The University of New Haven has one of the finest comprehensive athletic programs in the Northeast Region, with a rich history and tradition of advancing to both conference and NCAA postseason tournament play. UNH has been a proud member of NCAA Division II since the early 1980's and continued the D-II tradition by joining the prestigious Northeast-10 Conference during the 2008-09 season.
Charger student-athletes have represented the University of New Haven with class and dignity throughout the Department of Athletics' long history. UNH has produced Hall of Fame coaches and student-athletes that have gone on to professional careers as players, coaches and administrators. Chargers have earned All-America awards for their hard work on the playing fields and Academic All-America honors for their persistence in the classroom.
The school's all-time accomplishments are too numerous to list in one place, but each team's media guide lists their season-by-season results and awards. Some of our selected athletic highlights are listed below, and our over 150 all-time NCAA, NAIA and EAIAW tournament appearances are listed below.
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·          Women's Basketball won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1987, becoming the first team from the Northeast Region to win the title. They have appeared in the Elite Eight on three occasions, most recently in 2015.
·          Women's track and field has produced arguably the most successful individual student-athlete in Charger athletics history. Shannon Gagne won an unmatched five national championships during the 2010-11 academic year and helped bring the program a fourth place finish at the 2011 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championship meet - the highest finish in program history.
·          The New Haven women's volleyball team remains one of the most decorated programs in Charger history. In the over 40-year history of the program, the Chargers have won 23 conference championships, advanced to the NCAA Tournament 36 times, including making 21 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 14 trips to the Elite Eight.
·          Baseball has consistently been ranked as one of the winningest Division II programs in NCAA history. Baseball Coach Emeritus Frank "Porky" Vieira retired after the 2006 season as Division II's all-time winningest coach by percentage, and logged 1,127 career victories. The team has appeared in 17 College World Series and made 39 regional appearances, including their most recent run in 2018.
·          Baseball has also produced 10 major league players, including former Cy Young winner Steve Bedrosian of the Philadelphia Phillies and First Round Draft Pick Cameron Drew.
·          The football program has appeared in 10 NCAA championship playoffs, earning runner-up status in 1997. At the time, the title-game appearance made UNH the only football team in the State of Connecticut to ever compete for a national title and the smallest school (in terms of enrollment) to compete for an NCAA Championship. Most recently, the football program has appeared in the NCAA playoffs in four of the last five seasons, including advancing to the second round in 2018 and 2021.
·          Tailback Roger Graham won the 1993 Harlon Hill Trophy as the top Division II Football Player in the nation.
·          Men's Soccer reached the NCAA finals in 1976 and finished third in 1977.Â
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Men's Cross Country
NCAA National Qualifiers: 1979, 2001
Women's Cross Country
NCAA National Qualifier: 2004
Baseball
NCAA World Series: 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1998
NCAA Regionals: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2024
NAIA World Series: 1966, 1970
NAIA Regionals: 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
Men's Basketball
NCAA Elite Eight:Â 2023
NCAA Regionals: 1987, 1988, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023
NAIA Nationals: 1966, 1968, 1969
Women's Basketball
NCAA National Champions: 1987
NCAA Elite 8: 1987, 1988, 2015
NCAA Regionals: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2024
Football
NCAA Runner-up: 1997
NCAA Semifinals: 1992, 1997
NCAA Regionals: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Men's Golf
NCAA Nationals: 1970 (7th)
NCAA Regionals: 1970, 2005
NCAA Nationals (Individual): 2004
NCAA Regionals (Individual): 2004, 2006, 2007
Men's Lacrosse
NCAA Regionals: 1977, 1978
Women's Lacrosse
NCAA Regionals: 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024
Men's Track & Field
NCAA National Qualifiers: 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2023
Women's Track & Field
NCAA National Champion (Individual): 2011
NCAA National Qualifiers: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022
Men's Soccer
NCAA Runner-up: 1976
NCAA Semifinals: 1976, 1977, 1984
NCAA Regionals: 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984
NAIA Nationals: 1970
NAIA Regionals: 1967, 1970, 1971
Women's Soccer
NCAA Regionals: 2005, 2006
Softball
NCAA Regionals: 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021
Women's Volleyball
NCAA Final 8: 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2017
NCAA Regionals: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
EAIAW: 1978, 1981
