Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks
| Omaha Mavericks | |
 | |
| University | University of Nebraska Omaha |
|---|---|
| Conference(s) | The Summit League, National Collegiate Hockey Conference |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Trev Alberts |
| Location | Omaha, NE |
| Varsity teams | 15 |
| Football stadium | Al F. Caniglia Field |
| Basketball arena | Ralston Arena (men) Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse (women) |
| Ice hockey arena | CenturyLink Center Omaha |
| Other arenas | HPER Building |
| Mascot | Durango |
| Nickname | Mavericks |
| Fight song | UNO Fite |
| Colors | Crimson and Black
|
| Homepage | Omaha Athletics |
The Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks, currently being rebranded as the Omaha Mavericks and also historically known as the UNO Mavericks,[n 1] are the sports teams of the University of Nebraska Omaha. They participate in the NCAA's Division I and in The Summit League, except in ice hockey, starting with the 2012-2013 season. The hockey program competed as a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association from 2009 to 2013;[1] following a major realignment of hockey conferences, Omaha will become a charter member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) in the 2013–14 season.[2]
The women's soccer and softball teams have won the NCAA's Division II's national championships, as has the wrestling team, who were seven-time national champions (1991, 2004–2006 and 2009–2011) before the program was disbanded in 2011.
Formerly a long-time member of the North Central Conference, UNO joined the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association on July 1, 2008 after the NCC ceased operations. In March 2011, the school announced its intentions to move from Division II to Division I and join The Summit League. In the process it would abandon its football and wrestling programs to better fit with the sports sponsored by The Summit League and to maintain Title IX compliance. Wrestling had been the school's most successful sport with national championships in 1991, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011.[3] Football also had a long, successful history with multiple conference championships (1983–1984, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004–2007) and several NCAA Division II tournament appearances. Marlin Briscoe, first black starting quarterback in modern American professional football (the American Football League), attended and played for UNO from 1964-1967. As part of its Division I move, Omaha added men's soccer (becoming the only school in the University of Nebraska system to sponsor the sport for men) and men's golf, both of which are sponsored by The Summit League. Hockey will move to the new NCHC starting with the 2013-14 season.
Past Sports teams
Up until 2011, The University of Nebraska Omaha had both Wrestling and Football teams. These two programs are arguably the most storied programs of the university enriched with notable alum, conference titles, championships and an exceptionally rich history of winning. Their cut from the athletic program in 2011 was an upsetting time not only for the city of Omaha, but the state of Nebraska and all of collegiate athletics. Despite everything the discontinuation of The UNO Maverick Football program is remembered for their distinguished tradition, one that continues to be the University’s most respected and admired part of the university all throughout the United States. Today this legacy continues through the alum. Former Maverick Football players currently playing in the NFL include names as big as Zach Miller,[4] Kenny Onatolu [5] and Greg Zuerlin.[6][7]
Current Sports teams
The University of Nebraska Omaha sponsors six men's and nine women's teams in NCAA sanctioned sports:[8]
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Men's Teams
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Women's Teams
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Ice hockey
The men's ice hockey program competes at the Division I level; it will move from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association to the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference for the 2013–14 season. The men's ice hockey program reached the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in 2006 and 2011. The Mavericks are currently coached by Dean Blais.[9]
Wrestling
Wrestling has also been a top sport for the Mavericks, winning the Division II championships in 1991, 2004–2006 and 2009–2011.[10] However, in 2011 the school made the decision to cancel the wrestling team just a few hours after it had won its third consecutive NCAA team title.[11]
Championships
Conference champions
Baseball – 1979, 1981, 2005, 2008*, 20131
Basketball, Men's – 1979, 1984, 2004, 2005, 2008*, 2010
Basketball, Women's – 1980, 1982, 1982
Football – 19832, 19842, 1996, 19983, 2000, 2004, 20054, 20065 2007*
Golf – 2002, 2003, 2006
Soccer – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
Softball – 1981, 1985, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008*, 2011
Swimming and Diving – 2005, 2008*
Tennis – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008*
Track – 1979 (outdoor), 1981 (indoor)
Volleyball – 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 19966, 19976, 20007
* Final NCC Champions (only 7 competing teams in NCC in 2008)
1Regular-season champion; not eligible for The Summit League tournament because of Division I transition
2Co-champion with North Dakota State
3Co-champion with Northern Colorado
44-way Co-champions with Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota and South Dakota
5Co-champion with North Dakota
6Co-champion with Augustana
73-way Co-champion with Augustana and South Dakota State
NCAA champions
- Softball – 1975∗, 2001
- Women's Soccer – 2005
- Volleyball – 1996
- Wrestling – 1991, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
∗ Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Women's College World Series
Previous mascots and team names
Before 1939, UNO teams were known as the Cardinals.[12] From 1939 to 1971, the UNO teams were the Indians; the mascot at this time was a Native American named Ouampi. In The Native Peoples of North America: A History, the mascot is described as "so tacky by comparison that he made the Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo look like a real gentleman."[13] The switch to "Mavericks", the current team name, occurred in the summer of 1971. A resolution, passed by an 18–7 vote of the student senate, a 27–0 vote of the university senate, and approved by the university president, called for UNO to "discontinue use of the name 'Indian' for its athletic teams, abolish "Ouampi" as a school mascot and end the misuse of the Native American culture at university activities, such as homecoming and Ma-ie Day.
See also
Notes
- ↑ The school is in the process of rebranding its athletic program as "Omaha", and its official athletics web site is now almost exclusively using that name. UNO's primary conference, The Summit League, is following this usage, exclusively using "Omaha". National media, such as ESPN, usually use the hyphenated "Nebraska-Omaha", as does the school's ice hockey league, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
References
- ↑ "WCHA adds Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State". Omaha World-Herald. June 26, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ↑ "New National Collegiate Hockey Conference Announced With Six Top College Programs as Founding Members". PRnewswire. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/156765564
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Miller_(tight_end,_born_1984)
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Onatolu
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Zuerlein_(American_football)
- ↑ http://www.omavs.com/attachments1/233333.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=31400
- ↑ http://www.omavs.com/
- ↑ Wodon, Adam (June 13, 2009). "Former North Dakota Champion Returns with UNO". College Hockey News. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ↑ White, Rob (March 13, 2010). "Mavericks lock down second straight title". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
- ↑ Staff (March 13, 2011). "Nebraska-Omaha to make jump to D-I". ESPN. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- ↑ UNO Alumni.org - excerpt from Summer 1971 yearbook, Tomahawk
- ↑ Johansen, Bruce E. (2006). The Native Peoples of North America: A History, Volume 1. Rutgers University Press. p. 428.
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