Southern Oregon Raiders
Encyclopedia
The Southern Oregon Raiders refers to the athletic teams of Southern Oregon University
, located in Ashland, OR. The Raiders are a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference
for all sports excluding American football
, wrestling
and tennis
. Southern Oregon's main rivalry is with the Western Oregon Wolves
and Oregon Tech.
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 1997.
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.
, 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, climbing wall, and training room.
, as the University does not play baseball
, since the program was reinstated in 2000 after a 17-year hiatus.
Southern Oregon University
is a public liberal arts college located in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1926, it was formerly known as Southern Oregon College and Southern Oregon State College . SOU offers criminology, natural sciences, including environmental science, Shakespearean studies and theatre arts programs...
, located in Ashland, OR. The Raiders are a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference
Cascade Collegiate Conference
The Cascade Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Member schools are located in the Northwestern United States. Its basketball teams compete in Division II, the lower of the two levels of NAIA basketball competition. ...
for all sports excluding American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and 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...
. Southern Oregon's main rivalry is with the Western Oregon Wolves
Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University is a public liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Oregon, United States. It was originally established in 1856 by Oregon pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names include Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education, and Western Oregon State College...
and Oregon Tech.
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 1997.
Fall
- FootballSouthern Oregon Raiders footballThe Southern Oregon University Raiders football team is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and is not associated with any conference. Southern Oregon's first football team was fielded in 1927...
- Men's & Women's 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...
- Women's Soccer
- Women's 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...
Club Sports
- CrewCrewA crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
- JudoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
- LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- RugbyRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- SkiingSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
- Men's Soccer
- 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...
- Men's Tennis
- Ultimate Frisbee
National Championships
Cross Country National (Mens) Champions 2010- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
: 1978, 1983, 1994, 2001
Conference Championships
- Men's BasketballBasketballBasketball 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...
: 1998-99, 2004-05 - Women's Basketball: 1992-93, 1997-98, 1998-99. 2001-02, 2002-03, 2007-08
- Men's 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...
: 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 - FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1983, 1990, 2001 - 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...
: 2003, 2004, 2005 - Men's Track & Field: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
- Women's Track & Field: 2000, 2001, 2002
- 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...
: 1991, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
Raider Stadium
Raider Stadium was built in 1983 and cost $1.55 million and is the home venue for Southern Oregon's American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and track and field
Track 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...
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 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...
, 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...
and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. 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, climbing wall, and training room.
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 softballSoftball
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...
, as the University does not play 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...
, since the program was reinstated in 2000 after a 17-year hiatus.