I’ve had the pleasure of traveling for the last couple of months. I’ve been able to hike some great trails, been to some big cities to vacation, and watch some small college athletic events. I get the opportunity to walk a lot of the small college campuses and their small towns. These small towns are able to thrive by the number of students that attend these small colleges and it brings in athletes from all over the world to participate in college athletics.
The first school that I visited was Tennessee Wesleyan University. It’s located in Athens, Tennessee. It’s a beautiful campus and located very close to the town square. They offer 21 different sports and compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC). They offer over 50 undergraduate programs and have several graduate programs.
Another school that I visited was UT Southern, formerly known as Martin Methodist College, located in Pulaski, Tennessee. The campus was located very close to the center of town and the athletic facilities were a short distance from the school. It boasts over 38 programs of study. The UT Southern website claims that they provide training in academic, vocational, and technical fields and range from basic literacy to university degrees. Each degree, diploma, or certificate has set criteria that must be completed to an acceptable standard. They offer 19 sports and participate in Division 1 of the NAIA.
Milligan University is a small school located Johnson City, TN. The university website states that it offers over 100 programs of study leading to both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Milligan also has 26 intercollegiate sports and in the past 10 years, has won 50 conference titles and made 60 NAIA tournament appearances. Men’s: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Cycling, Esports, Golf, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track & Field, Triathlon, Volleyball. Women’s: Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Cycling, Dance, Esports, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track & Field, Triathlon, Volleyball.
These are the few small colleges from Tennessee that I’ve been able to visit. I’ve also been to see the University of the Cumberlands (Williamsburg, KY), University of Mobile(Mobile, AL) and William Carey University (Hattiesburg, MS).
The greatest part of visiting these small schools is the opportunity to watch some great athletes. Get out to your local college campuses and local high schools to visit and support these programs. They can only survive with local support. You can meet so many different people with so many different goals in life.
Be blessed and safe travels!!!
