The Ave Maria Gyrenes are the athletic teams that represent Ave Maria University, located in Ave Maria, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA),[2] primarily competing in the Sun Conference (formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) until after the 2007–08 school year) since the 2009–10 academic year.[3] They are also a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).[4]
| Ave Maria Gyrenes | |
|---|---|
| University | Ave Maria University |
| Association | NAIA |
| Conference | The Sun (primary) |
| Athletic director | Joe Patterson |
| Location | Ave Maria, Florida |
| Varsity teams | 23 (11 men's, 12 women's) |
| Football stadium | Gyrene Field |
| Basketball arena | Tom Golisano Field House |
| Baseball stadium | Bowie's Ballpark |
| Softball stadium | Ave Maria Softball Field |
| Soccer stadium | Gyrene Field |
| Aquatics center | Immokalee Sports Complex |
| Lacrosse stadium | Gyrene Field |
| Tennis venue | AMU Tennis Facility |
| Mascot | Jax the Gyrene |
| Nickname | Gyrenes |
| Colors | Blue and green[1] |
| Website | avemariagyrenes |
Varsity teams
editAve Maria competes in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and ultimate frisbee; basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, dance, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball. Former sports included men's & women's rugby.
Football
editIn 2011, Ave Maria became the first college in southwestern Florida to field a football team.[5] In the spring of 2016, the Gyrenes football team joined the Mid-South Conference (MSC) as an affiliate member.[6]
Lacrosse
editThe women's lacrosse team competed in the National Women's Lacrosse League (NWLL) in their first varsity season in the spring of 2015.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Branding guidelines". Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ "Schools". NAIA.ORG. NAIA. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- ^ "Members". Thesunconference.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- ^ "Ave Maria".
- ^ Wommack, Woody (February 12, 2010). "Ave Maria University hires football coach; inaugural season in 2011". Naples Daily News. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ^ Wilson, Michael (25 February 2016). "Local teams officially join Mid-South football conference". The Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Members". NAIA. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.