History of Troy University in Timeline

Troy University, established in 1887 in Troy, Alabama, began as Troy State Normal School, part of the Alabama State University System. It now serves as the flagship institution of the Troy University System. Founded as one of approximately 180 'normal schools,' its initial purpose was to train teachers for the expanding public school system in the 19th century. Evolving along with many similar institutions, it transitioned from a normal school to a state college in the early 20th century and eventually to a state university later in the century.

1909: First Football Team

In 1909, Troy State Normal School fielded its first football team.

1909: Troy University Began Playing Football

Troy University began playing football in 1909.

1929: Name changed to Troy State Teachers College

In 1929, the name of the institution was changed to Troy State Teachers College.

1930: School Moved to University Avenue

In 1930, Troy State Normal School moved to its present location on University Avenue. Prior to this, the school was located in downtown Troy.

1931: First Baccalaureate Degree Conferred

In 1931, Troy State Teachers College conferred its first baccalaureate degree.

1939: Establishment of the Marching Band

In 1939, the marching band of Troy University was established.

1957: Troy State College Name Adoption and Master's Degree Grant

In 1957, the Alabama Board of Education adopted the name "Troy State College" and granted the college the right to issue master's degrees.

1957: Name changed to Troy State College

In 1957, the legislature voted to change the name to Troy State College and authorized the start of a master's degree program.

1962: Opening of Sartain Hall

In 1962, Sartain Hall, the longtime basketball and events facility at Troy University, opened. It was later replaced by the Trojan Arena.

1963: Max Rafferty Appointed as California Superintendent of Public Instruction

In 1963, Max Rafferty became the California Superintendent of Public Instruction. He later joined Troy University as the dean of the education department in 1971.

1965: Marching Band Renamed to Sound of the South

In 1965, the marching band was renamed to "Sound of the South" by John M. Long, who also wrote the band's trademark piece, "The Fanfare".

1967: Name changed to Troy State University

In 1967, the name was changed to Troy State University.

1968: NAIA National Football Championship

In 1968, Troy University won the NAIA national football championship.

1971: Max Rafferty Joins Troy University

In 1971, Max Rafferty, former California Superintendent of Public Instruction, became the dean of the education department at Troy University.

1979: Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors Established

In 1979, the Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors was established at Troy State University in Troy, Alabama by the National Band Association.

1982: Death of Max Rafferty

In 1982, Max Rafferty, the dean of the education department at Troy University and former California Superintendent of Public Instruction, passed away.

1982: Troy State University System Formed

In 1982, the Troy State University System was formed as the campuses in Dothan and Montgomery were granted independent accreditation status.

1984: NCAA Division II National Football Championship

In 1984, Troy University won the NCAA Division II national football championship.

1986: Baseball Team Wins National Championship

In 1986, the Troy University baseball team won a Division II national championship under coach Chase Riddle.

1987: NCAA Division II National Football Championship

In 1987, Troy University won the NCAA Division II national football championship.

1987: Baseball Team Wins National Championship

In 1987, the Troy University baseball team won another Division II national championship under coach Chase Riddle.

1990: Larry Blakeney Started as Head Coach

In 1990, Larry Blakeney began his 25-season tenure as the head football coach at Troy University.

January 12, 1992: Troy Defeats DeVry in Highest-Scoring Game

On January 12, 1992, Troy defeated DeVry University of Atlanta by a score of 258–141, marking the highest-scoring game in NCAA basketball history, with Troy State's score of 258 being the highest score in NCAA basketball history.

1993: Troy Becomes a Member of NCAA Division I Athletics

In 1993, Troy University became a member of NCAA Division I athletics. Before this, it was a member of the Gulf South Conference of the NCAA Division II ranks.

1995: Troy Competes in NCAA Division One Tournament

In 1995, Troy competed in the NCAA Division One tournament under head coach John Mayotte.

1997: Troy Competes in NCAA Division One Tournament

In 1997, Troy competed in the NCAA Division One tournament under head coach John Mayotte.

1997: Troy University Started Online Courses

In the Fall Semester of 1997, Troy University began offering online courses, establishing itself as a leader in online education.

April 1998: Troy Defeats Alabama Crimson Tide

In April 1998, Troy defeated the #3 nationally ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide by a score of 8–4 at Riddle-Pace Field on the Troy campus.

1999: Troy Ties NCAA Record for Most Hits in an Inning

In 1999, the Troy University baseball program tied the NCAA Division I record for most hits in the 6th inning, belting 14 hits (in the 6th) in a 34–4 rout of Stetson.

2001: Victory Over Mississippi State

In 2001, Troy defeated Mississippi State at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi, by a score of 21–9, marking the Trojans' first victory over a BCS level program.

2003: Troy Competes in NCAA Tournament

In 2003, the Troy Trojans competed in the NCAA Tournament in Nashville against Xavier University after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference title.

2003: Women's Soccer Team Begins

In 2003, the Troy University women's soccer team began when the stadium, Jesse H. Colley Track/Soccer Stadium, was first constructed, seating 500.

April 2004: Name Change Reflecting Broader Focus

In April 2004, "State" was dropped from the university's name to reflect the institution's new, broader focus.

April 16, 2004: Name Change to Troy University Approved

On April 16, 2004, the board of trustees voted to change the name of the institution from Troy State University to Troy University.

December 30, 2004: First Bowl Game Appearance

On December 30, 2004, the Trojan football team made its first bowl game appearance in the Silicon Valley Football Classic, but lost to Northern Illinois, 34–21.

2004: Troy Joins Sun Belt Conference

In 2004, Troy joined the Sun Belt Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

2004: Troy Participates in NIT

In 2004, Troy was an NIT participant in a match-up against Niagara University.

August 2005: Merger of Troy State University campuses into Troy University

In August 2005, Troy State University, Montgomery; Troy State University, Phenix City; Troy State University, Dothan; and Troy State University (main campus) merged under one accreditation to become Troy University. This merger combined staff, faculty, and administrators into a single university.

August 2005: All Troy Campuses Unified Under One Accreditation

In August 2005, all Troy campuses were unified under one accreditation.

August 2005: Transition to Troy University Completed

In August 2005, the transition to the new name, Troy University, was completed. This was the fourth name change in the school's history.

2005: Joined Sun Belt Conference for all sports

In 2005, Troy joined the Sun Belt Conference for all sports.

2006: Sun Belt Conference Victory and New Orleans Bowl

In 2006, Troy won the Sun Belt Conference for the first time and defeated the Rice Owls in the New Orleans Bowl by a score of 41-17.

2006: Baseball Program Competes in NCAA Tournament

In 2006, under the direction of head coach Bobby Pierce, the Troy Trojan baseball program competed in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

2007: Ben Mayworth Wins National Title

In 2007, Troy University calf roper Ben Mayworth won the national title in Casper, Wyoming, at the National Finals Collegiate Rodeo.

2007: Establishment of Confucius Institute at Troy University

In 2007, the Confucius Institute at Troy University, affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, was established to promote Chinese language and culture and facilitate cultural exchanges.

2007: Baseball Program Competes in NCAA Tournament

In 2007, under the direction of head coach Bobby Pierce, the Troy Trojan baseball program competed in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

2008: Don Maestri Inducted into Hall of Fame

In 2008, coach Don Maestri was inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Dothan, Alabama.

2009: Troy Competes in CBI

In 2009, the Troy Trojans finished 3rd place in the Sun Belt Conference and competed in the CBI against College of Charleston.

2010: New Orleans Bowl

In 2010, Troy participated in the New Orleans Bowl and routed Ohio by a score of 48–21.

2010: Troy Invited to NIT

In 2010, after winning the Sun Belt regular-season title, the Troy Trojans were invited to play in the NIT once again against Ole Miss.

2010: Stadium Renovated

In 2010, the Jesse H. Colley Track/Soccer Stadium, was renovated to include a press box to be used by both the track and soccer team.

2010: Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy Formed

In September 2010, the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University was formed due to a $3.6 million gift.

2013: Don Maestri Retires

In 2013, Don Maestri, the head coach of the Troy University men's basketball team, retired after 31 years. He was the winningest coach in school history, with 500 career wins.

2014: Larry Blakeney Ends Coaching Career

At the end of the 2014 season, Larry Blakeney completed his 25th season as head coach.

2015: Scott Beaulier Leaves Center's Executive Director Role

Dr. Scott Beaulier served as the executive director of the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy from 2010 to 2015.

2016: Main Campus Enrollment

In the fall of 2016, the main campus enrollment was 7,911 students.

January 2017: Ged O'Connor Hired as Head Coach

In January 2017, Ged O'Connor was hired as the seventh head coach of the Troy University women's soccer program.

2017: Tropolitan Newspaper Ranking

In 2017, The Tropolitan, Troy University's school newspaper, was ranked as the #6 Best College Newspaper by the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC).

2017: TrojanVision Ranked #1

In 2017, TrojanVision was ranked as the #1 Best College TV Station by the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC).

2018: Troy University Ranked Among Most Innovative Schools

In spring 2018, Troy University was ranked #19 among the "Most Innovative Schools" in U.S. News & World Report's annual peer assessment survey.

2019: Greek Life Statistics

In 2019, approximately 10% of undergraduate men and 13% of undergraduate women were active in Troy's Greek system.

August 26, 2020: Bibb Graves Hall Renamed John Robert Lewis Hall

On August 26, 2020, the Troy University Board of Trustees voted to rename Bibb Graves Hall in John Lewis's honor.

2020: Kayla Saager Joins Trojans

In 2020, Kayla Saager joined the Troy University women's soccer team as an assistant coach.

2021: Nicole Waters Enters Third Season

In the fall of 2021, Nicole Waters will enter her third season with the Troy University women's soccer program as an assistant coach.

2022: Student Enrollment

As of Fall 2022, there are 14,881 students enrolled at Troy University.

2023: Birmingham Bowl and Sun Belt Champions

In 2023, the Troy Trojans became back-to-back Sun Belt Conference champions, after beating Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina and participated in the Birmingham Bowl, where they lost to Duke 10-17.