Ave Maria Gyrenes

Last updated
Ave Maria Gyrenes
Avemaria gyrenes logo.png
University Ave Maria University
Association NAIA
Conference The Sun (primary)
Athletic directorJoe Patterson
Location Ave Maria, Florida
Varsity teams24 (12 men's, 12 women's)
Football stadiumGyrene Field
Basketball arenaTom Golisano Field House
Baseball stadiumBowie's Ballpark
Softball stadiumAve Maria Softball Field
Soccer stadiumGyrene Field
Aquatics centerImmokalee Sports Complex
Lacrosse stadiumGyrene Field
Tennis venueAMU Tennis Facility
MascotJax the Gyrene
NicknameGyrenes
ColorsBlue and green [1]
   
Website avemariagyrenes.com
Avemaria gyrenes wordmark.png

The Ave Maria Gyrenes are the athletic teams that represent Ave Maria University, located in Ave Maria, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), [2] primarily competing in the Sun Conference (formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) until after the 2007–08 school year) since the 2009–10 academic year. [3] They are also a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). [4]

Contents

Ave Maria's traditional rivals for all sports are St. Thomas University, Keiser University, and Warner University.

Varsity teams

Ave Maria competes in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports:

Men's sportsWomen's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballBeach volleyball
Cross countryCross country
FootballGolf
GolfLacrosse
PickleballPickleball
RugbySoccer
SoccerSoftball
SwimmingSwimming
TennisTennis
Track and fieldTrack and field
Ultimate frisbeeVolleyball

Football

In 2011, Ave Maria became the first college in southwestern Florida to field a football team. [5] In the spring of 2016, the Gyrenes football team joined the Mid-South Conference (MSC) as an affiliate member. [6]

Rivalries

Ave Maria football's traditional rival is fellow Sun Conference member St. Thomas University. The matchup between the two South Florida, Catholic schools is called the Rosary Bowl, which St. Thomas leads all-time with six wins.

Other geographic rivalries exist with Keiser University, with Keiser having a distinct 7-1 lead in the all-time series, and with Warner University, with Ave Maria holding a 7-6 all-time series lead.

Series records

Opponent (Rivalry)Match UpsRecordNext Game
Warner 137-62026
Keiser 81-72026
St. Thomas (Rosary Bowl)71-62026

Men's Basketball

Rivalries

Ave Maria's basketball rivals are St. Thomas, Keiser, and Warner.

Series records

Opponent (Rivalry)Match UpsRecordNext Game
Warner 3514-21January 7, 2026
Keiser 357-28January 14, 2026
St. Thomas 3413-21January 17, 2026

Lacrosse

The women's lacrosse team competed in the National Women's Lacrosse League (NWLL) in their first varsity season in the spring of 2015. [9] Ave Maria does not sponsor men's lacrosse at the varsity level.

Rivalries

A rivalry exists with the Franciscan Barons exists for Ave Maria lacrosse. The matchup between the two deeply Catholic schools is called the Newman Cup, named for both schools' perennial prominence on the Newman Guide. The last game was played in 2024, with Ave Maria winning 22-6. As of the 2026 season, the Newman Cup is dormant.

Series records

Opponent (Rivalry)Match UpsRecordNext Game
Franciscan (Newman Cup)33-0dormant

References

  1. ↑ "Branding guidelines" . Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Schools". NAIA.ORG. NAIA. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Members". Thesunconference.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Ave Maria".
  5. ↑ Wommack, Woody (February 12, 2010). "Ave Maria University hires football coach; inaugural season in 2011". Naples Daily News . Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Michael (25 February 2016). "Local teams officially join Mid-South football conference". The Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "Football: All-Time Record vs. Opponents" (PDF). Ave Maria Athletics. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Men's Basketball: All-Time Record vs. Opponents" (PDF). Ave Maria Athletics. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "Members". NAIA . Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Women's Lacrosse: All-Time Record vs. Opponents" (PDF). Ave Maria Athletics. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
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