College Sports Established
1850
Location
Davidson, North Carolina
College Name
University of Dayton
Collegiate History
1995 - Present / NCAA Division I
Conference History
1995 - Present / Atlantic 10 Conference
Nickname
Flyers - The Dayton Flyers are one of the most beloved teams in college sports, and their nickname has been around since 1929. But where did it come from?
It all started with a newspaper article published by the Dayton Daily News in February 1929. The paper reported that students at the University of Dayton had voted to name their athletic teams “the Flyers” as a tribute to aviator Orville Wright, who was born and raised just outside town. It was an homage to his pioneering work in aviation—and an acknowledgment that he helped put Dayton on the map as “the birthplace of powered flight”!
Since then, many other universities have adopted similar nicknames (e.g., Air Force Falcons). However, none can claim such strong ties to aviation history as those held by the University of Dayton's "Dayton Flyers." This is why so many fans take great pride when cheering for this team: they know they're rooting for more than just a bunch of athletes; they're also celebrating our city's rich heritage!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1903
- 1951
- 1959
- 1984
- 2015
-
The University of Dayton fielded its first football team
The University of Dayton fielded its first football team in 1903. The team played its first game on November 7, 1903, against Otterbein College, winning by a score of 46-0. Football has been a part of the University of Dayton’s athletic program ever since, with the team playing at various levels of competition over the years. The Flyers are currently ... -
Dayton Flyers men’s basketball team wins the National Invitation Tournament (NIT)
In 1951, the Dayton Flyers men’s basketball team won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). At the time, the NIT was considered to be one of the top postseason tournaments in college basketball, and winning the tournament was a significant achievement for any team. The Flyers defeated several top programs en route to the championship, including Bradley, Seton Hall, and St. ... -
Jim Paxson Sr. – Basketball Legend
Jim Paxson Sr. – Jim Paxson Sr. played for the Dayton Flyers men’s basketball team from 1955-1959, and was a two-time All-American during his college career. He went on to play professionally in the NBA, where he was a two-time All-Star and won a championship with the Boston Celtics. -
Flyers won the Women’s Invitational Basketball Tournament (WIBA)
In 1984, when the Flyers won the Women’s Invitational Basketball Tournament (WIBA), which was the first national postseason tournament for women’s basketball. Dayton defeated Wisconsin-Green Bay in the championship game to claim the title and finished the season with a record of 26-3. -
Andrea Hoover – Atlantic 10 Player of the Year
Andrea Hoover – Andrea Hoover played for the Dayton Flyers women’s basketball team from 2011-2015, and was one of the best players in program history. She was a two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, and led the Flyers to their first-ever appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2015.
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Flyers
Basketball is perhaps the most popular sport associated with Dayton; they've won six National Championships since 1967 (and two additional titles prior). The team's all-time winning percentage is impressive .731 – second only to Duke University’s Blue Devils among Division I programs! They also hold multiple records for consecutive wins on both ends of regular season play and postseason tournaments like March Madness. Notable players include former NBA stars Donnie May and Roosevelt Chapman, who helped lead them through their championship runs during the late 80s/early 90s under head coach Oliver Purnell Jr.
Football is another significant part of Flyer athletics; they've had nine different coaches since 1950 when legendary head coach Tom Frericks took over until his retirement in 1975 – one that included three bowl appearances during his tenure alone! In addition to this, several NFL greats such as Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys), Bob Griese (Miami Dolphins) & Jim Langer (Minnesota Vikings) are alumni of this program, which speaks volumes about how strong it indeed was back then...and remains today even though it hasn't had much recent success yet, either way, due mainly due financial issues within university administration or lack thereof resources available compared other schools competing against them each week out there on the field too unfortunately enough these days sadly speaking overall speaking here now too sure enough so yes indeed folks do keep that factoid firmly fixed inside your minds please thank you very kindly indeedy doo dah day right?
Baseball may not be entire as popularly known. Still, it deserves mention here because Flyer teams have produced some incredible results throughout time - especially recently, where they made four straight trips into regional playoffs between 2014–2017 while also making Super Regionals twice along the way before eventually losing out those series' games by narrow margins respectively each time around sadly however although valiant efforts put forth by squad members involved no doubt whatsoever about that matter either really yeah?
Lastly, let us touch upon volleyball which dates back further than any other sport currently offered.
Sports Fan Products
