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Cheyney Wolves
View on WikipediaThe Cheyney Wolves are the athletic sports teams for Cheyney University. They compete as an independent and formerly played in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).[2] Women's sports include basketball, cheerleading and volleyball. Basketball is the only men's sport the university currently offers as of 2019.
Key Information
Basketball
[edit]The men's basketball program is 7th all-time in NCAA win percentage, including 16 PSAC conference championships, four Final Fours, and one National Championship (1978), as coached by John Chaney, who coached from 1972 to 1982.
In 1982, coached by C. Vivian Stringer, the team competed in the championship game of the inaugural NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament despite being a Division II school. They are the only HBCU to reach a Division I Final Four. After Stringer left in 1983, she was replaced by Winthrop McGriff, who led them to the Final Four in the 1984 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, becoming the first Black man to lead a women's team to the Final Four and the only one for three decades.[3][4]
Both Chaney and Stringer would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, making Cheyney one of three schools to have had future Naismith Hall of Fame men’s and women’s basketball head coaches employed at the same time.[5]
Probation
[edit]During the 2007–08 through 2010–11 academic years, the university violated NCAA rules in the certification of initial, transfer and continuing eligibility involving all sports programs. During the four-year period, numerous student-athletes competed while ineligible due to improper certification. In amateurism certification alone, 109 student-athletes practiced, competed and received travel expenses and/or athletically related financial aid before the university received their amateurism certification status from the NCAA Eligibility Center. The committee also concluded that a former compliance director failed to monitor when she did not follow proper procedures in the certification of student-athletes’ eligibility. The entire athletics program was on probation until August 2019.[6]
For the 2018–19 academic year, Cheyney withdrew from the PSAC and Division II and played that season as an independent. The football team, suspended since being unable to afford the trip to the Turkey Day Classic in November 2017, did not play.[7]
By 2019, the status quo from 2018–19 continued; the Wolves offer only basketball and women's volleyball, both of which primarily play Division III and community college teams. By 2024, cross-country and track and field had been re-added for both men and women.
References
[edit]- ^ Cheyney University Athletic Style Guide (PDF). Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ "Cheyney Wolves". cheyneywolves.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ^ "Staley: Final 4 shows what Black women can do". 31 March 2021. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ Twyman, Lisa. "IT HAS BEEN A LONG HARD ROAD". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ Pickman, Ben (31 March 2022). "The Lost History of the Only HBCU to Make the Final Four". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Cheyney penalized after committing eligibility certification violations". August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ Robinson, Wesley (March 20, 2018). "Cheyney University drops NCAA Division II status in restructuring of its athletic department". PennLive.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
These are extremely difficult but necessary decisions that are being made on behalf of our entire student population, and to help ensure the university's future," Walton said. "We want to continue to provide our student athletes the opportunity to participate as part of the overall college experience.
External links
[edit]Cheyney Wolves
View on GrokipediaThe Cheyney Wolves are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, a historically Black university located in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, competing primarily in NCAA Division II sports such as men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and cross country and track and field.[1][2] The program's most prominent achievements occurred in basketball during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the men's team, under coach John Chaney, captured the 1978 NCAA Division II national championship, marking the only such title for a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education institution at that level.[3] Concurrently, the women's team, led by coach Vivian Stringer—who volunteered her services initially—advanced to the 1982 NCAA Division I Final Four and national championship game after defeating Auburn, NC State, Kansas State, and Maryland, becoming the first and only historically Black college or university squad to reach that milestone in either men's or women's basketball.[4][5][6] Despite these historic successes, the Wolves have encountered ongoing challenges, including the discontinuation of several sports like football and a period of independent competition without full conference affiliation as of the early 2020s, reflecting broader financial and institutional strains at the university.[7][8]
Overview
Affiliation and Conference History
The Cheyney Wolves athletic teams competed as members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) within NCAA Division II for several decades, sponsoring sports including men's and women's basketball, football, track and field, cross country, volleyball, and others.[9] The program achieved notable success in the PSAC, securing 16 conference championships across various sports prior to 2018.[10] In March 2018, amid ongoing financial difficulties, Cheyney University announced its withdrawal from the PSAC and relinquishment of NCAA Division II status, effective at the conclusion of the 2017–18 academic year.[11] This decision led to the suspension of most athletic programs, retaining only men's and women's basketball, cross country, and track and field to focus resources on academic priorities and institutional stabilization.[12] Following the transition, the Wolves shifted to NCAA Division III competition as an independent institution, without affiliation to a specific conference.[13] This status persisted as of 2021, with the university competing in a limited schedule of non-conference games and meets for the active sports.[14] No subsequent affiliation with a new conference has been established, reflecting continued emphasis on fiscal sustainability over expanded athletic participation.[15]Current Athletic Programs
The Cheyney Wolves sponsor intercollegiate athletic programs in six varsity sports at the NCAA Division II level, operating as independents since withdrawing from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in 2018 due to financial constraints that led to the suspension of most teams at that time.[12][13] The programs have gradually resumed operations, with men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball restarting by the 2021-22 season amid post-pandemic recovery efforts.[14] Football and men's and women's track and field have also returned to active competition, evidenced by scheduled contests and participation in meets as of 2024-25.[16][17][18] Men's Programs- Basketball: Competes in non-conference games, with a 2025-26 schedule including exhibitions and regular-season matchups; the program has recorded recent games such as a December 4, 2024, contest against Morgan State.[19][20]
- Football: Fields a team with home games at O'Shields-Stevenson Stadium, including a 2024 homecoming loss to West Chester on October 21 and a full 2025 NCAAF schedule.[16][18]
- Track and Field: Participates in indoor and outdoor events, with athletes competing in meets such as those hosted by East Stroudsburg University in recent seasons.[17][21]
- Basketball: Active in non-conference play, with recent victories including a 74-47 win over Lincoln (PA) on December 5, 2024, and a 63-58 defeat of Berkeley College (NY) on January 27, 2025.[22][1]
- Volleyball: Competes in regional matches, closing its home schedule with a three-set win as of October 2023; continues as a core program post-resumption.[1][14]
- Track and Field: Engages in NCAA Division II independent competitions for indoor and outdoor seasons, aligning with men's counterparts in event participation.[17][1]