High Point University's athletics program officially became part of the NCAA's highest division and joined the Big South Conference on July 1, 1999. Since then, HPU has continued to upgrade its sports programs, opened three new facilities, and HPU's teams and student-athletes have won many titles and honors.
Here's a timeline marking some of the most significant dates since HPU joined NCAA Div. I:
High Point University's Div. I Timeline
July 1, 1999: HPU officially becomes a member of NCAA Div. I and the Big South Conference.
Sept. 21, 1999: Men's soccer beats Radford, 3-1, marking HPU's first Big South Conference game and win.
March 2, 2002: The men's basketball team plays in the Big South Tournament final for the first time, losing to defending champ Winthrop.
Nov. 2, 2002: Men's cross country wins HPU's first Big South Championship in any sport.
March 4, 2003: Jerry Steele coaches his final men's basketball game to finish his career with 609 collegiate coaching wins, including 458 at HPU.
May 12, 2003: After winning the Big South title, the men's tennis team played Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, marking the first time an HPU team competed in the NCAA postseason.
Sept. 5, 2003: The HPU women's golf team begins its first-ever intercollegiate event, the Unlimited Potential/Baytree Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Nov. 1, 2003: Men's cross country wins its second Big South Championship, becoming HPU's first repeat champion.
Nov. 8, 2003: Women's soccer wins its first Big South Championship, beating UNC Asheville in penalty kicks.
July 29, 2004: Danny Gathings of the HPU men's basketball team named the NCAA Co-Sportsman of the Year.
Oct. 30, 2004: Men's cross country wins its third-consecutive Big South Championship.
Jan. 1, 2005: Dr. Nido Qubein becomes High Point University president.
March 12, 2005: Jemissa Hess finishes fifth in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship, becoming HPU's first Div. I All-American.
Sept. 6, 2005: High Point University leaders break ground on Steele Sports Center.
Sept. 9, 2005: High Point University announces plans to build a track facility and name it for Charlotte philanthropist Irwin "Ike" Belk.
April 12, 2006: Coy Williard and his wife, Susan, donate $1 million to name the baseball complex Williard Stadium in honor of the late Coy O. Williard, Sr.
June 15, 2006: HPU announces it will begin offering club sports; the University now offers 19 club sports.
Feb. 17, 2007: Men's basketball beats Charleston Southern, 70-50, at the Millis Center for its first 20-win season since joining Div. I.
March 9, 2007: First baseball game at new Williard Stadium, a 2-1 loss to East Tennessee State. The team beat ETSU, 8-0, the next day for the first win at Williard Stadium.
Aug. 31, 2007: HPU dedicates Vert Stadium before the first game at the new facility, a 1-1 tie with Gardner-Webb in men's soccer.
Nov. 11, 2007: Women's soccer beats Coastal Carolina in penalty kicks to win the Big South Championship.
Jan. 10, 2008: Craig Keilitz named High Point University Athletic Director.
March 4, 2008: Men's basketball standout Arizona Reid named Big South Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Aug. 15, 2008: Taylor Milne runs the 1,500-meter at the Olympics in Beijing, becoming HPU's first Olympian.
Sept. 26, 2008: High Point announces addition of women's lacrosse as a Division I athletic program.
April 14, 2009: Baseball beats No. 4 North Carolina, the highest-ranked opponent the team has ever beaten.
May 2, 2009: HPU hosts the first annual VertKlasse Meeting, the first track & field meet at Vert Stadium and Belk Track.
Nov. 8, 2009: Women's soccer defeats Winthrop in penalty kicks to win the Big South title.
Dec. 21, 2009: Women's basketball got its first win over a Southeastern Conference team since joining Div. I when it beat Florida, 75-68, to win the Gator Holiday Classic.
