The Augusta Jaguars (formerly Augusta State Jaguars and Georgia Regents Jaguars) are the athletic teams that represent Augusta University, located in Augusta, Georgia, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Peach Belt Conference since the 1991–92 academic year. Augusta's men's and women's golf programs compete at the Division I level as affiliate members of the Southland Conference.
Augusta competes in thirteen intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, and track and field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
AU retains the athletics legacy of Augusta State University, which merged with Georgia Health Sciences University (formerly the Medical College of Georgia) in 2013 to form Georgia Regents University. The name became Augusta University in 2015.
AU's colors are a dark blue and gray. They have two main rivals: the USC Aiken Pacers, located 30 minutes away and a PBC division foe, and the Paine College Lions, a city rival; Paine College is located on 15th Street across from the Health Sciences campus of AU.
Conference affiliations
NCAA
Big South Conference (1983–1990) Peach Belt Conference (1991–present)
Golf
Men's golf
The men's golf team has made a name for itself over the years competing at the Division I level, with multiple NCAA Championships appearances. It made history in 2010, winning the National Championship, and repeating as back-to-back champions in 2011. They annually host a collegiate tournament hosted at Forest Hills. From 2014 to 2021, the men's golf team was a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC); it was that league's first-ever associate member in any sport, and also the first school with any level of MEAC membership that was not a historically black institution. After the 2020–21 season, Augusta moved both men's and women's golf to the Southland Conference.
Some alumni include Vaughn Taylor, Patrick Reed, Gary Murphy, Scott Jamieson, and Oliver Wilson.
2010 National Championship
The team's regular season qualified the team for the postseason with nine consecutive top-five finishes, including three wins under head coach Josh Gregory. After finishing sixth in medal play to qualify for the NCAA's new playoff format, the Jaguars defeated Georgia Tech 3-2 in the opening round, Florida State 4-1 in the semifinals, and host Oklahoma State 3-2 to win their first national title. Patrick Reed, Henrik Norlander, and Mitch Krywulycz all won their matches against the top-seeded Cowboys, with Krywulycz clinching the victory on the first extra hole.
In the NCAA National Championship, the team: Patrick Reed; finished T-58 in the medal round, went 3-0 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 9 Henrik Norlander; finished 5th in the medal round, went 3-0 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 12 Mitch Krywulycz; finished T-51 in the medal round, went 1-2 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 61 Taylor Floyd; finished T-72 in the medal round, went 1-2 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 175 Carter Newman; finished T-146 in the medal round, went 2-1 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 237
2011 National Championship
Featuring four future professional players on its roster, the 2011 men's golf squad took down Georgia 3-2 in the final after taking down Georgia Tech 3-2 and then host Oklahoma State 3-2 in the semifinals. The title made the Jags the first team since the 1984–1985 Houston squad to repeat as Division I National Champions.
In the NCAA Championship, the team: Patrick Reed; finished T-3, went 3-0 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 4 Henrik Norlander; finished T-56, went 1-2 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 16 Carter Newman; finished T-50, went 3-0 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 108 Mitch Krywulycz; finished T-94, went 2-1 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 121 Olle Bengtsson; finished 139, went 0-3 in match play, ended the year ranked No. 330
Head coach Josh Gregory, who led both squads, accepted a job with his alma mater SMU after winning the second title.
Women's golf
The women's program gained steadily competing as a Division I independent on its men's counterpart, competing in back-to-back NCAA Regionals in 2011 and 2012, the team's first back-to-back postseason appearance. The teams hosts an annual tournament at Forest Hills Golf Club that attracts many top-50 teams. AU women's golf joined the Southland Conference alongside the men's team.