Locked In

NCAA tournament appearances are becoming the norm across Ole Miss varsity sports, a testament to the university’s commitment to excellence in athletics.

Written by Eugene Stockstill  |  Photos Contributed by Ole Miss Athletics

Everyone knows all about the Ole Miss football team’s big effort in the playoffs last go-around. That the school’s baseball team made it to the College World Series again. And that the women’s basketball team made a fifth straight appearance in the national tournament.

But did you know that also competing at the highest levels in the NCAA are the Ole Miss women’s and men’s golf teams, the school’s rifle team, the women’s and men’s cross-country teams, the women’s and men’s tennis teams, the women’s and men’s track teams, the volleyball team? Football may be king in the Deep South, and the big three sports may get most of the attention, but there’s a whole lot more going on athletically at Ole Miss, athletic director Keith Carter said.

“We’ve known it forever, that football drives the train. You’ve got to be really good at football to have a seat at the table,” Carter said. But, “we talk a ton about having a comprehensive athletic program. We’ve been pretty successful.”

That’s especially important, Carter said, when you’ve got 425 student-athletes on campus.

Here’s a roundup of what’s been happening with Ole Miss athletics in recent years.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The men’s golf team, coached by Chris Malloy, won the SEC championship last April and finished third in the regional championships to earn the chance to play in the NCAA championships in Carlsbad, California.The women’s golf team made its biggest splash with a national title in 2021. Under the leadership of head coach Kory Henkes, they have made seven NCAA championship appearances in the past nine seasons, including last year. The golf teams compete in early fall and in the spring every year.

Coached by Will Shaner, the university’s rifle team made program history by winning the small-bore event at the NCAA Championships last spring. They finished third place overall at the tournament, and Audrey Gogniat won the individual air rifle title for the second consecutive year. The college rifle season is from October to March.

The women’s and men’s cross-country teams make regular appearances at SEC, regional and national competitions. The men’s team has finished in the top 25 at NCAA Championships nine consecutive times. The fall sport culminates with NCAA Championships in late November.

The school’s volleyball team, coached by Bre Henry, has made NCAA tournament appearances in 2006, 2007, 2010, 2021 and 2024. It opened this year’s season at home in late August. The SEC and NCAA tournaments are held in November and December.

Track coach Connie Price-Smith, a member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, has led her squads to 16 NCAA individual titles, has coached 188 All-Americans and counts 34 Top 25 national team finishes. Indoor track season is December-March, and outdoor season is March-June. In late July, four student-athletes (Jordan Urrutia, Dekell Minor, Aiden Britt and Arvesta Troupe) qualified for and competed in the 2026 Toyota USA Track and Field Championships in New York City, with Urrutia making finals in the 200-meter dash.

The women’s soccer team, under a new coaching staff including head coach Todd Shulenberger, also started play in August. And college tennis gets underway in September with individual play; team play is January-May. The men’s tennis team made the NCAA tournament last spring.