North Florida Ospreys

North Florida Ospreys
University University of North Florida
Conference Atlantic Sun Conference
NCAA NCAA Division I
Athletic director Lee Moon
Location Jacksonville, Florida
Varsity teams 15
Basketball arena UNF Arena
Baseball stadium Harmon Stadium
Soccer stadium Hodges Stadium
Other arenas Hayt Golf Learning Center
Mascot Ozzie
Nickname Ospreys
Fight song UNF Fight Song
Colors
     Blue       Gray
Website www.unfospreys.com

The North Florida Ospreys are the athletic teams of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. The Ospreys compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference in NCAA Division I. UNF became a full-fledged member of Division I in 2009; previously, the Ospreys were members of the Sunshine State Conference and Peach Belt Conference in NCAA Division II. UNF fields teams in seven men's sports and ten women's sports.

Overview

Retired Ospreys logo (c. 1998)
Ospreys logo, 1999–2014

The University of North Florida sponsors teams in eight men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports:[1]

Men's Intercollegiate Sports

Women's Intercollegiate Sports

The University of North Florida's intercollegiate athletics program began in 1983, originally as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Ospreys joined NCAA Division II in 1993, the same year the UNF Arena opened. Initially, UNF competed in the Sunshine State Conference, and then in 1997 moved to the Peach Belt Conference. In 2005, the Ospreys began the transition to Division I, joining the Atlantic Sun Conference. The transition's final year was the 2008-09 season, with UNF becoming tournament eligible beginning in the 2009-10 season.[3]

UNF is a non-football school. However, the prospect of an Osprey football team is a popular topic among students and the community. In 2013, UNF President John Delaney revealed the school would begin preliminary discussions about adding the sport.[4]

UNF won the Sunshine State Conference's all-sports title four times and won four NAIA national titles—men's golf in 1991 and 1993, and women's tennis in 1986 and 1994. UNF's first Division I conference title came in 2008 when the men's golf team captured the Atlantic Sun crown.[5]

In February 2009, UNF hired Lee Moon to be the new athletic director. He is UNF's sixth athletic director and previously worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Wyoming, and Marshall University. Since taking over UNF athletics, he has made many staff changes to move the program forward.[6]

On July 16, 2014, UNF released updated logos and a custom font to represent the Ospreys across all sports.[7]

Facilities

Ospreys men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams play in UNF Arena.

The men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams play in 5,800 seat UNF Arena, opened in 1993. UNF's men's and women's soccer, track and field, and cross country teams play at Hodges Stadium. The stadium's track, completed in 2008, is one of only seven in the country certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).[8] The baseball team plays at Harmon Stadium, while the softball team plays in the Softball Complex. The men's golf team utilizes the Hayt Golf Learning Center. The women's swimming and diving teams utilize the Aquatic Center. The men's and women's tennis teams play at the Tennis Complex.

Future

The move to Division I represented a monumental step towards improving athletics for the future. Facilities upgrades have also been planned. On September 2, 2008, the University announced plans for UNF Varsity Village. The project will cost an estimated $30 million which will provide two new facilities and upgrades to existing facilities. The two new facilities will be a student wellness and sports education center, and a new baseball stadium with a seating capacity of 3,000. The existing stadium, Harmon Stadium will be renovated to include 1,200 seats and used for softball. Other improvements include upgrades to the Arena and Hodges Stadium.[9]

Sports

Baseball

Ospreys baseball logo, 1986–2010
Harmon Stadium

UNF's baseball program was founded in 1988. The team was established under the leadership of Dusty Rhodes, who served as head coach from 1988 to 2010. Since its inception the Ospreys baseball team has won twelve conference titles and made a total of sixteen playoff appearances: six in the NAIA and ten in NCAA Division II. They went to the NAIA World Series in 1989 and 1991 and the NCAA Division II World Series in 2000, 2001, and 2005, advancing to the final in 2005.[10][11]

The team's current head coach is Smoke Laval, who took over from Rhodes after the 2010 season. Their home stadium is Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium.[12][13]

Notably, the team's former logo is similar to the New York Yankees logo. It was designed in 1986 at the urging of Dusty Rhodes and continued, and brought extra attention to the baseball program.[14] It was discontinued after Rhodes' retirement in 2010 and replaced with a new logo for the 2011 season.

Men's basketball

Men's basketball practice at UNF Arena

The North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team began play in the 1992–93 season as members of the NAIA. Matthew Driscoll is the current and fourth overall head coach of the men's basketball team. He was hired in 2009, just before UNF's completion of their transition into Division I play.[15]

In the 2010–11 season, they advanced to the Atlantic Sun Tournament championship game, where they were defeated by Belmont. The 2014–15 team won the program's first Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship and Atlantic Sun Tournament title, earning them their first ever bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

The program's all-time record through the 2013–14 season is 245–391.

Women's basketball

The Ospreys women's basketball team is currently led by head coach Darrick Gibbs, who will be in his first season in 2015–16.[16] Mary Tappmeyer was the head coach from the program's inception in 1992 until 2015 when her contract was not renewed.[17] North Florida made the NCAA Division II Tournament twice, in 2003 and 2004, and were the 2009–10 Atlantic Sun Conference runner-up.[18] However, they began to struggle in the following years, posting two last-place finishes in the Atlantic Sun and a combined conference record of 4–28 over the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons.

Cross country

The men's cross country team has earned 4 conference titles in Division II, 3 of which came while UNF was in the Sunshine State Conference (1994–1996), and the fourth came in 2000 during their time in the Peach Belt Conference.

The women's cross country team has earned 5 conferences title in Division II, 3 in the Sunshine State Conference (1994–1996), and two in the Peach Belt Conference (2001, 2003).[19] They won their first A-Sun conference title in 2010.[20]

Men's golf

The men's golf team earned UNF's first Division I conference title in 2008. They use UNF's on-campus Hayt Golf Learning Center, which has a three hole course and driving range.

Team Honors:
NAIA National Titles (2): 1991, 1993
NCAA Division II Regional Appearances (5): 1999-2002, 2008
NCAA Division II Championship Appearances (1): 2000[21]
NCAA Division I Championship Appearances (2): 2012, 2013

Women's golf

The UNF women's golf team began play in 2012.[22]

Sand volleyball

A women's sand volleyball team was added in 2012.[23] The current head coach is Samantha Dabbs.[24]

Soccer

Soccer match at Hodges Stadium

UNF soccer's home matches are held at Hodges Stadium. As of 2009, men's soccer's all-time record is 149–138[25] and the women's record is 151–88–15.[26]

Softball

Volleyball team with Ozzie in UNF Arena

Osprey softball competes at home at the UNF Softball Complex, next to Harmon Stadium. They have a 619–24 all-time record as of 2009.[27]

Team Honors:
NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances (7): 1999–2005

Swimming and diving

Women's swimming and diving competes in the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association.[28]

Tennis

Tennis at UNF began in 1984, and the women's team has earned two national championships (1984–85 and 1993–94). Both men's and women's tennis has won seven conference championships each.[29][30]

Track and field

UNF track and field hosted the 2009 Atlantic Sun Conference Championships at Hodges Stadium, the first Division I Conference Championship hosted at UNF.

Volleyball

Women's volleyball at UNF began in 1991, and have an overall record of 401–178 (as of 2008). They play their home games at UNF Arena.[31] They won eight Peach Belt Conference championships, between 1997-2004. The women's UNF volleyball program began in 1991. In the first year ever for UNF Women's Volleyball, the team progressed through the NAIA play offs and proceeded to make it to the NAIA National Championship. Prior to the "Swoop", the Women's Volleyball team came up with their initial start of every match..."AAAWWWWWW OSPREYS!"

Traditions and rivalries

SunTrust River City Rumble

"The Swoop" is a key UNF tradition, similar in principle to UF's Gator Chomp or FSU's Tomahawk Chop as the recognized gesture to show school spirit. It simulates the movement of an Osprey flying through the "swooping" of a fan's arms. "Swoop" is also an acronym that stands for Students With Outstanding Osprey Pride.

Osprey basketball and baseball games can be heard on 1010 XL in Jacksonville.[32] Most varsity sports can be watched on ESPN3.[33]

River City Rumble

North Florida's most notable rivalry is with crosstown opponents the Jacksonville University Dolphins.[34] The two universities contest the "River City Rumble", in which the school with the most wins over the other across all sports receives a trophy, the SunTrust Old Wooden Barrel. The teams are awarded one point for each victory throughout the season. In individual sports, the team that finishes higher at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship earns one point. If the contest results in a tie, which ever team won the previous season retains the trophy.[35]

Year Winner
2005–06 JU, 11–9
2006–07 UNF, 11–9
2007–08 Tied 10–10
2008–09 JU, 13–7
2009–10 JU, 11–9
2010–11 JU, 11–9
2011–12 UNF, 13–7
2012–13 UNF, 14.5–7.5
2013–14 Tied 11–11
Years with barrel: UNF 5, JU 4

References

  1. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/
  2. ↑ "NCAA DII, DIII membership approves Sand Volleyball as 90th championship". NCAA. January 17, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  3. ↑ http://www.unf.edu/unfinfo/unf_history/timeline_two.html
  4. ↑ Justin Barney (January 15, 2012). "UNF exploring possibility of adding football". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/sports/2007/11/14/aboutunf.aspx 2008 Men's Golf Title
  6. ↑ http://www.unfspinnaker.com/carousel/2009/02/11/former-uab-athletic-director-takes-vacant-unf-position/
  7. ↑ "Athletics Unveils Enhanced Logo". UNFOspreys.com. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "UNF Athletics Facilities: Hodges Stadium". University of North Florida Ospreys. unfospreys.com. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  9. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/news/2008/9/2/gen_0902080630.aspx
  10. ↑ "2011 North Florida Baseball" (PDF). unfospreys.com. University of North Florida. 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  11. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/coaches.aspx?rc=24&path=baseball
  12. ↑ http://jacksonville.com/sports/college/north_florida_ospreys/2010-02-19/story/coach_dusty_rhodes_optimistic_entering_final__0
  13. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/news/2009/4/28/BB_0428091418.aspx?path=baseball
  14. ↑ http://www.unfspinnaker.com/carousel/2009/03/04/baseball-logo-brings-fans-together/
  15. ↑ http://unfospreys.com/news/2009/4/7/MBB_0407090208.aspx
  16. ↑ "Darrick Gibbs Named Head Women's Basketball Coach". UNFOspreys.com. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "Coaching Change Announced for @OspreyWBB". UNFOspreys.com. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  18. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/documents/2008/10/15/2008-09%20UNF%20WBKB%20Quick%20Facts.pdf/
  19. ↑ http://unfospreys.com/documents/2008/8/19/08_XC_QuickFacts.pdf
  20. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/news/2010/10/30/WXC_1030105846.aspx
  21. ↑ http://unfospreys.com/documents/2008/8/20/2008-09%20Golf%20QuickFacts.pdf
  22. ↑ "UNF Adding Women's Golf in 2012-13".
  23. ↑ "UNF Athletics Adding Sand Volleyball as Varsity Sport".
  24. ↑ "2014 Sand Volleyball Roster". UNFOspreys.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  25. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/index.aspx?path=msoc&
  26. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/index.aspx?path=wsoc&
  27. ↑ http://unfospreys.com/documents/2009/1/21/2009%20SB%20QuickFacts.pdf
  28. ↑ http://www.bigsouthsports.com/fls/4800/CCSASwimming/index2_files/Page308.htm
  29. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/documents/2009/3/2/2009-WTEN-MediaGuide.pdf?id=408
  30. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/documents/2009/3/2/2009-MTEN-MediaGuide.pdf?id=407
  31. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/custompages/2008VBMG/TOC-MediaInfo.pdf
  32. ↑ http://www.unfospreys.com/news/2012/8/14/MBB_0814124906.aspx
  33. ↑ http://unfspinnaker.com/osprey-basketball-teams-up-with-espn3/
  34. ↑ Gene Frennette (January 27, 2011). "Gene Frenette: Coaches Matthew Driscoll, Cliff Warren elevate UNF-JU rivalry". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  35. ↑ "SunTrust River City Rumble". UNFOspreys.com. University of North Florida. Retrieved July 16, 2014.

External links