Weber State Wildcats

Last updated
Weber State Wildcats
Weber State Wildcats logo.svg
University Weber State University
Conference Big Sky
NCAA Division I (FCS)
Athletic directorTim Crompton
Location Ogden, Utah
Varsity teams16 (7 men's and 9 women's)
Football stadium Elizabeth Dee Shaw Stewart Stadium
Basketball arena Dee Events Center
Soccer stadiumWildcat Soccer Field
Other venues Swenson Gymnasium
(volleyball, indoor track)
MascotWaldo the Wildcat
NicknameWildcats
ColorsPurple and white [1]
   
Website weberstatesports.com
Weber State Wildcats wordmark.svg

The Weber State Wildcats are the varsity athletic teams representing Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in intercollegiate athletics, sponsoring 16 teams. The Wildcats compete in NCAA Division I FCS and are charter members (1963) of the Big Sky Conference. [2] The mascot is Waldo the Wildcat and team colors are purple and white, with black as an accessory color.

Contents

Sports sponsored

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Basketball Basketball
Cross countryCross country
Football Golf
GolfSoccer
TennisSoftball
Track and fieldTennis
Track and field
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

Football

Weber (in black) v Montana football game in 2017 In the Air, Tonight.jpg
Weber (in black) v Montana football game in 2017

The football team plays in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The football team recently changed leadership, with the addition of new head coach Ron McBride, former head coach of the University of Utah, who began coaching the Wildcats in 2005. Coach "Mac" went 6–5 overall and 4–3 in conference play his first year with the ‘Cats.

The 2008 season, the 'Cats finished 7–1 in conference which is the best single season record in school history. Overall they finished 10–4 and lost in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Playoff Quarterfinals. Ron McBride retired after the 2011 season. John L. Smith was hired in his place, but left to take the head coaching job in Arkansas before coaching even one game. Weber State hired Jody Sears as an interim head coach for the 2012 season, and was fired at the end of the 2013 season. The Wildcats hired coach Jay Hill at the start of the 2014 season.

Basketball

Men's team

Weber State's men's basketball team (1,004–572), long hailed as a powerhouse in the Big Sky Conference, acquired new head coach Randy Rahe for the 2006–2007 season. WSU Men's basketball team has the 24th highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I history. In 2005, Street and Smith magazine compiled a list of the greatest basketball programs in college basketball history, WSU made #51. The men's basketball team won its 18th overall Big Sky Conference championship in 2009. WSU is also famous for first round NCAA tournament upsets. In 1995, Weber beat #3 seed Michigan State, and defeated #3 seed North Carolina in 1999.

Women's team

Big Sky Conference logo in Weber State's colors Big Sky logo in Weber State colors.svg
Big Sky Conference logo in Weber State's colors

The women's team was in the NCAA tournament in 2001 and 2002, along with a Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) appearance in 2016.

Softball

Weber State's softball team has appeared in four Women's College World Series, in 1973, 1974, 1975, and 2019. WSU got their first NCAA Tournament win in 2019 over Cal State Fullerton. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sky Conference</span> American collegiate athletic conference

The Big Sky Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. As of 2024, ten full member institutions are located in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Two affiliate members from California are football–only participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Dakota State Bison</span> College sports team

The North Dakota State Bison are the athletic teams of North Dakota State University (NDSU), which is located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota. The teams are often called the "Thundering Herd". The current logo is a bison.

Ronald Douglas McBride is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Utah from 1990 to 2002 and at Weber State University from 2005 to 2011, compiling a career college football record of 131–101.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland State Vikings</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Portland State University

Portland State Vikings is the nickname of the NCAA-affiliated, intercollegiate athletic teams representing Portland State University of Portland, Oregon. The Vikings compete at the NCAA Division I level in basketball, soccer, volleyball, golf, tennis, softball, indoor and outdoor track and field, and cross country. The university has been a member of the Big Sky Conference since 1996. Along with the other Big Sky football programs, Viking football takes-part in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villanova Wildcats</span> Athletic teams of Villanova University, Pennsylvania, US

The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport; except football and women's rowing where they compete in the Coastal Athletic Association, and women's water polo where the compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. On December 15, 2012, Villanova and the other six, non-FBS schools announced that they were departing the Big East for a new conference. This conference assumed the Big East name on July 1, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho State Bengals</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Idaho State University

The Idaho State Bengals are the varsity intercollegiate athletic teams representing Idaho State University, located in Pocatello, Idaho. The university sponsors thirteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, tennis, and track and field; women's-only golf, soccer, softball, and volleyball; and men's-only football. The Bengals compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level and are currently a member institution of the Big Sky Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Utah Thunderbirds football</span> American Football team

The Southern Utah Thunderbirds football program is a college football team that represents Southern Utah University (SUU). With a history dating back to 1963, SUU currently competes in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the United Athletic Conference.

The Weber State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Weber State University, located in Ogden, Utah. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a charter member of the Big Sky Conference, founded in 1963. The school's first football team was fielded a year earlier in 1962. Home games are played at the 17,312-seat Stewart Stadium. The Wildcats are led by coach Mickey Mental following the 2022 departure of Jay Hill, the winningest coach in program history.

Brian Patrick Jankowski is a former American NCAA Division I football and basketball player for Weber State University. He played tight end for five years at the NCAA Division I FCS level and one season of basketball at the NCAA Division I level. He is currently training to become an American General Dentist and is set to graduate in 2019 from Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health in Mesa, Arizona.

The 2017 Weber State Wildcats football team represented Weber State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Wildcats were led by fourth-year head coach Jay Hill and played their games at Stewart Stadium as members of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in Big Sky play to finish in a tie for the Big Sky championship with Southern Utah. Due to their head-to-head loss to Southern Utah in the regular season, they did not receive the Big Sky's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, but did receive an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs, their second straight trip to the playoffs. In the first round, they defeated Western Illinois. In the second round, they avenged their regular season loss to Southern Utah. In the quarterfinals, they lost to eventual national runner-up, James Madison.

The 1965–66 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State College during the 1965–66 NCAA University Division basketball season. In the third season of the Big Sky Conference, the Wildcats were led by sixth-year head coach Dick Motta and played their home games on campus at Wildcat Gym in Ogden, Utah. They were 20–5 overall and 8–2 in conference play.

The 1980–81 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State College during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Wildcats were led by sixth-year head coach Neil McCarthy and played their home games on campus at Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah.

The 1982–83 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State College during the 1982–83 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Wildcats were led by eighth-year head coach Neil McCarthy and played their home games on campus at Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah.

The 2019 Weber State Wildcats football team represented Weber State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Wildcats were led by fifth-year head coach Jay Hill and played their games at Stewart Stadium as members of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 11–4, 7–1 in Big Sky play to finish in a two-way tie for the Big Sky championship with Sacramento State. They received the Big Sky's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where, after a first round bye, they defeated Kennesaw State in the second round and Montana in the quarterfinals before losing to James Madison in the semifinals.

The 2008 Weber State Wildcats football team represented Weber State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Ron McBride, the Wildcats compiled an overall record of 10–4 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play to share the Big Sky championship with Montana. Weber State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they beat Cal Poly in the first round before losing to Montana in the quarterfinals.

The 2020–21 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by 15th-year head coach Randy Rahe, played their home games at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah, as members of the Big Sky Conference. In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they finished the season 17–6, 12–3 in Big Sky play to finish a tie for second place. As the No. 3 seed in the Big Sky tournament, they lost in the quarterfinals to Montana.

The 1998–99 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State College during the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Wildcats were led by eighth-year head coach Ron Abegglen and played their home games on campus at Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah.

The 1994–95 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State College during the 1994–95 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Wildcats were led by fourth-year head coach Ron Abegglen and played their home games on campus at Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah.

The 2022 Weber State Wildcats football team represented Weber State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Wildcats were led by ninth-year head coach Jay Hill and played their games at Stewart Stadium in Ogden, Utah. The Wildcats began the regular season ranked number 20 in the FCS rankings. On September 10, the Wildcats defeated the Utah State Aggies, their first win against the Aggies since 1978, and their first win against an FBS opponent since their victory against Nevada in 1993. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a record of 9–2, good enough to qualify for the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs, their fifth appearance under Jay Hill. The Wildcats defeated North Dakota in the opening round, but were defeated by Montana State the following round. After the season, head coach Jay Hill announced he would step down as Weber State head coach to accept the Defensive Coordinator position at BYU. Offensive coordinator Mickey Mental was announced as Hill's successor.

The 2023–24 Weber State Wildcats women's basketball team represented Weber State University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by first-year head coach Jenteal Jackson, played their home games at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah as a member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 8–25, 4–14 in Big Sky play, to finish in a tie for 8th place.

References

  1. "Weber Color Palette" . Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  2. "Member Institutions".
  3. Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN   978-0-9893007-0-4.