University of Tennessee at Chattanooga The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga , Tennessee , United States . The University , often referred to as UTC , UT Chattanooga , or simply " Chattanooga " ( especially in reference to its collegiate athletics ) , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System ; the others being in Knoxville and Martin . UTC was founded in 1886 as the then - private Chattanooga University , which was renamed in 1889 as U . S . Grant University . In 1907 , the university changed its name to University of Chattanooga . In 1969 , the university merged with Zion College / Chattanooga City College to form The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as part of the University of Tennessee System . Administration . Chattanooga uses the semester system , with five optional " mini - terms " in the summer . The leadership of the campus rests upon the chancellor , who answers to the UT System President . The University is currently headed by interim chancellor Dr . E . Grady Bogue . Student Government Association of UTC . A voice for student leadership on campus , the SGA consists of senators representing districts / the college they belong to , such as the College of Arts and Sciences . Academics . Chattanooga is best known for its nationally ranked Business program , Engineering , Nursing , English , Chemistry , Accounting , Psychology , and Education departments . The university offers over 140 undergraduate majors and concentrations , and over 50 undergraduate minors . Chattanooga also offers nearly 100 graduate programs and concentrations , including a highly ranked master ' s program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Ph . D . programs in Computational Engineering and Physical Therapy . In an effort to expand the horizons of its student body , UTC recently began an exchange program with Kangnung National University of Kangnung , South Korea . Campus . The University is served by CARTA bus routes 4 , 7 , 10 , 14 , 19 and 28 . Route 14 only operates on weekdays during fall and spring terms , when the University is session . The route runs on and off the Chattanooga campus on McCallie , Houston , Vine , Douglas , Fifth , and Palmetto Streets . A recent extension serves Third , O ' Neal , and Central Streets , as well as Erlanger Hospital , and a large parking lot at Engel Stadium . All students showing valid University identification cards ( MocsCards ) ride for free on all CARTA routes , year - round . Academic buildings . " Note : Dates of construction given when known " Library . The Lupton Memorial Library , named for T . Cartter and Margaret Rawlings Lupton , was constructed in 1974 to replace the aging John Storrs Fletcher Library ( which has since been restored and renamed Fletcher Hall ) . As of 2005 , the library ' s collection includes nearly 2 million items , including the Fellowship of Southern Writers archives . In early 2008 the University was granted funding to build a new library . The University broke ground in 2010 for the new $ 48 million library . Construction is to be completed by January 2013 . Athletics . Chattanooga ' s colors are navy and old gold ; their men ' s teams and athletes are nicknamed Mocs , and women ' s teams and athletes are Lady Mocs . Chattanooga athletics teams compete in NCAA Division I ( FCS for football ) in the Southern Conference and have been ranked as a national top 100 athletic program by The National Association of Collegiate Director ’ s of Athletics ( NACDA ) in the Division I Learfield Sports Director ’ s Cup . Chattanooga ' s men ' s basketball program has been among the best in the Southern Conference since joining the league in 1977 – 78 . The Mocs have won 10 SoCon Tournament titles , tied for first all - time with former member West Virginia and Davidson , 10 regular - season league championships prior to the change to the division format in 1995 and seven division titles for 27 totals titles . In 1997 , led by coach Mack McCarthy and Chattanooga native Johnny Taylor , the Mocs made a run to the Sweet 16 as a No . 14 seed , beating Georgia and Illinois before falling to Providence . Before making the move to Division I , Chattanooga won the Division II National Championship in 1977 . In July 2008 , the team was ranked number 48 on the ESPN list of the most prestigious basketball programs since the 1984 – 85 season . The Mocs won the SoCon tournament once again in 2009 . Defeating the College of Charleston Cougars 80 - 69 in the championship game on their home court at the McKenzie Arena , the Mocs punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament , their first since 2005 . Jimmy Fallon from " Late Night with Jimmy Fallon " chose the Mocs as his team of choice going into the 2009 NCAA Tournament . The Wednesday night ( March 18 ) show included a live Skype chat with Head Coach John Shulman , as well as representatives of the pep band and cheerleading squads made in studio . Fallon ' s band " The Roots " wrote and performed an ode to Shulman titled , " The Don Juan of the SoCon " and Shulman and his six seniors ( Nicchaeus Doaks , Zach Ferrell , Kevin Goffney , Khalil Hartwell , Stephen McDowell and Keyron Sheard ) made an in - studio appearance following their tournament game with UConn . The Lady Mocs are the most successful women ' s basketball program in Southern Conference history with 15 regular season titles since 1983 – 1984 , 10 consecutive conference championships at the end of 2008 – 2009 and 14 overall conference championships . The men ’ s golf squad won its third consecutive Southern Conference trophy and finished 18th in the NCAA Championships in 2009 . In August 2012 , UTC golfer Steven Fox won the U . S . Amateur Championship . Women ’ s golf posted a 3 . 46 team GOA in the spring while advancing to the NCAA Division I finals in just the second year of the program since disbanding in the mid - 1980s . The Mocs ’ softball team has won 11 regular season titles and 10 SoCon Tournament Championships . They have also made 7 NCAA tournament appearances . Chattanooga is home to the only NCAA Division I wrestling program in the state of Tennessee . The Mocs ' wrestling team won their fifth consecutive Socon title in the 2008 – 2009 academic year . The team plays in the Southern Conference in Division I FCS ( formerly I - AA ) ( Socon ) . Terrell Owens played college football at UTC . The team posted consecutive winning seasons in 2009 – 2010 and 2010 – 2011 . They play in Finley Stadium , which hosted the NCAA Division I Football Championship from 1997 to 2009 . University nickname . The school ' s athletic teams are called the Mocs . The teams were nicknamed Moccasins until 1996 . ( The origin of the name is uncertain ; however , Moccasin Bend is a large horseshoe - shaped bend in the Tennessee River directly below Lookout Mountain . ) The mascot has taken on four distinct forms , with a water moccasin being the mascot in the 1920s , and then a moccasin shoe ( known as " The Shoe " ) was actually used as the school ' s mascot at times in the 1960s and 1970s . From the 1970s until 1996 , the mascot was Chief Moccanooga , an exaggerated Cherokee tribesman . In 1996 , due to concerns over ethnic sensitivity , the Moccasins name and image were dropped in favor of the shortened " Mocs " and an anthropomorphized northern mockingbird , in accordance with the state bird , named " Scrappy " dressed as a railroad engineer . The school ' s main athletic logo features Scrappy riding a train ( a reference to Chattanooga ' s history as a major railroad hub and to the song " Chattanooga Choo Choo " ) . The mascot takes its name from former football coach A . C . " Scrappy " Moore . Fight song . The fight song for Chattanooga is " Fight Chattanooga " . Band . The marching band is referred to as the " Marching Mocs " and performs at all home games .