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High Point Panthers
The High Point Panthers are the 17 varsity athletic teams that represent High Point University (HPU) in High Point, North Carolina, United States. All of HPU's varsity teams compete at the NCAA Division I level. All sports except men's lacrosse and women's rowing compete in the Big South Conference. The men's lacrosse team joined the Atlantic 10 Conference after the 2022 season. Women's rowing was added in 2024–25, initially competing as an independent until joining the new rowing league of the Mid-American Conference in 2025–26. The Panthers joined Division I in 1999, after having been NCAA Division II and being members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) prior to 1992. HPU was a founding member of the North State Conference, which is now the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas.
Dan Hauser became HPU's athletic director in May 2014. He replaced Craig Keilitz, who held the position from 2008 to 2014. Keilitz replaced Woody Gibson, who had been AD since 1999. HPU's other previous athletic directors include Jerry Steele, who was also basketball coach from 1972 to 2003, and Virgil Yow, who was also a coach. HPU's main athletic facilities are the Millis Center (volleyball), Vert Stadium (track, soccer and lacrosse) and Williard Stadium (baseball). In September 2018, ground broke on the Qubein Center (full name: Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center). The facility will host men's and women's basketball and seat 4,500 spectators. It was originally scheduled to open for the 2020–21 school year, but construction delays brought on by COVID-19 have delayed the opening to 2021–22.
A member of the Big South Conference, High Point sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports:
The team began varsity play in 1927–28 and was a charter member of the North State Conference (now Conference Carolinas) from 1930–31 through 1996–97, when the school began its transition to NCAA Division I. High Point won 15 regular-season championships and 13 tournament championships while in the North State Conference and participated in the NAIA national tournament in 1939, 1942, 1946, 1951, 1964, 1965, 1969 and 1979. High Point participated in the NCAA Division II Tournament in 1997.
HPU moved up to NCAA Division I in 1999–2000 and joined the Big South Conference. The Panthers made it to the Big South final in their first year of eligibility in 2002 and also made it to the championship game in 2004. HPU has had two Big South Players of the Year: Danny Gathings (2003–04) and Arizona Reid (2006–07, 2007–08). Reid is the only player in conference history with over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and was A.P. All-American honorable mention twice. In 2011–12, guard Nick Barbour broke Reid's Division I scoring record, finishing his career with 2,121 points. Barbour became the second player in team history to lead HPU in scoring four times in a row. The Panthers made their first Division I NCAA Tournament in 2025.
The team's prominent alumni include former head coach Tubby Smith, former NBA head coach Gene Littles and former NBA referee Joe Forte. Littles is the program's all-time leading scorer, with 2,398 points from 1965 to 1969. George Nostrand played at High Point from 1941 to 1944 and went on to play in the first NBA game ever in 1946. Along with Cherry, High Point's prominent head coaches have been Virgil Yow (1933–45, 1953–62), J.D. Barnett (1971–72), Jerry Steele (1972–2003) and Bart Lundy (2003–09).
High Point University started women's basketball in 1967–68 and the team is now coached by DeUnna Hendrix (pronounced de-AH-nah), who was hired in May 2012. Hendrix served as assistant coach for one season under Jennifer Hoover. In Hoover's only season in 2011–12, the team achieved a record of 20–13. Her performance earned her the Maggie Dixon Rookie of the Year award, presented to a coach with remarkable success in their rookie year as a head coach. Hoover was then hired by her alma mater, Wake Forest, to be head coach in May 2012.
High Point won the 1978 AIAW Division II national championship with a 92–88 overtime win over South Carolina State. The following year, High Point set a program record with 33 wins but was unable to defend its national title, falling to Tougaloo in the AIAW Region II Tournament.
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High Point Panthers
The High Point Panthers are the 17 varsity athletic teams that represent High Point University (HPU) in High Point, North Carolina, United States. All of HPU's varsity teams compete at the NCAA Division I level. All sports except men's lacrosse and women's rowing compete in the Big South Conference. The men's lacrosse team joined the Atlantic 10 Conference after the 2022 season. Women's rowing was added in 2024–25, initially competing as an independent until joining the new rowing league of the Mid-American Conference in 2025–26. The Panthers joined Division I in 1999, after having been NCAA Division II and being members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) prior to 1992. HPU was a founding member of the North State Conference, which is now the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas.
Dan Hauser became HPU's athletic director in May 2014. He replaced Craig Keilitz, who held the position from 2008 to 2014. Keilitz replaced Woody Gibson, who had been AD since 1999. HPU's other previous athletic directors include Jerry Steele, who was also basketball coach from 1972 to 2003, and Virgil Yow, who was also a coach. HPU's main athletic facilities are the Millis Center (volleyball), Vert Stadium (track, soccer and lacrosse) and Williard Stadium (baseball). In September 2018, ground broke on the Qubein Center (full name: Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center). The facility will host men's and women's basketball and seat 4,500 spectators. It was originally scheduled to open for the 2020–21 school year, but construction delays brought on by COVID-19 have delayed the opening to 2021–22.
A member of the Big South Conference, High Point sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports:
The team began varsity play in 1927–28 and was a charter member of the North State Conference (now Conference Carolinas) from 1930–31 through 1996–97, when the school began its transition to NCAA Division I. High Point won 15 regular-season championships and 13 tournament championships while in the North State Conference and participated in the NAIA national tournament in 1939, 1942, 1946, 1951, 1964, 1965, 1969 and 1979. High Point participated in the NCAA Division II Tournament in 1997.
HPU moved up to NCAA Division I in 1999–2000 and joined the Big South Conference. The Panthers made it to the Big South final in their first year of eligibility in 2002 and also made it to the championship game in 2004. HPU has had two Big South Players of the Year: Danny Gathings (2003–04) and Arizona Reid (2006–07, 2007–08). Reid is the only player in conference history with over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and was A.P. All-American honorable mention twice. In 2011–12, guard Nick Barbour broke Reid's Division I scoring record, finishing his career with 2,121 points. Barbour became the second player in team history to lead HPU in scoring four times in a row. The Panthers made their first Division I NCAA Tournament in 2025.
The team's prominent alumni include former head coach Tubby Smith, former NBA head coach Gene Littles and former NBA referee Joe Forte. Littles is the program's all-time leading scorer, with 2,398 points from 1965 to 1969. George Nostrand played at High Point from 1941 to 1944 and went on to play in the first NBA game ever in 1946. Along with Cherry, High Point's prominent head coaches have been Virgil Yow (1933–45, 1953–62), J.D. Barnett (1971–72), Jerry Steele (1972–2003) and Bart Lundy (2003–09).
High Point University started women's basketball in 1967–68 and the team is now coached by DeUnna Hendrix (pronounced de-AH-nah), who was hired in May 2012. Hendrix served as assistant coach for one season under Jennifer Hoover. In Hoover's only season in 2011–12, the team achieved a record of 20–13. Her performance earned her the Maggie Dixon Rookie of the Year award, presented to a coach with remarkable success in their rookie year as a head coach. Hoover was then hired by her alma mater, Wake Forest, to be head coach in May 2012.
High Point won the 1978 AIAW Division II national championship with a 92–88 overtime win over South Carolina State. The following year, High Point set a program record with 33 wins but was unable to defend its national title, falling to Tougaloo in the AIAW Region II Tournament.