Southern Oregon Raiders
| Southern Oregon Raiders | |
 | |
| University | Southern Oregon University |
|---|---|
| Conference | Cascade Collegiate |
| Affiliation | NAIA |
| Athletics director | Matt Sayre |
| Location | Ashland, OR |
| Varsity teams | 12 |
| Football stadium | Raider Stadium |
| Basketball arena | McNeal Pavilion |
| Softball stadium | Softball Complex |
| Soccer stadium | University Field |
| Mascot | Red-Tailed Hawk |
| Nickname | Raiders |
| Colors | Red and Black
|
| Homepage | SOU Athletics |
The Southern Oregon Raiders refers to the athletic teams of Southern Oregon University, located in Ashland, Oregon. The Raiders are a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference for all sports excluding American football, wrestling and tennis. Southern Oregon's main rivalries are with the Western Oregon Wolves, the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers, and the OIT Owls.
History
Southern Oregon University adopted the nickname "Red Raiders" for its sports teams in 1946. The name was in reference to the abundant Native American tribe that had existed in Southern Oregon. In 1980 "Red" was removed from the nickname, leaving Southern Oregon's teams to be referred to as "Raiders". The Red-Tailed Hawk was adopted in 1998 to appease campus groups calling for a mascot and still respecting the native American culture. The athletics logo of Southern Oregon has been through 7 editions, the most recent coming in 2011.
Sports
Sponsored Sports
Fall
- Football
- Men's & Women's Cross Country
- Women's Soccer
- Women's Volleyball
Winter
- Men's & Women's Basketball
- Wrestling
Spring
- Softball
- Men's & Women's Track and Field
Club Sports
Championships
National Championships
Cross Country National (Mens) Champions 2010
- Wrestling: 1978, 1983, 1994, 2001
Conference Championships
- Men's Basketball: 1998-99, 2004-05
- Women's Basketball: 1992-93, 1997-98, 1998-99. 2001-02, 2002-03, 2007-08
- Men's Cross Country: 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009
- Football: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1983, 1990, 2001, 2012
- Softball: 2003, 2004, 2005
- Men's Track & Field: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
- Women's Track & Field: 2000, 2001, 2002
- Volleyball: 1991, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
Venues
Raider Stadium
Raider Stadium was built in 1983 and cost $1.55 million and is the home venue for Southern Oregon's American football and track and field teams. The stadium seats 4,000 with a covered grandstand on the west side of the field and risers on the east side. The field at the stadium, named Fuller Field after John Fuller, has been the home field of the Raider's football team since 1955. In 1999 the Meyer Fitness Center, which lies under the grandstand, was renovated to include a second floor, effectively doubling the floor space available for use.
McNeal Pavilion
Completed in 1957, McNeal Pavilion plays host to both men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball and wrestling. The first of two changes to McNeal occurred in 1990 when the seating in the main arena was doubled to its present number of 1,400 during a complete building renovation. The second change, happening during 1998-99, involved resurfacing the gym floor and installing 550 new seat-backs for the seats on the east side of the gym. McNeal Pavilion also includes a swimming pool, racquetball courts, a rock climbing gym, and training rooms.
University Field
Behind the scoreboard at Raider Stadium lies University Field. Used since 2000 for women's soccer, the field uses risers as its sole type of seating. According to Southern Oregon, there is a current plan to install a large scoreboard in the near future.
Softball Complex
Softball Complex, formerly a baseball field, is a collection of three regulation fields with 500 seats at the main field. The complex has been used solely for softball, as the University does not play baseball, since the program was reinstated in 2000 after a 17-year hiatus.