Dayton Flyers
Logo
UniversityUniversity of Dayton
ConferenceAtlantic 10 (primary)
Pioneer Football League
MAAC (women's golf)
NCAADivision I (FCS)
Athletic directorNeil Sullivan
LocationDayton, Ohio
Varsity teams16
Football stadiumWelcome Stadium
Basketball arenaUD Arena
Baseball stadiumWoerner Field
Soccer stadiumBaujan Field
MascotRudy Flyer
NicknameFlyers
Fight songVictory
ColorsRed and blue[1]
   
Websitewww.daytonflyers.com
Atlantic 10 Conference logo in Dayton's colors

The Dayton Flyers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Dayton of Dayton, Ohio.[2] All Flyers intercollegiate sports teams participate at the NCAA Division I level. The football team competes in the Division I FCS non-scholarship Pioneer Football League, and women's golf plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, while all other sports compete in the non-football Atlantic 10 Conference.[3]

The Flyers name

The name is a reference and homage to Daytonians Orville and Wilbur Wright who pioneered heavier than air flight. Orville and Wilbur Wright designed the Wright Flyer I and fabricated many of its components, including the propellers and engine, at their bicycle shop in Dayton. The Wright Flyer I was the first powered aircraft to achieve sustained, controlled flight.

Teams

Men's sports Women's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballCross country
Cross countryGolf
FootballRowing
GolfSoccer
SoccerSoftball
TennisTennis
Track and field †
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, the University of Dayton sponsors teams in seven men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[4] The football team competes as a member of the Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship Division I (FCS) league. The women's golf team competes as an associate member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Fan support

University of Dayton athletic teams enjoy considerable support from an energized fan base. The men's basketball team is perennially among the top 25 programs nationally in attendance.[5] The student fan base is known as the "Red Scare" and provides support for the Flyers from behind the east goal during basketball games at UD Arena. Due to the presence of the Red Scare, UD Arena has long been reckoned as one of the most hostile arenas in the nation.

Rivalries

The Flyers' traditional rivals in most sports are regional schools such as Xavier, Cincinnati, and Miami University. Dayton and Xavier vie for possession of the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy during regular season men's basketball games. Other historical rivals of note include Butler University, Duquesne University, Temple University, University of Detroit, Marquette University, DePaul University, and the University of Notre Dame. The latter three schools formed an informal basketball league with Dayton during the 1970s and 1980s, prior to formal league association for each school. The Gem City Jam, an annual game with crosstown rival Wright State University, is currently suspended.

On an ESPN all-time ranking of NCAA basketball programs the University of Dayton placed No. 48 overall.[6] Dayton recently won the 2010 NIT championship. In March 2014, Dayton upset state-favorite Ohio State, and the #3 seed Syracuse Orange in the NCAA Tournament with close victories. The Flyers then beat Stanford to reach the Elite Eight where they played the overall #1 seed Florida. They lost 62–52.

Football

Bowl games

SeasonBowlChampionRunner-Up
1951Salad BowlHouston28Dayton21
1980Stagg BowlDayton63Ithaca0
1981Stagg BowlWidener17Dayton10
1987Stagg BowlWagner19Dayton3
1989Stagg BowlDayton17Union (NY)7
1991Stagg BowlIthaca34Dayton20
2007Gridiron ClassicDayton42Albany21

Sports Network Cup results

SeasonBowlChampionRunner-Up
1993Sports Network CupDayton27Iona3
1996Sports Network CupDayton27Duquesne3
1997Sports Network CupGeorgetown28Dayton3
1999Sports Network CupDayton14Robert Morris6
2001Sports Network CupSacred Heart21Dayton7
2002Sports Network CupDayton17Albany7

Baseball

Flyers third baseman Takahiro Yamada warms up for the Dayton Flyers baseball team

Mascot

Rudy Flyer is the mascot of the Dayton Flyers. He is dressed in early pilots attire including a scarf and goggles. Each year two or three students share the responsibility of wearing the Rudy suit. He has been the mascot since 1980.

Notable student–athletes

References

  1. ↑ "Color Palette". UDayton.edu/Brand. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  2. ↑ "University of Dayton". www.udayton.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  3. ↑ "Atlantic 10 Conference Official Athletic Site". atlantic10.com. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  4. ↑ "(Winged D logo)". University of Dayton. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  5. ↑ "2011 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE". NCAA. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ "NCAA Basketball". Retrieved 2009-10-08.
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