Samford

Location: Homewood, Alabama Division: NCAA Division I FCS Conference (football): Southern Conference Stadium: Seibert Stadium Conference (basketball): Southern Conference Arena: Thomas E. and Marla H. Corts Arena at Pete Hanna Center

The Samford University Bulldogs compete as members of the Southern Conference in NCAA Division I FCS football and in NCAA Division I basketball. Samford, known as "Howard College" until 1965, is a private Baptist institution located in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. The school has an undergraduate enrollment of about 3,000.

Samford is located on the south side of Homewood, along AL 149 (Lakeshore Drive) just west of US 31 (Montgomery Parkway). Montgomery Parkway is a surface extention of the Red Mountain Expressway, a freeway extending from downtown Birmingham; from the south, the closer freeway access is exit 255 off I-65, which is the AL 149 exit a mile west of campus. Seibert Stadium (6,700) and Pete Hanna Center (5,000) are located on the west side of campus along small campus roads.

Samford's main rival, really, is Birmingham-Southern, but that's never been an athletic rivalry. On the field, their primary rivalry has been with Jacksonville State, although conference instabilities have prevented even that rivalry from gaining traction.

Samford has provided 11 players to the NFL, led by Tennessee DB Cortland Finnegan. Both Bobby Bowden (legendary Florida State head coach) and his son Terry (later at Auburn) served as head coach for the Bulldogs over the years; both Bowdens built scholarship football programs from scratch. Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey spent a season in charge of the program, and former Heisman winner and TCU, UAB, and Auburn coach Pat Sullivan is the current head man. No former Bulldog has played in the NBA or ABA.

Conference Affiliations

Football

Southern Conference	NCAA I FCS	2008-present
Ohio Valley Conference	NCAA I FCS	2003-2007
NCAA Division I FCS Independents	NCAA I FCS	1988-2002
NCAA Division III Independents	NCAA III	1984-1987
no team		1974-1983
NCAA Division II Independents	NCAA II	1973
NCAA College Division Independents	NCAA College	1971-1972
NAIA Division I Football Independents	NAIA I	1970
NAIA Football Independents	NAIA	1955-1969
Dixie Conference	NAIA	1948-1954
no team		1946-1947
NAIA Independents	NAIA	1942-1945
Dixie Conference	NCAA	1930-1941
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association	NCAA	1910-1938
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association	Independent	1906-1909
Pre-NCAA Independents	Independent	1902-1905

Basketball

Southern Conference	NCAA I	2008-present
Ohio Valley Conference	NCAA I	2003-2008
Atlantic Sun Conference	NCAA I	2001-2003
Trans-America Athletic Conference	NCAA I	1978-2001
NCAA Division I Independents	NCAA I	1973-1978
NCAA University Division	NCAA University	1972-1973
NCAA College Division	NCAA College	1971-1972
NAIA Independents	NAIA	1954-1971
Dixie Conference	NAIA	1948-1954
NAIA Independents	NAIA	1942-1948
Dixie Conference	NAIA	1937-1942
Dixie Conference	NCAA	1930-1937
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association	NCAA	1916-1939
no team		1905-1916
Pre-NCAA Independents	Independent	1901-1905

Post-Season Appearances

Football

NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs	1991, 1992
Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl	1971 (vacated)
Space City Classic	1967
Golden Isles Bowl	1962
Textile Bowl	1959
Tampa Bowl	1933

Basketball

NCAA Division I Men's Tournament	1999, 2000

Championships

Football

Dixie Conference Champions	1933, 1935, 1936
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions	1933

Basketball

Trans-America Athletic Conference Tournament Champions	1999, 2000
Trans-America Athletic Conference Regular Season Champions	1999
Trans-America Athletic Conference West Division Regular Season Champions	1996, 1997
Dixie Conference Tournament Champions	1953

National Individual Awards

Football

National Football Foundation Hall of Fame	2006: Bobby Bowden (coach)
NCAA Division I FCS First-Team All-Americans	1994: Anthony Jordan (AP) 2002: Cortland Finnegan (KR) 2003: Efrem Hill (WR) 2004: Efrem Hill (WR) 2005: Cortland Finnegan (DB) 2012: Jaquiski Tartt (DB)
NCAA Division II Football First-Team All-Americans	1936: Norman Cooper (C)

Basketball

Samford has yet to have an individual honored with a national award in basketball.

External Links

Samford University Athletics