Clayton State University is an NCAA Division II member, competing in one of the top conferences in the nation at that level - the Peach Belt Conference.

The school fields 12 intercollegiate sports, including men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s tennis, men’s golf, and men’s and women’s track & field and men’s and women’s indoor track & field.

The newest additions to the athletic department came in 2004-05, as the Lakers added a men’s and women’s indoor track & field team. In 2003-04 , Clayton State added a competitive cheerleading program.

The Lakers have enjoyed much success in their 17-year history, capped in the last four years by finishing three times in the top three in the Peach Belt Conference Commissioner’s Cup standings.

Clayton State followed up a banner 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns with another staunch performance in 2006-07. For the third straight season, the program finished third in the Peach Belt, arguably the toughest Division II conference in the country.

It kicked off with a solid fall season as Clayton State garnered its second straight Peach Belt Conference regular season championship in men's soccer, along with a Peach Belt runner-up finish in women's cross country. However, it was the winter sports that drove the bus for the Lakers in the 2006-07 season.

Both women's and men's basketball enjoyed its best seasons in program history in 2006-07.

Head coach Dennis Cox's Laker women finished its banner year 29-6 overall, setting the school record for victories in a season for a third straight year. Clayton State also swept Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships for the second time in the last three seasons and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Tournament for a third straight season.

In the "Big Dance", Clayton State played host to the Division II South Atlantic Regional, and the Lakers won three straight games to advance to the NCAA Division II "Elite Eight" in Kearney, Neb. Clayton State won its quarterfinal showdown 60-55 against Texas A&M-Commerce, but dropped a tough 61-57 decision against Florida Gulf Coast in the "Final Four."

Not be out-done, head coach Gordon Gibbons' Laker men's basketball finished 24-8 overall, winning 17 straight games to start the season. Clayton State was ranked nationally throughout season, including being ranked as high as second in the nation for seven straight weeks. The Lakers advanced to the Peach Belt Tournament championship game for the first time in program history, and garnered their first ever NCAA Division II National Tournament bid.

The successful 2006-07 season concluded with improved results from women's tennis and men's golf in the spring.

Under new head coach Tamas Szabados, the Clayton State women's tennis team finished 15th in the nation in the final Division II Top 25 poll, and had the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Division II national runner-up in doubles with Julia Chergova and Anna Redecsi. Men's golf, also under the direction of new head coach Barry Harwell, recorded eight Top 10 finishes in its 10 tournaments and won its first tournament championship in six years. Individually, sophomore transfer Will Wilcox finished Peach Belt Conference Tournament runner-up and qualified for the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.

In men's and women's track and field, head coach Mike Mead had three athletes qualify for the Division II National Championships, and two came away with All-American honors.

The 2005-06 season started with a banner fall campaign with Peach Belt Conference championships in men's cross country, men's soccer and women's soccer. In addition, both soccer teams won their respected Peach Belt Tournament championships, advancing to the NCAA Division II National Tournament for a second straight season. Also, the Laker men's cross country team finished third at the NCAA Division II South Regionals and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championships for the first time in program history.

The men's soccer team was ranked 12th in the final Division II Top 25 poll, while the women's team was ranked 17th.

The success continued in the winter. For the second straight season, the Laker women's basketball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament with a 25-6 record. Clayton State also finished a program-best 17-3 in the Peach Belt Conference. The Laker men also had a tremendous season, finishing 21-7 for its second 20-victory season in three years. The Clayton State men were ranked as high as 18th in the nation, and Clayton State women were ranked as high as 19th in the nation.

The Lakers women’s basketball team had the top finish in the 2004-05 season, capturing the Peach Belt regular season and tournament championships. The squad finished with a 25-7 record, the best record in school history. Clayton State advanced to the NCAA Division II National Tournament, winning in the first round.

In the fall, the men’s soccer and women’s soccer teams also advanced the NCAA Division II National Championships. The men’s team finished the season ranked 15th in the nation, advancing to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Championships. The women’s program made the national tournament for the first time, posting a school record.

In 2003-04, the men’s cross country team had Clayton State’s highest PBC finish, placing second in the conference. The men’s basketball program posted the school’s second best record at 22-8, while the Clayton State women’s tennis team advanced to the NCAA National Championship tournament for the third time in four years in 2004.

In 2002, the women’s soccer team had a runner-up finish in the PBC soccer tournament. CSU won two conference championships in 2001-02 in men’s soccer and men’s basketball and also had two runner-up finishes in women’s cross country and women’s tennis in 2001-02.

In addition, the Lakers had a PBC regular season championship in women’s tennis in 2000-01 and a Peach Belt Conference tournament championship in men’s soccer.

The 1998-1999 men’s golf team produced Clayton State's highest NCAA tournament finish, placing seventh in the country and has advanced to the NCAA Division II South Regionals four of the last eight seasons.

In addition to these NCAA accomplishments, Clayton State captured four conference or regional titles as members of the NAIA and of the Georgia Athletic Conference from 1990-1995.

Individually, the Lakers have had 34 All-Americans, including 26 within the last four years. Cross Country and track and field runner Angela Cobb, women's track and field runner Allison Kreutzer, women's tennis players Julia Chergova and Anna Redecsi and men's golfer Will Wilcox were each selected All-American for the 2006-07 season.

Clayton State had a number of remarkable individual achievements in the 2006-07 season. In addition to the six All-Americans, Redecsi was also selected Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and ITA Mid-Atlantic Regional Rookie of the Year for women's tennis, while women's basketball player Shantel Ragin was selected both Peach Belt Conference Tournament and Division II Southeast Regional Most Valuable Player. Cox was also honored as the Peach Belt Coach of the Year for women's basketball.

IN THE BEGINNING

The Clayton State athletics program began when the men’s basketball team took the court against Piedmont College on November 12, 1990. Women’s basketball was added in 1991, followed by men’s soccer in 1992.

In the fall of 1995, Clayton State embarked upon its most ambitious expansion, adding five new teams for intercollegiate competition. Women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf and women’s tennis each celebrated their inaugural seasons during the 1995-96 academic year, giving Clayton State enough programs to move to the NCAA.

In 1997, Clayton State completed a two-year transition from the NAIA to the NCAA Division II level. The 1997-98 academic year also marked the first year in which Clayton State competed as a full-time member of the Peach Belt Conference, one of the nation’s top NCAA Division II conferences.

In the spring of 1998, Clayton State added men’s and women’s track and field as official varsity sports to increase the total number of intercollegiate athletic teams to 10, followed by adding men’s and women’s indoor track & field in 2005, giving the school 12 sports.