North Florida Ospreys
Encyclopedia
| North Florida Ospreys | |
|---|---|
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| Affiliations | |
| University | University of North Florida University of North Florida The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s... |
| Division | NCAA Division I |
| Conference | Atlantic Sun Atlantic Sun The Atlantic Sun is a local newspaper for the West Coast region of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. An affiliate of Cape Community Newspapers, the newspaper does not have its own website, but the news is distributed via IOL.... |
| General | |
| Nickname | Ospreys |
| Mascot | Ozzie |
| Colors | Navy Blue and Grey |
| Sports | 15 (7 men's, 8 women's) |
| Athletic Director | Lee Moon |
| Location | Jacksonville, FL |
| Homepage | UNFOspreys.com |
| Facilities | |
| Basketball | UNF Arena UNF Arena UNF Arena is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. It is home to the North Florida Ospreys men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams... |
| Baseball | Harmon Stadium Harmon Stadium Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium, generally known as the Harmon Stadium, is the baseball stadium at the University of North Florida , and the home field of the North Florida Ospreys baseball team. It is located on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, near the softball complex and... |
| Soccer | Hodges Stadium Hodges Stadium Hodges Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the University of North Florida , and the home field for the North Florida Ospreys soccer, track and field, and cross country teams. It is located on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S... |
| A-Sun Conference Championships | |
| Men's Golf | 2008 |
| Women's Cross Country | 2010 |
| Women's Tennis | 2010 |
The North Florida Ospreys are the athletic teams of the University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. The Ospreys compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference
Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference operating in the Southeastern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; it does not sponsor football. The conference was established in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference...
in NCAA Division I. UNF is in its third academic year as a full-fledged member of Division I; previously, the Ospreys were members of the Sunshine State Conference
Sunshine State Conference
The Sunshine State Conference was originally formed in 1975 as an NCAA Division II men's basketball conference. It has since expanded to sponsor championships in 14 sports, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's golf, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball,...
and Peach Belt Conference
Peach Belt Conference
The Peach Belt Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division II. The PBC was formed in 1990 with seven charter universities as the Peach Belt Athletic Conference, and took its current name in 2000.-Current members:The league currently has 13 full...
in NCAA Division II. UNF fields teams in seven men's sports and ten women's sports.
Overview
Men's sports- BaseballCollege baseballCollege baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
- BasketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- SoccerCollege soccerCollege soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
Women's sports
- BasketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- SoccerCollege soccerCollege soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Sand Volleyball
The University of North Florida's intercollegiate athletics program began in 1983, originally as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
. The Ospreys joined NCAA Division II in 1993, the same year the UNF Arena
UNF Arena
UNF Arena is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. It is home to the North Florida Ospreys men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams...
opened. Originally, UNF competed in the Sunshine State Conference
Sunshine State Conference
The Sunshine State Conference was originally formed in 1975 as an NCAA Division II men's basketball conference. It has since expanded to sponsor championships in 14 sports, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's golf, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball,...
, and then in 1997 moved to the Peach Belt Conference
Peach Belt Conference
The Peach Belt Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division II. The PBC was formed in 1990 with seven charter universities as the Peach Belt Athletic Conference, and took its current name in 2000.-Current members:The league currently has 13 full...
. In 2005, the Ospreys began the transition to Division I by competing in the Atlantic Sun Conference
Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference operating in the Southeastern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; it does not sponsor football. The conference was established in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference...
. The transition's final year was the 2008-09 season, with UNF becoming tournament eligible beginning in the 2009-10 season.
Notably, UNF is a non-football school, and students have long desired to see an Osprey football team. However, there are no plans to field a football team in the near future.
UNF has won the Sunshine State Conference's all-sports title four times and has won four NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
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.
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
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
, and Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
. Since taking over UNF athletics, he has made many staff changes to move the program forward.
Facilities
UNF's men's and women's soccer, track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
teams play at Hodges Stadium
Hodges Stadium
Hodges Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the University of North Florida , and the home field for the North Florida Ospreys soccer, track and field, and cross country teams. It is located on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S...
. The stadium's track, completed in 2008, is one of only seven in the country certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
(IAAF). The men's and women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
teams play in UNF Arena
UNF Arena
UNF Arena is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. It is home to the North Florida Ospreys men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams...
. The baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team plays at Harmon Stadium
Harmon Stadium
Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium, generally known as the Harmon Stadium, is the baseball stadium at the University of North Florida , and the home field of the North Florida Ospreys baseball team. It is located on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, near the softball complex and...
, while the softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
team plays in the Softball Complex. The men's golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
team utilizes the Hayt Golf Learning Center
Hayt Golf Learning Center
The Hayt Golf Learning Center, also known as the "Golfplex" is the golf facility on the University of North Florida campus. It is a public course and the practice facility for the North Florida Ospreys golf team.-History:...
. The women's swimming and diving teams utilize the Aquatic Center. The men's and women's tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
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.Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
program was founded in 1988. The team was established under the leadership of Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (baseball coach)
Jack "Dusty" Rhodes is a retired American baseball coach and the former head coach of the University of North Florida Ospreys college baseball team. He was the first coach in UNF baseball history, having founded the program in the 1980s and serving as head coach from 1988–2010...
, who served as head coach from 1988–2010. Since its inception the Ospreys baseball team has won thirteen conference titles and made a total of sixteen playoff appearances: six in the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
and ten in NCAA Division II. They went to the NAIA World Series in 1989 and 1991 and the NCAA Division II World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
in 2000, 2001, and 2005, advancing to the final in 2005.
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.
Notably, the team's former logo is similar to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
logo. It was designed in 1986 at the urging of Dusty Rhodes and continued, and brought extra attention to the baseball program. It was discontinued after Rhodes' retirement in 2010 and replaced with a new logo for the 2011 season.
Men's basketball
North Florida's men's and women's basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams began play in the 1992-1993 season. Matthew Driscoll
Matthew Driscoll (basketball coach)
Matthew Driscoll is an American college basketball coach who is currently head coach of the University of North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team. Before coming to UNF, Driscoll spent twelve years as an assistant at Baylor University, Valparaiso University, Clemson University and the University...
is the current and fourth overall head coach of the men's basketball team. He was hired in 2009, just before UNF's move into Division I play.
The Ospreys men's basketball team has made one playoff appearance, in the 2010-2011 season. In that season they advanced to the Atlantic Sun the championship game, where they were defeated by Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
. Going into the 2011-2012 season their all-time record is 200-340.
Women's basketball
Mary Tappmeyer is the head coach of the women's basketball team, and has been since the program's inception in 1992. They made the NCAA Division II Tournament twice, in 2003 and 2004. They were 2009-2010 A-Sun Conference runner-ups.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 ConferenceSunshine State Conference
The Sunshine State Conference was originally formed in 1975 as an NCAA Division II men's basketball conference. It has since expanded to sponsor championships in 14 sports, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's golf, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball,...
(1994–1996), and the fourth came in 2000 during their time in the Peach Belt Conference
Peach Belt Conference
The Peach Belt Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division II. The PBC was formed in 1990 with seven charter universities as the Peach Belt Athletic Conference, and took its current name in 2000.-Current members:The league currently has 13 full...
.
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). They won their first A-Sun conference title in 2010.
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 CenterHayt Golf Learning Center
The Hayt Golf Learning Center, also known as the "Golfplex" is the golf facility on the University of North Florida campus. It is a public course and the practice facility for the North Florida Ospreys golf team.-History:...
, 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
A women's golf team was recently announced to be added, and will begin play in 2012.
Sand Volleyball
A women's sand volleyball team will be added in Spring of 2012, and current volleyball head coach Kevin Campbell will lead the new team.Soccer
UNF soccer's home matches are held at Hodges Stadium. As of 2009, men's soccer's all-time record is 149-138 and the women's record is 151-88-15.Softball
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).Team Honors:
NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances (7): 1999-2005
Swimming & diving
Women's swimming & diving competes in the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association.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.Track & field
UNF Track & Field hosted the 2009 Atlantic Sun Conference Championships at Hodges StadiumHodges Stadium
Hodges Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the University of North Florida , and the home field for the North Florida Ospreys soccer, track and field, and cross country teams. It is located on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S...
, 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. They won eight Peach Belt ConferencePeach Belt Conference
The Peach Belt Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division II. The PBC was formed in 1990 with seven charter universities as the Peach Belt Athletic Conference, and took its current name in 2000.-Current members:The league currently has 13 full...
championships, between 1997-2004.
Traditions
The Ospreys' most noted rivalry is with cross-town opponents the Jacksonville UniversityJacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
Dolphins
Jacksonville Dolphins
The Jacksonville University Dolphins are the athletics team of Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. The Dolphins participate in NCAA Division I athletics, and are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, the National Lacrosse Conference, and as the Pioneer Football League.-Sports...
. The two schools compete in the "SunTrust River City Rumble" competition, which keeps a tally of every win for each team for each athletic event between them during the school year. The River City Rumble began in 2005 and the prize is the "SunTrust Old Wooden Barrel" which is housed in the athletic department of that year's winner. Jacksonville University has won the River City Rumble twice, UNF once, and there has been one tie.
"The Swoop" is a key UNF tradition, similar in principle to UF's Gator Chomp
Gator Chomp
The Gator Chomp is a gesture made by fans and players of the University of Florida to show their support of their Florida Gators sports teams. The chomp originated in 1981....
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 105.7FM in Jacksonville.
External links
- unfospreys.com - Official website of the North Florida Ospreys.
- atlanticsun.org - Official website of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
- twitter.com/unfospreys - Official Twitter page of the North Florida Ospreys.
- youtube.com/ospreyssportzone - Official YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel of the North Florida Ospreys