Alabama–Huntsville Chargers

The UAH ice hockey program started in 1979 as a club program and quickly became a national power, winning national championships in 1982, 1983 and 1984. The program was elevated to varsity status in 1985.

After one season in NAIA competition, the Chargers played at the NCAA Division II level for 1986–87, and then Division I from 1987–92. UAH returned to Division II play in 1992, and won national championships in 1996 and 1998.

UAH returned to Division I in 1999 as a charter member of College Hockey America, where the Chargers won two tournament titles and earned berths in the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2010. Following the folding of the CHA in 2010, UAH played as a Division I independent program[5] until they began play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in the 2013–14 season.[15]

UAH was the host institution for the 2012 Frozen Four at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida.

In May 2020, due to financial hardships cause by the coronavirus, UAH announced that it would be ending the ice hockey program.[14] The decision was reversed one week later after private fundraising efforts raised more the $750,000 to support the program for another year.[16]

Varsity basketball at UAH began in 1973 under coach Kayo Willis, who turned the Chargers into an NAIA power. Willis compiled a 205–136 record over 11 seasons as the Chargers won or shared five Southern States Conference titles, and won five SSC Tournament titles. The Chargers earned four NAIA tournament berths (1976, 1977, 1981, 1983) as NAIA District 27 champions. In 1980-81, UAH finished 30-7, losing in the NAIA championship game to Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University) 86–85 in overtime.

Lennie Acuff was the head coach at UAH from 1997-2019, and is the program's all-time winningest coach with 437 victories. UAH won at least a share of six GSC Eastern Division or league regular season titles, and three GSC Tournament titles (2012, 2015, and 2017). The Chargers have appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament 11 times (2000, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019). Acuff became head coach at Lipscomb in 2019.

In 2010–11, the Chargers went 29–5, hosted the South Regional and earned their first berth in the Elite Eight, losing to Minnesota State 95–91 in the quarterfinals.[2]

UAH went 29–4 in 2011–12, winning the GSC regular season title, its first GSC Tournament title, and another South Region championship at home. The Chargers lost to Bellarmine in the Elite Eight quarterfinals, 82–73.

In 2012, UAH was the first Division II program to participate in the NIT Season Tip-Off.[17] The Chargers faced four Division I opponents, and defeated North Texas 78–75 in the first round before losing to Kansas State, Cleveland State, and Bowling Green. The Chargers had a 25–6 record in 2012–13, earning their third straight appearance in the South Region championship game.

UAH earned another Gulf South Conference regular season title in 2015–16, and going 25–8 and reaching the NCAA South Region championship game at home. The Chargers won their third GSC Tournament title in 2016–17, finishing 26–8 and reaching the NCAA South Region final at home.

Josh Magette, a two-time All-American and UAH's all-time leader in assists (878) and steals (268) from 2008-12,[18] is the first Charger to play in the NBA. Magette played 18 games with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2017-18 NBA season.[19]

The UAH women's basketball program began in 1977 as a member of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). The program joined the NAIA in 1981, and under then-athletics director Dennis Killips, reached the finals of the regional tournament.

Donna Caldwell Dunnaway took over as head coach in 1982, and led the Lady Chargers to district championship. UAH lost to Southwestern Oklahoma, 80–68, in the 1983 NAIA national championship game in Kansas City and finished 27–8.[4]

In the 2011–12 season, UAH had its best record in 29 years under head coach Roy Heintz. The Lady Chargers won 23 games, losing seven, while earning their first GSC tournament final berth and NCAA Division II tournament berth.[20]

The Lady Chargers returned to the NCAA tournament in 2012–13 after winning their first GSC tournament championship. UAH defeated Tuskegee 78–69 for its first NCAA tournament victory before losing to Delta State, 81–58.

Les Stuedeman has been the head coach of the UAH softball program since its inception in 1996, winning 1,095 games through the 2019 season. Stuedeman is the fifth coach in Division II history to amass 1,000 victories. The Chargers have averaged 46 wins per year. UAH has appeared in the GSC championship game 13 times, winning eight titles.

UAH has earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament 22 times in 24 seasons (including 17 straight from 2003–2019), winning the South Region title four times (1999, 2001, 2009, and 2011). The Chargers have reached the national championship game twice, losing to Lock Haven 8–0 in 2009 and losing to UC San Diego 10–3 in 2011.[10]

UAH began baseball play in 1996 under head coach Bobby Pierce, who guided the Chargers to four GSC East Division titles and one GSC championship (2001). UAH reached the NCAA Division II tournament four straight seasons (1998–2001), reaching the South Central Region finals in 1999 and 2000. Pierce would leave UAH in 2002 to become head coach at Troy State.[8] The Chargers won the GSC championship in 2014 and earned NCAA Tournament berths in 2012 and 2014 under coach Hunter Royer.

UAH soccer began in 1969 when students approached Dr. Ostap Stromecky for his assistance in forming a club team. Stromecky would coach the Chargers for 21 years, compiling a 265–90–29 record at the club and varsity levels. UAH became an intercollegiate sport in the fall of 1973, joining the NAIA. UAH won the NAIA District 27 championship 16 times and earned seven berths in the NAIA national tournament. UAH lost to Quincy University 2–0 in the 1978 national championship game. Stromecky retired from coaching in 1990.

Under coach Carlos Petersen, UAH won GSC championships in 1996 and 1997, and earned its first NCAA Division II tournament berth in 1997.[3] In 1996, the Chargers finished 16–1–1, its best record in program history, losing 2–1 to NCAA Division II national champion Lynn University and drawing with NAIA No. 1 Life University.

• The volleyball program has reached the NCAA Division II tournament six times (1998,1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2019).[7]
• The women's cross country program has won 3 GSC titles (1999, 2003 and 2004) and reached the NCAA championships twice (2003 and 2004). The men's team won the GSC title in 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2019.[6]

The UAH pep band has claimed to have the "World's Longest Cheer", which consists of the crowd being directed to repeat each letter of the university's formal name, including spaces between words ("The University of Alabama in Huntsville"). After this, the cheer continues with "Now say it like a marketing major!" (to which the response is "UAHuntsville") and concludes with "Now say it like an engineer!" (the response being "UAH", which is then repeated several times). In the event of an interruption (such as a score), the pep band will resume where it left off after playing the fight song.

The UAH Blue Crew is the student spirit group for UAH athletic events.