Ferrum 's sports teams participate in the NCAA 's Division III in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference , formerly having played in the USA South Athletic Conference from 1998 through 2018 . Its football team played in the Atlantic Central Football Conference from 1998 to 2000 . Ferrum joined the NCAA Division III in 1985 after being previously classified as a junior college . Under head coach W. H. " Hank " Norton , Ferrum won the National Junior College Athletic Association national football championship four times ( 1965 , 1968 , 1974 , 1977 ) . Norton 's last great team , in 1989 , finished third overall in NCAA Division III , losing in the national semifinal to Dayton . This team featured the double-threat backfield of future AFC leading rusher Chris Warren and Freddie Stovall . Seven members of the Panthers ' 1968 championship team &mdash; all of whom had transferred to Marshall University &mdash; died in the 1970 plane crash which also claimed the lives of 37 Marshall University Thundering Herd players and 30 others , including the team 's coaches , 25 boosters and the entire flight crew
1970 plane crash
Southern Airways Flight 932
Ferrum College