Catholic University of America's intercollegiate sports teams are called the Cardinals after the northern cardinal, and they compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. They are members of the Landmark Conference, and the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference (rowing). The team colors are red (PMS 1805) and black. Catholic celebrates Homecoming in the fall to coincide with a home football game.

Originally known as the Red and Black after the colors they wore, Catholic University's athletes came to be known as the Cardinals (often the Flying Cardinals, occasionally the Fighting Cardinals) in the mid-1920s.

History From the founding of the NCAA in 1906 through 1955, institutions were not separated into competitive divisions, and CUA won a national championship in boxing (1938). The football team appeared in two major bowl games, the 1936 Orange Bowl, which they won, and the 1940 Sun Bowl, which they tied. David Bernstein won the national collegiate boxing championship at 115 pounds in 1938 and "Bingo" Stant, Jr. won the 1939 national championship at 165 pounds.

From 1956 through 1972, teams were classified into University Division (major college) and College Division (small college). The Cardinals competed in the latter. During that period, the men's basketball team participated in the 1964 post season tournament, and Keats Baugher won two national championships in men's swimming in 1965 (the 200 and 400-yard individual medley).

NCAA re-organized into three divisions in 1973, and CUA opted for the Division II level during the 1973–76 seasons. CUA stayed as member of the Mason-Dixon Conference. Mark Robinson won two individual national championships in track & field (the 800 meters in 1974 and 1975).

In 1976, CUA moved to Division I, competing for five years (1976–81). As independent first, and as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association later (1979–1981). During that period, the baseball team played the 1977 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

President Edmund Pellegrino decided to drop the athletic programs to Division III and Catholic finally moved in the academic year of 1981–82, joining the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. In 1989 Catholic became a charter member of the Capital Athletic Conference, leaving the conference in 2007 to join, again as a charter member, the Landmark Conference. During this period at Division III, the men's basketball team won the national championship in 2001, Carolyn Hughes captured the 800 meters national track & field championship in 1982, and Tom Caffrey the 1,500 meters in 1991.

Women's teams were established after women were admitted as undergraduate students in the 1950s, and a Women's Sports Department was established in 1959. The Department originally offered dance lessons and ping-pong and badminton tournaments. Jone Rastapkevicius was hired as the first coordinator of women’s sports in 1961. She went on to become a coach and married fellow CUA coach Martin Dowd. In the early part of her 50-year tenure, she worked to schedule games with other local colleges, thereby turning many of the intramural sports into “extramural” ones. The Metropolitan Sports Association for Women (MISAW) was founded in the mid-1960s by CUA along with Trinity College, Georgetown, American University, and George Washington University. It operated until the early 1970s.

Varsity teams

Men's sports Women's sports Basketball Basketball Soccer Soccer Lacrosse Lacrosse Cross Country Cross Country Tennis Tennis Swimming & Diving Swimming & Diving Indoor Track & Field Indoor Track & Field Rowing Rowing Golf Golf Outdoor Track & Field Outdoor Track & Field Baseball Softball Football Field Hockey Rugby union Volleyball

Baseball

The Catholic University Cardinals played the 1977 NCAA Division I baseball tournament after winning the ECAC District II championship. The Cardinals have won the Landmark Conference Tournament in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2025. + Cardinals' NCAA D–I Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 1977 Northeast Regional Seton Hall University W 4–3 Northeast Regional Temple University L 3–10 Northeast Regional St. John's University L 3–8

+ Cardinals' NCAA D–III Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 2011 Mid-Atlantic Regional Kean University W 3–2 Mid-Atlantic Regional Misericordia University L 0–4 Mid-Atlantic Regional Johns Hopkins University L 2–7 2015 Mid-Atlantic Regional Alvernia University L 2–3 Mid-Atlantic Regional Johns Hopkins University L 3–15 2018 Mid-Atlantic Regional Babson College L 11–12 Mid-Atlantic Regional Arcadia University L 2–13 2022 Ithaca Super Regional Stevens Institute of Technology W 7–1 Ithaca Super Regional Shenandoah University W 6–5 Ithaca Super Regional Ithaca College W 16–2 World Series Marietta College L 0–7 World Series University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point L 8–12

Basketball

Men's

Women's The 2011–12 women's basketball team won the Landmark Conference title and made the program's first trip to the NCAA tournament. In 2013 they won their second straight Landmark Conference title and again received the LC's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament, repeating in 2015. In 2017, 2022 and 2024 they received an at-large bid. + Cardinals' NCAA D–III Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 2012 1st Muhlenberg College L 54–63 2013 1st Cabrini College W 52–44 2nd Widener University L 56–57 2015 1st University of New England L 50–54 2017 1st Lynchburg College L 64–69 2022 1st Ithaca College L 63-75 2024 1st Penn State Erie, The Behrend College W 71-55 2nd Washington and Lee University L 70-80

Boxing As a team, CUA won the national title in 1938. Besides, two Cardinals won individual championships: David Bernstein won the 1938 national championship in the 115-pound weight class. "Bingo" Stant Jr. won the 1939 national championship in the 165-pound weight class.

The NCAA discontinued boxing in 1961.

Football

The football team appeared in two major bowl games, the 1936 Orange Bowl, which they won, and the 1940 Sun Bowl, which they tied. In the fall of 2008, already in Division III, the team went to the ECAC Southeast Bowl and defeated Johns Hopkins University 18–17 to give the Cards their first post season win since 1936. YearBowlOpponentResult 1936 Orange Bowl Mississippi W 20–19 1940 Sun Bowl Arizona State T 0–0 2008 ECAC Southeast Bowl Johns Hopkins W 18–17 2022 New England Bowl Bridgewater State L 24-34

The team made three consecutive trips to the Division III playoffs in the late 1990s. + Cardinals' NCAA D–III Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 1997 1st Trinity University L 33–44 1998 1st Lycoming College L 14–49 1999 1st McDaniel College L 16–20

Track and field The track & field team has produced four individual national champions: Mark Robinson won the NCAA Division II 800 meter outdoor championship in 1974 and 1975. Carolyn Hughes won the national championship in the 800 meters at the 1982 NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships. Tom Caffrey won the national championship in the 1500 meters at the 1991 Division III Track & Field Championships. Christian Di Nicolantonio won the national championship in pole vault at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Swimming The men's swim team has won four Capitol Athletic Conference titles and three National Catholic Division III championships, while women's swimming has won a Catholic Division III title. The swimming program has two individual national titles as well: Keats Baugher won the national college division (Division II) championship in the 200 and 400 individual medley in 1965.

Lacrosse

Men's The men's lacrosse team went to the NCAA tournament in 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2022 after winning the conference title. + Cardinals' NCAA D–III Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 2015 1st Gettysburg College L 3–19 2016 1st Salisbury University L 6–19 2021 1st Stevens Institute of Technology L 12–17 2022 2nd St. John Fisher College L 11–18

Women's In 2008, the women's lacrosse team went undefeated in the inaugural year of the Landmark Conference and won the Conference post-season tournament, garnering a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history, and making it to the regional finals where they lost to Salisbury University. The team has won the Landmark Conference Tournament in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.

+ Cardinals' NCAA D–III Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 2008 1st Christopher Newport University W 18–16 2nd Rowan University W 15–9 Sectional Finals Salisbury University L 7–18 2009 1st Messiah College W 9–8 (OT) 2nd University of Mary Washington W 19–14 Sectional Finals Salisbury University L 14–18 2010 1st Christopher Newport University W 19–9 2nd Salisbury University L 9–18 2011 1st University of Mary Washington W 18–10 2nd The College of New Jersey L 9–15 2012 1st Christopher Newport University W 18–5 2nd University of Redlands W 17–10 Regional Final Salisbury University L 6–13 2014 2nd Franklin & Marshall College L 11–17 2015 2nd Western New England University W 22–5 Sweet 16 University of Mount Union W 21–8 Elite Eight SUNY Cortland L 12–13 2016 2nd Messiah College W 15–9 3rd Springfield College W 12–10 Elite Eight SUNY Cortland L 2–18 2017 2nd Washington & Jefferson College W 20–1 3rd Washington and Lee University L 6–9 2018 1st Johnson & Wales University W 23–10 2nd Rowan University W 14–11 Regional semifinal York College of Pennsylvania L 6–13 2019 1st Albion College W 19–5 2nd University of Mount Union W 16–6 Regional semifinal Amherst College L 6–9 2021 1st Becker College W 24–3 2nd St. John Fisher College L 9–15 2022 1st Saint Mary's College W 27–5 2nd Denison University L 12–13

Soccer

Men's The men's soccer team went to the NCAA tournament in 2009, 2010, 2013 (at-large bid), 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022 (at-large bid) and 2023. + Cardinals' NCAA D–III Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 2009 1st Lynchburg L 0–3 2010 1st Ohio Wesleyan University L 1–2 2013 1st Franklin & Marshall College L 0–1 2014 1st United States Coast Guard Academy W 2–0 2nd Muhlenberg College L 0–0 (2OT) 3–5 (pen.) 2019 1st Connecticut College L 1–2 2021 1st Kenyon College L 1–4 2022 1st Lynchburg W 2–0 2nd Christopher Newport W 2–0 (2OT) Sweet Sixteen Johns Hopkins L 0-2 2023 1st SUNY Oneonta L 1-2

Women's Women's soccer went undefeated in the CAC in 2005 and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament, repeating in 2009, 2014 and 2015 as LC champions. + Cardinals' NCAA D–III Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 2005 1st Lynchburg College L 1–5 2009 1st Lynchburg College L 1–3 2014 1st Hanover College W 3–2 2nd Carnegie Mellon University L 1–2 (OT) 2015 1st Ithaca College W 1–0 2nd Swarthmore College L 0–1

Field hockey The field hockey team advanced to the 2001 ECAC Southern Region championship game and won the ECAC title in 2010. In 2011 CUA won its first conference championship, which propelled the Cardinals to their first-ever NCAA tournament. They won the conference title again in 2012, and 2013. In 2014, the team earned an at-large bid and a first round bye to big dance. In 2015 and 2022, they were again Landmark Conference champions.

+ Cardinals' NCAA D–III Tournament history Year Round Opponent Won/Lost Result 2011 1st Eastern University W 5–2 2nd Lynchburg College L 0–2 2012 1st Lynchburg College L 3–4 (OT) 2013 1st Messiah College W 2–1 (OT) 2nd DePauw University W 1–0 (OT) Elite Eight Christopher Newport University L 0–1 2014 2nd Messiah College W 2–0 Elite Eight The College of New Jersey L 0–1 2015 1st Bridgewater College L 1–2 2022 1st Trinity College L 0–1

Volleyball The volleyball team made its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2001 and followed it up in 2002.