The Warner Royals are the athletic teams for Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA),[1] primarily competing in the Sun Conference (formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) until after the 2007–08 school year) for most of its sports since the 1990–91 academic year;[2][3] while its men's volleyball team competes in the Mid-South Conference (MSC). They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the South Region of the Division I level. Their rivals are the Webber Warriors.
| Warner Royals | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Warner University |
| Association | NAIA |
| Conference | The Sun (primary) Mid-South (men's volleyball) |
| Athletic director | Chrissy Moskovits |
| Location | Lake Wales, Florida |
| First season | 1973 |
| Varsity teams | 20 (8 men's, 11 women's, 1 co-ed) |
| Football stadium | Tye Athletic Field |
| Basketball arena | Turner Athletic Center |
| Baseball stadium | Royals Baseball Field |
| Softball stadium | Daly Field |
| Soccer stadium | Royals Soccer Field |
| Lacrosse stadium | Tye Athletic Field |
| Nickname | Royals |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Website | warnerroyals |
Varsity teams
editWarner competes in 21 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, tennis, track & field and volleyball; women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cheerleading, cross country, dance, flag football,[4] lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include clay target. Former sports included men's & women's golf.
Football
editThe university added football for the 2013 season.[5] The team initially played as an NAIA Independent program with a mixed schedule of NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I FCS competition.[6] The Royals left independent status after the inaugural season when The Sun Conference announced football as a conference sport starting in the 2014 season.[7] After two seasons, the conference announced a football merger with the Mid-South Conference in 2016.[8] Warner and the other conference rivals became affiliate members in the Mid-South, participating in the Sun Division for football.[9] Their football team gained national recognition after losing 98-0 to Stephen F. Austin on September 24, 2022.
Men's volleyball
editWarner University was the first college/university to offer a varsity men's volleyball program in the state of Florida. The men's volleyball program participates in the Mid-South Conference.[10] The program initially competed in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC). The program made back-to-back appearances in the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Invitational Tournament in 2011 and 2012.
References
edit- ^ "Schools". NAIA.ORG. NAIA. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- ^ "2011-12 NAIA Baseball Qualification Plan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ "Members". Thesunconference.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- ^ Stubbs, Marissa. "Sidney Hines is first girl in Leon County to sign college flag football scholarship". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- ^ Fuhrmeister, Chris (July 9, 2013). "Here are the 12 brand-new college football programs for 2013". SB SportsNation. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- ^ Kernan, Sean (September 1, 2013). "Stetson vs. Warner football game to resume at 3 p.m. Sunday". The Dayton Beach News-Journal. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- ^ "The Sun Conference to Add Football in 2014". The Sun Conference. March 10, 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- ^ Wilson, Michael (25 February 2016). "Local teams officially join Mid-South football conference". The Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Staff (March 2, 2016). "Mid-South Conference merging with Sun Conference". Grayson Journal-Esquire. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- ^ "Mid-South Conference Adds Men's Volleyball Beginning In 2018-19". Mid-South Conference. January 10, 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2020.