Delaware State Hornets

{{Short description|Intercollegiate sports teams of Delaware State University}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox college athletics | name = Delaware State Hornets | logo = Delaware State Hornets logo.svg | logo_width = 150 | university = Delaware State University | association = NCAA | conference = Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (primary) Northeast Conference (baseball, women's golf, women's lacrosse, women's soccer) ECAC (equestrian) | division = Division I (FCS) | director = C. Tony Tucker (July 2024-) | location = Dover, Delaware | teams = 18 | stadium = Alumni Stadium | baseballfield = Bob Reed Field | basketballarena = Memorial Hall | arena2 = | mascot = | nickname = Hornets | fightsong = | pageurl = https://dsuhornets.com/ | altlogo = 200px |subdivision=}}

The '''Delaware State Hornets''' are the eighteen sports teams representing Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country running, tennis, and track and field; women's-only bowling, softball, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball.

==History== The Hornets compete in NCAA Division I; they have been members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference since 1970.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.meacsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=20800&ATCLID=1506257 |title=Member Institutions - MEACsports.com - the Official Site of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |access-date=March 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326091601/http://www.meacsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=20800&ATCLID=1506257 |archive-date=March 26, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> While most teams play in the MEAC, the women's equestrian team plays in the ECAC/National Collegiate Equestrian Association, and the baseball, women's soccer, women's lacrosse and women's golf teams all compete in the Northeast Conference.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://northeastconference.org/news/2022/6/26/GEN_NEC_MEAC_Partnership_Rel_2223.aspx |title=NEC & MEAC Announce Three-Sport Associate Member Partnership |publisher=Northeast Conference |date=July 12, 2022 |access-date=July 12, 2022}}</ref>

The university's Department of Intramural Sports provides a wide variety of quality recreational programs for students, faculty and staff.

In 2024, Delaware State announced the school would field a women's wrestling program, the first for an HBCU. The program would begin competition in 2025 when women's collegiate wrestling becomes an official NCAA sport. The Hornets had a men's program until 2009.

==Sponsored sports== A member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Delaware State sponsors teams in six men's and twelve women's NCAA sanctioned sports.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dsuhornets.com/ |title=Delaware State University Hornets |publisher=Delaware State University |access-date=November 27, 2016 }}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style=" " |- {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Delaware State Hornets|Men's sports|Women's sports}} |- | Baseball || Basketball |- | Basketball || Bowling |- | Cross country || Cross country |- | Football|| Equestrian |- | Track and field†|| Golf |- | || Lacrosse |- | || Soccer |- | || Softball |- | || Tennis |- | || Track and field† |- | || Volleyball |- | |Wrestling |- | colspan="2" style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Delaware State Hornets|border=1|color=white }}" | {{small|† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor}} |}

===Basketball=== The university has both men's and women's basketball teams.

Its men's basketball team won the 2005 MEAC championship and earned a berth in the 2005 NCAA tournament. Playing as a sixteen-seed, the Hornets lost 57–46 in the opening round to one-seed Duke University.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=254000032|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017134945/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=254000032|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 17, 2023|title=Coach K Ties Smith for Most NCAA Tourney Wins|agency=Associated Press|publisher=ESPN|date=March 18, 2005|access-date=November 30, 2008}}</ref> The Hornets also have made back to back National Invitation Tournament appearances in 2006 and 2007.

The women's basketball team won the 2006 MEAC championship and earned a berth in the 2006 NCAA tournament. Playing as a fifteen-seed, the Lady Hornets kept the game close down by only three until nine minutes remained in the game, but lost 62–47 in the opening round to two-seed Vanderbilt University.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores107/107077/NCAAW763069.htm|title=Woman's Basketball – Delaware St. vs. Vanderbilt|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=November 30, 2008 |date=April 18, 2006}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} * {{Official website}}

{{Delaware State University}} {{Navboxes |titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Delaware State Hornets|color=white}} |list = {{Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference navbox}} {{Northeast Conference navbox}} {{ECAC Equestrian navbox}} {{Delaware sports}} }}

Category:Delaware State Hornets Category:Sports in Dover, Delaware Category:College sports teams in Delaware Hornets