Oklahoma City University - Athletics

Athletics

Oklahoma City (OCU) teams, nicknamed athletically as the Stars, are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, softball, track & field, volleyball and wrestling.

Both men's and women's teams are nicknamed the Stars, formerly known as the Goldbugs prior to 1944, the Chiefs from 1944 until 1999, and the Methodists prior to 1921. Under McDaniel the number of athletic teams doubled to 22. OCU is represented by "Starsky" the Ram; "Starsky" is inspired by the celestial lore surrounding the creation of OCU. OCU teams have won 46 National Championships since 1988. A member of the NCAA until 1984-1985, OCU made the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament 11 times and the National Invitation Tournament twice as an independent, making OCU the most successful basketball program to no longer compete at the Division I level. In 1984-1985 OCU won the Midwestern City Conference baseball championship and made NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament before moving to the NAIA the next year. Its tradition spans the glory days of legendary coaches Abe Lemons, Paul Hansen, and Doyle Parrack to the most recent 2012 National Championships in Women's wrestling. OCU has been ranked in the top 10 in the NACDA Director's Cup rankings from 1997 through 2011, including a top finish in 2001-02. More than 300,000 people attend athletic or other events hosted by OCU Athletics each year including more than 50,000 who attend the OCU Head of the Oklahoma Regatta, the largest rowing event of its kind in the region.