The Purple and Gold Club Inc.

Athletics at Defiance

The Defiance College Athletic Department has seen significant improvements to its athletic facilities provided by the support of the Purple & Gold Club and its members.  The most notable upgrade has been the George M. Smart Athletic Center.  Officially opened in February of 2012, the “George” spans 84,000 square feet and features an NCAA approved six-lane, 200 meter track with an eight-lane straightaway.  The facility also showcases a multi-purpose floor, batting cages, weight room, fitness center, athletic training room and four indoor tennis courts.  The space also has three indoor basketball courts and enough room for a full softball/baseball infield.  Yellow Jacket student-athletes now have one of the finest indoor training facilities in the Region.  Other recent upgrades have been made to Sal Hench Field (softball), Craig A. Rutter Field (baseball), Winsper-Knobel Memorial Field (soccer) and the Karl H. Weaner Center (basketball/volleyball), as Defiance College strives to continually provide an outstanding experience for each of its student-athletes.

Yellow Jacket teams compete in the ultra-competitive Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, joining Anderson University, Bluffton University, Earlham College, Franklin College, Hanover College, Manchester University, Mount St. Joseph University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Transylvania University in the 10-team league. The HCAC sponsors football, cross country, soccer, basketball, wrestling, track and field, golf, tennis and baseball for men, while sponsoring volleyball, cross country, golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, track and field and softball for women. 

Yellow Jacket Athletics are "FANtastic"