VMI

The VMI Keydets represent unbreakable discipline, a profound sense of honor, and the resilient spirit of the Corps of Cadets from their historic post in Lexington, Virginia. As America's oldest state-supported military college, VMI's athletic programs are forged in a crucible of rigorous military training, creating student-athletes defined by a toughness and camaraderie unlike any other in collegiate sports. The soul of the program is found on the football gridiron, where the Keydets' recent Southern Conference championship in 2021 marked a triumphant return to glory, and where the annual "Military Classic of the South" against The Citadel stands as one of the nation's most storied rivalries. This "Never Say Die" attitude extends to a tough-nosed wrestling program that consistently produces conference champions and a basketball program with its own legendary run to the 1976 NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. The Keydet mascot itself is a testament to their identity, a unique name for the citizen-soldiers who compete with a deep sense of duty to their institute and to each other. VMI athletics is more than a game; it is a demonstration of the VMI spirit, where the lessons of the barracks forge a competitor that is never out of the fight.