Introducing the ACC: Virginia Cavaliers
![Ralph Sampson Ralph Sampson](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2700,h_1518,x_0,y_1032/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cal_sports_report/01j5cwafvpfgyw8317ea.jpg)
After more than a century as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, Cal has moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference. To introduce Cal fans to the Bears’ new conference rivals, we will profile each of the other ACC schools. Today: Virginia:
VIRGINIA
NICKNAMES: Cavaliers, Wahoos, Hoos
MASCOT: The Cavalier on horseback
LOCATION: Charlottesville, VA (pop. 44,487)
MILES FROM BERKELEY: 2,368 miles
MAJOR AIRPORT: Charlottesville Albemarle Airport
YEAR FOUNDED: 1819
ENROLLMENT: 23.721
TUITION: $15,324 (in-state), $52,254 (out-of-state)
CAMPUS LANDMARK: The Rotunda, designed by university founder Thomas Jefferson, serves as the architectural and academic heart of the campus
MOST POPULAR SPORTS BARS/RESTAURANTS: Ralph Sampson’s American Taproom, South Street Brewery, Citizen Burger Bar
FAMOUS NON-ATHLETE ALUMNI: Author Edgar Allen Poe 1826 (did not graduate); movie producer Samuel J. Goldwyn Jr. 1947; politician Robert F. Kennedy, ’51; television journalist Katie Couric ’79; actress Tina Fey ’92
ATHLETIC WEBSITE: virginiasports.com
FOOTBALL
COACH: Tony Elliott (6-16 in third season)
CAL ON THE SCHEDULE: 2025 in Berkeley, date to be announced
2023 RECORD: 3-9, 2-6/tied 11th in ACC
BEST PLAYER ON THE 2024 TEAM: Senior FS Jonas Sanker (First-team All-ACC in 2023)
MOST RECENT BOWL APPEARANCE: 2019 (Lost to Florida 36-28 in the Orange Bowl)
BOWL HISTORY: 21 appearances (8-13, with just 1 victory in past 5 bowls)
MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 1995 co-champion
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: None
BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Defensive back Ronde Barber played 16 seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through 2012, earning five selections to the Pro Bowl and helping the team win Super Bowl XXXVII
ALSO: Tiki Barber, Herman Moore, Henry Jordan
BEST ALL-TIME COACH: George Welsh (134-86-3 in 19 seasons, 1982-2000) Wallace Wade (110-36-1 in 16 seasons, 1931-41 & 1946-50) guided the Cavaliers to 12 bowl appearances
ALL-TIME RECORD vs. CAL (most recent meeting): Never met in football
MEN’S BASKETBALL
COACH: Tony Bennett (364-136 in 15 seasons at Virginia; 433-169 in 18 seasons overall)
ARENA: John Paul Jones Arena (14,593)
2023-24 RECORD: 23-11, 13-7/3rd in ACC
BEST PLAYER ON 2024-25 TEAM: Junior guard Isaac McKneely (12.3 points per game, 44.5% from 3-point in 2023-24)
MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2024 (lost to Colorado State in First Four)
MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2019 co-champion
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Cavaliers won the 2019 title
BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Ralph Sampson (The 7-foot-4 center was a 3-time college player of the year from 1981-83, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated six time in four seasons, led the Cavaliers to the 1981 Final Four and was a 4-time NBA All-Star)
BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Tony Bennett (School-record 364 victories, 6 regular-season ACC titles, 2 ACC tournament titles, 10 NCAA tournament appearances, 2019 NCAA champion)
ALSO: Terry Holland
ALL-TIME RECORD vs. CAL (most recent meeting): 2-0 (won 56-52 in 2016-17)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
COACH: Amaka Agugua-Hamilton (31-31 in 2 seasons at Virginia; 105-46 in 5 seasons overall)
ARENA: John Paul Jones Arena (14,593)
2023-24 RECORD: 16-16, 7-11/tied 10th in ACC
BEST PLAYER ON THE 2024-25 TEAM: Sophomore point guard Kymora Johnson (Averaged 15.3 points, 5.4 assists, 1.8 steals to earn second-team All-ACC and All-Freshman honors)
MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2018 (lost to South Carolina in the second round)
MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2000
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Lost 70-67 in overtime to Tennessee in the 1991 national championship game
BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Dawn Staley ’92 (2,135 points, 729 assists in 4-year career on teams that won 113 games and played in three Final Fours)
BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Debbie Ryan (739-324 in 34 seasons from 178 through 2011)
ALSO: Joanne Boyle
ALL-TIME RECORD vs. CAL (most recent meeting): 3-2 (Virginia won 68-62 in 2018)
MISCELLANEOUS
VARSITY SPORTS (25): Baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball, men’s and women’s squash, men’s and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field, women's volleyball, men’s wrestling
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (34): Baseball (2015); boxing (1938); men’s basketball (2019); men’s lacrosse (1972, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2019, 2021); men’s soccer (1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2009, 2014); men’s tennis (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023); women’s cross country (1981, 1982); women’s lacrosse (1991, 1993, 2004); women’s rowing (2010, 2012); women’s swimming (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
BEST ALL-TIME NON-FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL ATHLETE: Left-handed pitcher Eppa Rixey won 266 games in the majors between 1912 and 1933, four times posting 20 victories in a season on his way to earning a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963
MOST FAMOUS OLYMPIAN: Women’s basketball player Dawn Staley (1996-2000-2004) is Virginia’s only three-time gold-medal winner