Saint Mary's University of Minnesota - Athletics

Athletics

Its sports teams are nicknamed the Cardinals (previously the Redmen) and compete as a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). There are 21 NCAA Div. III varsity sports teams at Saint Mary's. The Saint Mary's fastpitch softball team won the 2000 NCAA Div. III National Title. That title was the university's first and so far only national team title. In 1955, the college administration elected to discontinue football as a sport at the university. A task force was formed in 2005 to study the feasibility of adding football, but the proposal was rejected in 2006 by a unanimous vote of the board of trustees. Saint Mary's has a crosstown college, Div. II Winona State University, which is operated by the state of Minnesota. There is an on-campus cross country ski and running trail in the bluffs and valleys of the 450-acre campus. Athletic facilities are being renovated and expanded. Upgrades were recently made to basketball, baseball and softball. A challenging disc golf course was installed in the bluffs and valleys around campus in 2007. A state-of-the-art outdoor track and soccer complex, and a high-and-low ropes course, were added in 2008. Snowmaking equipment for the trails was recently donated by the Winona ski club.