Dayton Flyers

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Dayton Flyers
Dayton Flyers logo.svg
UniversityUniversity of Dayton
Conference Atlantic 10 (primary)
Pioneer Football League
MAAC (women's golf)
NCAA Division I (FCS)
Athletic directorNeil Sullivan
Location Dayton, Ohio
Varsity teams16
Football stadium Welcome Stadium
Basketball arena UD Arena
Baseball stadium Woerner Field
Soccer stadium Baujan Field
Mascot Rudy Flyer
NicknameFlyers
Fight song Victory
ColorsRed and blue [1]
   
Website daytonflyers.com
Dayton wordmark red.svg

The Dayton Flyers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Dayton of Dayton, Ohio. [2] All Flyers intercollegiate sports teams participate at the NCAA Division I level. The football team competes in the Division I FCS non-scholarship Pioneer Football League, and women's golf plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, while all other sports compete in the non-football Atlantic 10 Conference. [3]

Contents

The Flyers name

The name is a reference and homage to Daytonians Orville and Wilbur Wright who pioneered heavier than air flight. Orville and Wilbur Wright designed the Wright Flyer I and fabricated many of its components, including the propellers and engine, at their bicycle shop in Dayton. The Wright Flyer I was the first powered aircraft to achieve sustained, controlled flight.

Teams

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross countryGolf
Football Rowing
GolfSoccer
Soccer Softball
TennisTennis
Track and field
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, the University of Dayton sponsors teams in seven men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. [4] The football team competes as a member of the Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship Division I (FCS) league. The women's golf team competes as an associate member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Fan support

Atlantic 10 Conference logo in Dayton's colors Atlantic 10 Conference textless logo in Dayton blue.svg
Atlantic 10 Conference logo in Dayton's colors

University of Dayton athletic teams enjoy considerable support from an energized fan base. The men's basketball team is perennially among the top 25 programs nationally in attendance. [5] The student fan base is known as the "Red Scare" and provides support for the Flyers from behind the east goal during basketball games at UD Arena. Due to the presence of the Red Scare, UD Arena has long been reckoned as one of the most hostile arenas in the nation.

Rivalries

The Flyers' traditional rivals in most sports are regional schools such as Xavier, Cincinnati, and Miami University. Dayton and Xavier vie for possession of the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy during regular season men's basketball games. Other historical rivals of note include Butler University, Duquesne University, Temple University, University of Detroit, Marquette University, DePaul University, and the University of Notre Dame. The latter three schools formed an informal basketball league with Dayton during the 1970s and 1980s, prior to formal league association for each school. The Gem City Jam, an annual game with crosstown rival Wright State University, is currently suspended.

On an ESPN all-time ranking of NCAA basketball programs the University of Dayton placed No. 48 overall. [6] Dayton recently won the 2010 NIT championship. In March 2014, Dayton upset state-favorite Ohio State, and the #3 seed Syracuse Orange in the NCAA Tournament with close victories. The Flyers then beat Stanford to reach the Elite Eight where they played the overall #1 seed Florida. They lost 62–52.

Football

Bowl games

Welcome Stadium, Dayton's venue Welcome Stadium Home Stands.jpg
Welcome Stadium, Dayton's venue
SeasonBowlChampionRunner-up
1951 Salad Bowl Houston 28Dayton21
1980 Stagg Bowl Dayton63 Ithaca 0
1981 Stagg Bowl Widener 17Dayton10
1987 Stagg Bowl Wagner 19Dayton3
1989 Stagg Bowl Dayton17 Union (NY) 7
1991 Stagg Bowl Ithaca 34Dayton20
2007 Gridiron Classic Dayton42 Albany 21

Sports Network Cup results

SeasonBowlChampionRunner-up
1993 Sports Network Cup Dayton27 Iona 3
1996 Sports Network Cup Dayton27 Duquesne 3
1997 Sports Network Cup Georgetown 28Dayton3
1999 Sports Network Cup Dayton14 Robert Morris 6
2001 Sports Network Cup Sacred Heart 21Dayton7
2002 Sports Network Cup Dayton17 Albany 7

Baseball

Flyers third baseman Takahiro Yamada warms up for the Dayton Flyers baseball team UD vs Arkansas baseball, 2018 002.jpg
Flyers third baseman Takahiro Yamada warms up for the Dayton Flyers baseball team

Mascot

Rudy Flyer is the mascot of the Dayton Flyers. He is dressed in early pilots attire including a scarf and goggles. Each year two or three students share the responsibility of wearing the Rudy suit. He has been the mascot since 1980.

Notable student–athletes

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References

  1. "Color Palette". UDayton.edu/Brand. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  2. "University of Dayton". www.udayton.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  3. "Atlantic 10 Conference Official Athletic Site". atlantic10.com. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  4. "(Winged D logo)". University of Dayton. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  5. "2011 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE". NCAA. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  6. "NCAA Basketball" . Retrieved 2009-10-08.