeMarcus Omar Ware (born July 31, 1982) is an American former football outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Troy University and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in th ...

, 2005 File:Osi Umenyiora.jpg,

Osi Umenyiora Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for Troy University and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Umenyiora was a ...

, 2003 File:DuJuan Harris.JPG,

DuJuan Harris DuJuan LaTroy Harris (born September 3, 1988) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Troy, and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011. Early years Harris attended Central Hig ...

, 2009 File:Leodis McKelvin.jpg,

Leodis McKelvin Leodis Anquan McKelvin (born September 4, 1985) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist. He played college football for Troy Trojans football, Troy University and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 11th overall in the 2008 NF ...

, 2008 File:Clint Robinson (19434636898).jpg, Clint Robinson, 2007 File:Mike Rivera 2009.jpg, Mike Rivera, 1997

References

External links

*
Troy University athletics website
{{Authority control Public universities and colleges in Alabama Buildings and structures in Pike County, Alabama Educational institutions established in 1887 Education in Houston County, Alabama Education in Pike County, Alabama Education in Russell County, Alabama Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 1887 establishments in Alabama