📍 Charleston, South Carolina
🏀 Home of The Citadel Bulldogs basketball

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, was founded in 1842 and is known for its long history of cadet participation in every US military engagement since the Mexican-American War. The Citadel also played a crucial role in the commencement of the Civil War in 1861, when academy cadets fired the first shots of the conflict. Today, the college is known for its iconic Spanish Moorish style architecture, with most of the main campus surrounding a peaceful parade ground. Just off this main square is historic McAlister Field House, where cadets ritually observe the school’s motto of Honor, Duty and Respect at every home basketball game featuring their beloved Bulldogs.

Built in 1939 and originally known as The Citadel Armory, the Field House blends rights in with the regal architecture of the rest of the tranquil campus. The aesthetic highlight has to be the arena’s classic arched truss roof, which provides excellent acoustics during events. In 1973, the venue was renamed in honor of alumni Colonel David S. McAlister and subsequently underwent a series of renovations in 1989 and 2011. McAlister Field House now seats about 6,000, but has sold out just a handful of games since the 1989 overhaul.

The most raucous of fans at home basketball games have to be the McAlister Maniacs, a small section of cadets that come out often to support and cheer on their cherished Bulldogs. The Citadel’s relatively small enrollment of about 4,000 may sometimes translate to meager crowds, but there’s certainly no shortage of talented players that compete across all school sports. Over the years, some of the academy’s most successful athletes have earned their place in the Athletic Hall of Fame, a wall of plaques on display in the lobby of the Field House.

Interestingly, The Citadel is one of only two Division I schools that does not field a women’s basketball team, the other being SoCon peer VMI. Together with cross-state rival Furman, The Citadel is one of the oldest continuous members of the Southern Conference, with both schools joining in 1936.

Since the team’s inception in 1900, the Bulldogs have only won one conference championship, clinching the SIAA title way back in 1927. They have never been crowned Southern Conference champions and have also never participated in March Madness. As of 2023, The Citadel is just one of 35 teams that are sadly yet to make the NCAA Tournament, and are the only SoCon school on that list. The Bulldogs’ lone postseason appearance came in 2009, when they fell to Old Dominion in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

There’s always hope for improvement, of course. In the coming years, perhaps the Bulldogs’ fortune will turn around and, in turn, draw more fans out to historic McAlister Field House, which is certainly one of the most unique arenas in mid-major college basketball.