{{Short description|Public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, US}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox university | name = The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | image = University of Tennessee at Chattanooga crest.svg | image_size = 150 | motto = ''{{lang|la|Faciemus}}'' | mottoeng = We shall achieve | established = {{start date and age|1886|09|15}} | type = Public research university | endowment = $234.5 million (2025)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2025-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL.xlsx |title=U.S. and Canadian 2025 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2025 Endowment Market Value |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) |access-date=February 19, 2026 |format=XLSX}}</ref> | chancellor = Lori Mann Bruce | city = Chattanooga | state = Tennessee | country = United States | coordinates = {{coord|35.0458|-85.2999|type:edu_region:US|display=inline,title}} | students = 12,060<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.utc.edu/sites/default/files/2024-11/quick-facts-2024_2.pdf |url-status=dead |title=Archived copy |access-date=2024-12-10 |archive-date=2025-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250110121555/https://www.utc.edu/sites/default/files/2024-11/quick-facts-2024_2.pdf }}</ref> | undergrad = 10,396 (fall 2025) | postgrad = 1,664 (fall 2025) | administrative_staff = 422 | campus = Urban, Midsize city<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.utc.edu/about/chattanooga|title=Our Community, About UTC}}</ref>, {{convert|321|acre|m2}}<ref>[http://www.utc.edu/Administration/PlanningEvaluationAndInstitutionalResearch/factbook/documents/FACTSUMMARY00.pdf ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527202514/http://www.utc.edu/Administration/PlanningEvaluationAndInstitutionalResearch/factbook/documents/FACTSUMMARY00.pdf |date=May 27, 2010 }}</ref> | sporting_affiliations = NCAA Division I – SoCon | nickname = Mocs | mascot = Scrappy the Mocking Bird | colors = Navy and gold<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utc.edu/university-relations/graphic-guidelines/index.php|title=Website Guidelines|work=utc.edu|access-date=2015-08-05|archive-date=2017-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621154416/http://www.utc.edu/university-relations/graphic-guidelines/index.php|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />{{color box|#00386B}} {{color box|#E0AA0F}} | parent = University of Tennessee System | accreditation = SACSCOC | academic_affiliations = {{hlist|CUMU|ORAU|Space-grant}} | website = {{URL|www.utc.edu}} | logo = UTChattanooga logo.png | logo_size = 250 | former_names = Chattanooga University (1886–1889)<br />U.S. Grant Memorial University, Chattanooga campus (1889–1907)<br />University of Chattanooga (1907–1969) }}
thumb|The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
'''The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga''' ('''UT Chattanooga''', '''UTC''', or '''Chattanooga''')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utc.edu/Administration/UniversityRelations/u_style.php#Naming_the_University|title=Editorial Guidelines|work=utc.edu|access-date=9 February 2015|archive-date=10 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410045204/http://www.utc.edu/university-relations/editorial-guidelines/#Naming_the_University|url-status=dead}}</ref> is a public research university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1886 and is part of the University of Tennessee System.
The university is located in the heart of Chattanooga, Tennessee's fourth-most populous city<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-04-24 |title=Tennessee Cities by Population 2026 |url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/tennessee |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=World Population Review}}</ref>, recognized as America's first "[https://www.nationalparkcity.org/chattanooga-becomes-the-first-national-park-city-in-north-america/ National Park City]"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cridge |first=Mark |date=2025-04-03 |title=Chattanooga becomes the first National Park City in North America |url=https://www.nationalparkcity.org/chattanooga-becomes-the-first-national-park-city-in-north-america/ |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=National Park City Foundation |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-04-03 |title=Why Chattanooga, Tennessee, was named America’s first ‘National Park City’ |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/chattanooga-tennessee-national-park-city |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=Travel |language=en}}</ref>. The university is composed of five colleges, offering over 150 degree programs and concentrations, including 6 doctoral degree programs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Current Programs {{!}} University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |url=https://www.utc.edu/academic-affairs/registrar/majors |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=www.utc.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Graduate Programs {{!}} University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |url=https://www.utc.edu/research/graduate-school/graduate-programs |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=www.utc.edu}}</ref> As of fall 2025, UTC enrolled 12,060 students, including over 10,000 undergraduates and more than 1,600 graduate students.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blackman |first=JAy |date=2025-09-08 |title=UTC enrollment surpasses 12,000, creating largest student body in campus history |url=https://blog.utc.edu/in-the-media/2025/09/08/utc-enrollment-surpasses-12000-creating-largest-student-body-in-campus-history/ |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=UTC in the Media |language=en-US}}</ref>
==History== thumb
=== Founding and early years (1886–1907) === The university traces its origins to 1886, when it was established as the then-private and racially exclusive '''Chattanooga University.'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=UTC History {{!}} University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |url=https://www.utc.edu/about/utc-history |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=www.utc.edu}}</ref> The institution opened on September 15, 1886, with a small faculty and student body, reflecting its early role as a private, church-affiliated college.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wasserstrom |first=Chuck |date=2025-09-14 |title=Founder’s Week 2025 celebrates 139 years of history and community |url=https://blog.utc.edu/news/2025/09/founders-week-2025-celebrates-139-years-of-history-and-community/ |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=UTC News |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1889, Chattanooga University merged with the Athens-based Grant Memorial University (now Tennessee Wesleyan University),<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the University|url=http://www.utc.edu/about/utc-history.php|publisher=UT-Chattanooga|quote=Three years after its founding, the University was consolidated with another church-related school, East Tennessee Wesleyan University at Athens, under the name of '''Grant University'''.}}</ref> forming the Chattanooga campus of '''U.S. Grant Memorial University'''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mission & History|url=http://www.twcnet.edu/about-twc/mission-history/|publisher=Tennessee Wesleyan College|quote=[The Athens school prior to the merger was named] Grant Memorial University (1886-1889); [post-merger renamed] U.S. Grant Memorial University (1889-1906)|access-date=2015-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316131320/http://www.twcnet.edu/about-twc/mission-history/|archive-date=2015-03-16|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Clark|first=Alexandra Walker|title=Hidden History of Chattanooga|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JXEVBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT21|date=2008|publisher=The History Press |isbn=978-1-62584-349-4|page=21}}</ref> The reorganization led to administrative and academic challenges, including declining collegiate enrollment and institutional instability during the late nineteenth century.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Rust |first=Randal |title=University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/university-of-tennessee-at-chattanooga/ |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=Tennessee Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> A period of restructuring began in the late 1890s under new leadership, which focused on strengthening academic standards and consolidating the institution into a liberal arts college.<ref name=":2" /> The institution then evolved into an independent institution and changed its name to '''University of Chattanooga''' in 1907.
=== Growth as a private university (1907–1969) === As the University of Chattanooga, the institution operated as a private university for more than six decades.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> During this period, it expanded its academic programs, faculty, and campus facilities, while maintaining strong ties to the Methodist Church and the local community.<ref name=":2" /> By 1945, the institution had established an alliance with Chattanooga's commercial and civic leaderships, sustaining the private undergraduate college well into the 1960s.<ref name=":2" />
=== Transition to a public university (1969) === A major transformation occurred in 1969, when the University of Chattanooga merged with Zion College, which had been established in 1949 and later became Chattanooga City College,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chattanooga City College (Merged with UTC) |url=https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/chattanooga-city-college-merged-with-utc/ |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=Volopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> and joined the University of Tennessee System.<ref name=":1" /> The institution was subsequently renamed the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.<ref name=":1" /><ref>[http://www.utc.edu/news/installation/Program.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607210030/http://www.utc.edu/news/installation/Program.pdf|date=June 7, 2010}}</ref> This transition marked a shift from a private, church-affiliated institution to a public university within a statewide system. As part of the UT system, UT Chattanooga was tasked with emphasizing undergraduate education while developing selected graduate and professional programs.<ref name=":1" />
The University of Chattanooga Foundation Inc. is a private corporation, created in 1969, that manages the university's private endowment.<ref>{{cite web|title=UC Foundation: What We Do|url=https://www.utc.edu/development/uc-foundation/|website=UTC/Office of Development|access-date=31 December 2015|archive-date=19 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919093627/https://www.utc.edu/development/uc-foundation/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== Modern era and institutional expansion (1970-present) === Since joining the UT system, UTC has expanded in enrollment, academic offerings, and campus infrastructure. The university developed multiple colleges and a broad portfolio of undergraduate, masters, and doctoral programs, reflecting its evolution into a comprehensive public university.<ref name=":2" /> In recent decades, UTC has strengthened its role as a public university, with continued investments in research, student success initiatives, community engagement, and interdisciplinary programs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mission, Vision, and Values {{!}} University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |url=https://www.utc.edu/health-education-and-professional-studies/applied-leadership-and-learning/mission-vision-and-values |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=www.utc.edu}}</ref>
==Administration== UTC uses the semester system, with five optional "mini-terms" in the summer. The leadership of the campus rests upon the chancellor, who answers to the UT System President. The university is currently headed by Chancellor Lori Mann Bruce.
===Leadership=== {{anchor|List of leaders of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga}}
The following people have had the post of president or chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). Prior to 1969, the institution was known as the University of Chattanooga (1907–1969), U.S. Grant University (1889–1907), and Chattanooga University (1886–1889). At the time of UTC's establishment in 1969, the title of the leader became chancellor instead of president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utc.edu/chancellor/past-presidents-chancellors.php |title=Past Presidents of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga}}</ref>
*'''Chattanooga University''' **Edward S. Lewis, president 1886-1889 *'''U.S. Grant University''' **John F. Spence, chancellor 1889–1891; president 1891–1893 **Bishop Isaac W. Joyce, chancellor 1891–1896 *'''University of Chattanooga''' **John H. Race, president 1897–1914 **Fred W. Hixson, president 1914–1920 **Arlo A. Brown, president 1921–1929 **Alexander Guerry, president 1929–1938 **Archie M. Palmer, president 1938–1942 **David A. Lockmiller, president 1942–1959 **LeRoy A. Martin, president 1959–1966 *'''University of Tennessee at Chattanooga''' **William H. Masterson, president 1966–1969; chancellor 1970–1973 **James E. Drinnon, chancellor 1973–1981 **Frederick W. Obear, chancellor 1981–1997; acting chancellor 2004–2005. **Bill W. Stacy, chancellor 1997–2004 **Roger G. Brown, chancellor 2005–2012 **E. Grady Bogue, acting chancellor 2012–2013 **Steve Angle, chancellor 2013–2025 **Robert Dooley, acting chancellor 2025 **Lori Mann Bruce, chancellor 2025–present<ref>{{Cite web |title= Office of the Chancellor | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga|url=https://www.utc.edu/office-of-chancellor}}</ref>
==Academics== {| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;" |+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= College Scorecard: The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school?221740-The-University-of-Tennessee-Chattanooga|website=College Scorecard |publisher=United States Department of Education |access-date=July 27, 2025}}</ref> |- ! Race and ethnicity ! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total |- | White |align=right| {{bartable|69|%|2||background:cyan}} |- | Black |align=right| {{bartable|9|%|2||background:purple}} |- | Unknown |align=right| {{bartable|9|%|2||background:grey}} |- | Hispanic |align=right| {{bartable|6|%|2||background:green}} |- | Two or more races |align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:violet}} |- | Asian |align=right| {{bartable|3|%|2||background:orange}} |- | International student |align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:#008080}} |- ! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |Economic diversity |- | Low-income{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.}} |align=right| {{bartable|33|%|2||background:red}} |- | Affluent{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.}} |align=right| {{bartable|67|%|2||background:black}} |}
=== Colleges === The university offers over 150 degree programs and concentrations in five colleges:<ref name=":0" />
* College of Arts and Sciences * College of Engineering and Computer Science * College of Health, Education and Professional Studies * College of Nursing * Gary W. Rollins College of Business
Gary W. Rollins College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gary W. Rollins College of Business Accreditation {{!}} University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |url=https://www.utc.edu/gary-w-rollins-college-of-business/about/accreditation |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=www.utc.edu}}</ref> UTC also has a Honors College and a Center for Professional Education.<ref name=":0" />
UT Chattanooga is best known for its nationally ranked business program<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.utc.edu/news/2009/03/businessweek-names-utc-in-top-100-list/|title=BusinessWeek names UTC in top 100 list|work=UTC News Releases|date=6 March 2009 }}</ref> and its engineering, nursing, English, chemistry, accounting, psychology, music, and education departments. The university offers over 140 undergraduate majors and concentrations, and over 50 undergraduate minors.<ref name="utc.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/2009-10MajorCodes.php|title=Academic Majors & Minors|work=utc.edu|access-date=2010-02-27|archive-date=2017-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520015651/http://www.utc.edu/records/academic-majors-minors.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> Chattanooga also offers nearly 100 graduate programs and concentrations,<ref name="utc.edu" /> including a master's program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology,<ref>{{cite web|author=Kraiger & Abalos|title=Rankings of Graduate Programs in I-O Psychology Based on Student Ratings of Quality|url=http://www.siop.org/tip/backissues/July04/PDF/TOC.aspx|publisher=Siop.org|access-date=2015-07-18}}</ref> and PhD programs in Computational Engineering and Physical Therapy. UTC began an exchange program with Kangnung National University of Kangnung, South Korea.
===Rankings=== {{Infobox US university ranking <!-- National rankings -->| USNWR_NU = 315 (tie) }}
==Media and publications== ;Print * ''University Echo'' – student newspaper<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Echo Student Newspapers|url=http://digital-collections.library.utc.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/p16877coll9|website=Digital Collections|publisher=University of Tennessee at Chattanooga|access-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> * ''Moccasin'' – student yearbook<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Moccasin Yearbooks|website=Digital Collections|publisher=University of Tennessee at Chattanooga }}</ref> * ''Education about Asia'' – educational magazine * ''Sequoya Review'' – literary magazine<ref>{{cite web|title=Sequoya Review|url=http://scholar.utc.edu/sequoya-review/|website=UTC Scholar|publisher=University of Tennessee at Chattanooga}}</ref> * ''Modern Psychological Studies'' – journal published by the Department of Psychology
;Radio * WUTC * The Perch – student-run online radio station<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utc.edu/perch/ |title=The Perch |publisher=Utc.edu |access-date=2015-07-18}}</ref>
==Research== SimCenter is UTC's computational engineering and simulation center. In November 2005, SimCenter was listed as the 89th most powerful supercomputer by Top500.<ref>[http://www.top500.org/site/history/2580] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107111349/http://www.top500.org/site/history/2580|date=January 7, 2007}}</ref> On November 20, 2007, the university announced that the center had been named a National Center for Computational Engineering.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marketing |first=UTC Communications and |date=2008-11-17 |title=SimCenter: National Center for Computational Engineering signs new agreement |url=https://blogarchive.utc.edu/news/2008/11/simcenter-national-center-for-computational-engineering-signs-new-agreement/ |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025 |language=en-US}}</ref> More recently, the SimCenter provided the academic research for a new source of alternative energy unveiled by Bloom Energy Corporation in Sunnyvale, California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.utc.edu/news/2010/02/national-simcenter-research-advances-alternative-energy/|title=National SimCenter research advances alternative energy|work=UTC News Releases|date=26 February 2010 }}</ref>
The Clinical Infectious Disease Control Research Unit is a research interest group composed of UTC faculty, students, and local partners.<ref name="hea">{{cite web | url=https://www.utc.edu/health-education-and-professional-studies/physical-therapy/research/cidc | title=Clinical Infectious Disease Control Research Unit | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga }}</ref> Members of the CIDC have had their research published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as presented at professional meetings and conferences.<ref name="hea"/>
Journey Health Foundation Research Center is a research center established in September 2024. Partnered with the [https://www.journeyhealthfoundation.org/ Journey Health Foundation], the research center is dedicated to doing research related to the social determinants of health and economic disparities across the Greater Chattanooga region<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mission {{!}} University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |url=https://www.utc.edu/gary-w-rollins-college-of-business/journey-health-foundation-research-center/mission |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=www.utc.edu}}</ref>.
==Campus== The university is served by CARTA bus routes 4, 7, 10, 14, 19, and 28. Route 14 only operates on weekdays during fall and spring terms, when the university is session. The route runs on and off the campus on McCallie, Houston, Vine, Douglas, Fifth, and Palmetto Streets. A recent extension serves Third, O'Neal, and Central Streets, as well as Erlanger Hospital, and a large parking lot at Engel Stadium. All students showing valid university identification cards (MocsCards) ride for free on all CARTA routes, year-round.
===Patten Chapel=== {| style="clear:right; padding:7px; float:right;" |- | thumb|Patten Chapel |}
Patten Chapel is one of the busiest sanctuaries in Chattanooga. Mostly weddings and memorial services are held there. A bride's room has been prepared and is always ready. Reserving the chapel should be done around a year in advance as its popularity sees events almost every weekend. Wedding receptions are not hosted at the chapel.
===Lupton Hall=== Formerly the Lupton Memorial Library, Lupton Hall, named for T. Cartter and Margaret Rawlings Lupton, was constructed in 1974 to replace the aging John Storrs Fletcher Library (which has since been restored and renamed Fletcher Hall). As of 2005, the library's collection includes nearly 2 million items, including the Fellowship of Southern Writers archives. In 2008, the university was granted funding to build a new library.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiki.lib.utc.edu/index.php/Library_Building_Project|title=Library Building Project|work=utc.edu|access-date=9 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210014537/http://wiki.lib.utc.edu/index.php/Library_Building_Project|archive-date=2015-02-10|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The university broke ground in 2010 for the new $48 million {{convert|180,000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} library. Construction was completed on the UTC Library in January 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.utc.edu/library/about/building/index.php|title=New Library - UTC Library|work=utc.edu|access-date=20 February 2018}}</ref>
Following the opening of the new UTC Library, Lupton Hall began renovations in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Magazine, 2018 Vol 1:3 |url=https://issuu.com/utchattanooga/docs/utc-magazine-01-03/1 |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=issuu |date=12 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Opening to students and faculty in 2020, Lupton's entire 116,000 square feet of available space had been gutted and rebuilt to include student centers, academic departments under the College of Arts and Sciences, various classroom spaces, and a new on-campus restaurant, Freshens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=From Frist to Lupton: How UTC's Newest Addition is Affecting Campus |url=https://www.mocsnews.com/2020/11/11/from-frist-to-lupton-how-utcs-newest-addition-is-affecting-campus/ |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=Mocs News |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Athletics== {{Main|Chattanooga Mocs}} thumb|left|200px|Athletics logo
Chattanooga's colors are navy and old gold. Their men's teams and athletes are nicknamed Mocs, and women's teams and athletes are Lady Mocs. Chattanooga athletics teams compete in NCAA Division I (FCS for football) in the Southern Conference (SoCon) and have been ranked as a national top 100 athletic program by The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in the Division I Learfield Sports Director's Cup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gomocs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=17700&ATCLID=3754165&SPID=10571&SPSID=88662|title=Mocs Crack the Top-100 in Latest Learfield Director's Cup Standings|work=GoMocs.com|date=30 October 2023 }}</ref>
;Basketball {{Main|Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball|Chattanooga Mocs women's basketball}}
Chattanooga's men's basketball program has been among the best in the Southern Conference since joining the league in 1977–78. The Mocs have won 10 SoCon Tournament titles, tied for first all-time with former member West Virginia and Davidson, 10 regular-season league championships prior to the change to the division format in 1995 and seven division titles, for 27 total titles. In 1997, led by coach Mack McCarthy and Chattanooga native Johnny Taylor, the Mocs made a run to the Sweet 16 as a No. 14 seed, beating Georgia and Illinois before falling to Providence. Before making the move to Division I, Chattanooga won the Division II National Championship in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncaa.com/history/basketball-men/d2|title=Men's Basketball DII|work=NCAA.com|access-date=9 February 2015}}</ref> In July 2008, the team was ranked number 48 on the ESPN list of the most prestigious basketball programs since the 1984–85 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=3481014 |title=Counting down the most prestigious programs since 1984-85 |publisher=ESPN |date=2008-07-22 |access-date=2015-07-18}}</ref>
The Mocs won the SoCon tournament once again in 2009. Defeating the College of Charleston Cougars 80–69 in the championship game on their home court at the McKenzie Arena, the Mocs punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament, their first since 2005.
Jimmy Fallon from ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' chose the Mocs as his team of choice going into the 2009 NCAA tournament. The Wednesday night (March 18) show included a live Skype chat with Head Coach John Shulman, as well as representatives of the pep band and cheerleading squads made in studio. Fallon's house band The Roots wrote and performed an ode to Shulman titled, "The Don Juan of the SoCon" and Shulman and his six seniors (Nicchaeus Doaks, Zach Ferrell, Kevin Goffney, Khalil Hartwell, Stephen McDowell and Keyron Sheard) made an in-studio appearance following their tournament game with UConn.
The Lady Mocs are the most successful women's basketball program in Southern Conference history, with 15 regular season titles since 1983–1984, 10 consecutive conference championships at the end of 2008–2009, and 14 overall conference championships.<ref name="gomocs.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.gomocs.com//pdf4/656557.pdf |title=2009-10 Lady Mocs Basketball |publisher=Gomocs.com |access-date=2015-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707054157/http://www.gomocs.com//pdf4/656557.pdf |archive-date=2013-07-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
;Golf The men's golf squad won its third consecutive Southern Conference trophy and finished 18th in the NCAA Championships in 2009.
In August 2012, UTC golfer Steven Fox won the U.S. Amateur Championship.
Women's golf posted a 3.46 team GOA in the spring while advancing to the NCAA Division I finals in just the second year of the program since disbanding in the mid-1980s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nmnathletics.com/fls/17700/Sidebars/Women%27s%20Golf/Postseason%20Guide_Wglf0809.pdf?SPSID=88666&SPID=10574&DB_OEM_ID=17700 |format=PDF |title=Chattanooga 2009 NCAA Championship |publisher=Nmnathletics.com |access-date=2015-07-18 |archive-date=2019-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102094630/http://www.nmnathletics.com/fls/17700/Sidebars/Women%27s%20Golf/Postseason%20Guide_Wglf0809.pdf?SPSID=88666&SPID=10574&DB_OEM_ID=17700 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
;Softball The Mocs’ softball team has won 11 regular season titles and 10 SoCon Tournament Championships. They have also made 7 NCAA tournament appearances.<ref name="gomocs.com"/>
;Wrestling {{Main|Chattanooga Mocs wrestling}}
Chattanooga is home to the only NCAA Division I wrestling program in the state of Tennessee. The Mocs' wrestling team has won 8 of the past 9 SoCon titles since the 2012–2013 academic year.<ref name="gomocs.com"/>
;Football {{Main|Chattanooga Mocs football}}
The team plays in the Southern Conference (SoCon) in Division I FCS (formerly I-AA). Hall of Famer Terrell Owens played wide receiver for the Mocs from 1992 to 1995. The team won three straight SoCon championships from 2013 to 2015. They play in Finley Stadium, which hosted the NCAA Division I Football Championship from 1997 to 2009.
In 2021, the team fired its offensive line coach, Chris Malone, for making a derogatory social media post about Georgia and civil rights leader Stacey Abrams.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chattanooga assistant football coach fired for 'hateful' tweet about Stacey Abrams|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chattanooga-assistant-football-coach-fired-hateful-tweet-about-stacey-abrams-n1253386|access-date=2021-01-11|website=NBC News|date=7 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
==Athletic venues== * Chamberlain Field (1908–1997) * Finley Stadium (1997–present) * Maclellan Gymnasium and natatorium (gym opened 1961; natatorium opened 1968) * McKenzie Arena (1982–present), aka the Roundhouse, due to its circular shape and the city's association with the railroad industry
==University nickname== The school's athletic teams are called the Mocs. The teams were nicknamed the Moccasins until 1996. (The origin of the name is uncertain; however, Moccasin Bend is a large horseshoe-shaped bend in the Tennessee River directly below Lookout Mountain.)
The mascot has taken on four distinct forms. A water moccasin was the mascot in the 1920s, and then a moccasin shoe (known as "The Shoe") was used as the school's mascot at times in the 1960s and 1970s. From the 1970s until 1996, the mascot was Chief Moccanooga, an exaggerated Cherokee tribesman.
In 1996, the Moccasins name and image were dropped in favor of the shortened "Mocs" and an anthropomorphized northern mockingbird, in accordance with the state bird, named "Scrappy" dressed as a railroad engineer. The school's main athletic logo features Scrappy riding a train (a reference to Chattanooga's history as a major railroad hub and to the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo"). The mascot takes its name from former football coach A. C. "Scrappy" Moore.
==Fight song== The fight song for UTC is "Fight Chattanooga".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gomocs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17700&ATCLID=1294042|title=Fight, Chattanooga!|work=GoMocs.com|access-date=9 February 2015}}</ref>
==Band== {{Main|University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Marching Mocs}}
The marching band is referred to as the "Marching Mocs" and performs at all home games.
==Notable alumni, students, and faculty== {{alumni|date=October 2023}} * Hugh Beaumont, actor (most notably portrayed Ward Cleaver on ''Leave It to Beaver''), 1927 * Burwell Baxter Bell, U.S. Army general, 1968 * William Chivous Bostic Sr., physician and researcher, 1905 * Eldra Buckley, NFL football player, 2007 * Anthony Burger, pianist, 1966 * Bill Butler, former NFL player, 1958 * North Callahan, author and historian whose papers and book collection now reside in the UTC Lupton Library, 1930 * A.R. Casavant, marching band director, inventor and innovator credited with creating the precision drill * B.J. Coleman, former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers in 2012; signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL in 2016 * Antuan Edwards, NFL football player * Steven Fox, golfer, 2012 U.S. Amateur champion * Gibby Gilbert, PGA Tour professional golfer, 1963 * Willie Earl Gillespie, USFL and NFL football player * Irvine W. Grote, chemist, inventor of the active ingredient in Rolaids and Bufferin, UC 1918; chemistry faculty, 1942–1969 * Dennis Haskins, actor (most notably portrayed Mr. Belding on ''Saved By The Bell''), 1972 * Tony Hill, NFL and CFL football player, 1990 * Brent Johnson, NFL football player, 1986 * Leslie Jordan, Emmy-winning actor, 1982 * Mindaugas Katelynas, basketball player, 2005 *Mathew Knowles, music executive, transferred to Fisk University * David F. Levine, pioneer in canine rehabilitation and physical therapy, author, physical therapy professor, 1990–present * Chris Lewis-Harris, NFL football player (Cincinnati Bengals), 2011 * Charlie Long, basketball player, football player (NFL/AFL ALL-Pro) * Lanni Marchant, long-distance runner, 2007 * Khaled Mattawa, poet and writer, 1989 * Tre McLean (born 1993), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, 2017 * Barry Moser, artist and professor, 1962 * Terrell Owens, Hall of Fame NFL football player, basketball player; selected in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers * Cherie Priest, author, 2001 * Lorine Livingston Pruette, psychologist, 1918 * Curtis Rouse, former NFL football player, 1982 * Buster Skrine, NFL football player (Cleveland Browns, New York Jets), 2011 * Lewis Smith, actor North and South. Also the Heavenly Kid, 1979 * Cole Strange, football player for New England Patriots, 2022 * Johnny Taylor, former NBA basketball player, 1997; drafted in the first round, 17th pick * Bo Watson, member of Tennessee State Senate, 1983 * Pez Whatley, football player and UTC's first black wrestler, later became a pro wrestler * William White, academic of journalism and bibliographer, 1933 * Willie White, former NBA basketball player, 1984 * Gerald Wilkins, former NBA basketball player, 1984 * Julius C. Zeller, Mississippi senator, 1893
== Notes == {{noteslist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * [https://alumni.utc.edu/s/1341/utc/17/interior.aspx?sid=1341&gid=3&pgid=9810 Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award (1969-2018)]{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tennessee, University Of, Chattanooga}} Category:University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Category:Universities and colleges in Chattanooga, Tennessee Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools University of Tennessee Chattanooga Category:1886 establishments in Tennessee Category:Universities and colleges formed by merger in the United States Chattanooga Category:Universities and colleges established in 1886