Dayton Flyers
The
Flyers is the team name for the
University of Dayton's intercollegiate athletic teams. The name is a reference and homage to Daytonians
Orville and Wilbur Wright who pioneered heavier than air flight.
All Flyer's intercollegiate sports teams participate at the
NCAA Division I level. The football team competes in the IAA non-scholarship
Pioneer Football League, while all other sports compete in the IA
Atlantic 10 conference. Dayton fields seven men's teams (
baseball,
basketball,
cross country,
football,
golf,
soccer, and
tennis), and nine women's teams (
basketball,
cross country,
golf,
rowing,
soccer,
softball,
tennis,
track and field, and
volleyball).
University of Dayton athletic teams enjoy considerable support from their energized fan base. The men's basketball team is perennially among the top 25 programs nationally in attendance.[
1]The student fan base is known as the "Red Scare" and provides raucous support for the Flyers from behind the east goal during basketball games.
The Flyers' traditional rivals in most sports are regional schools such as
Xavier,
Cincinnati, and
Miami (Ohio). Both members of the
Atlantic 10 Conference, Dayton and Xavier vie for possession of the
Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy during regular season men's basketball games. Other historical rivals of note include
Louisville,
Notre Dame,
DePaul, and
Marquette. The latter three schools formed an informal basketball league with Dayton during the 1970s and 1980s, prior to formal league association for each school.
Rudy Flyer is the mascot of the Dayton Flyers. He is dressed in early pilots attire including a scarf and goggles.
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University of Dayton*
Dayton Athletics*
UDPride.com Flyer Fan Website
