College Sports Established
1968
Location
Highland Heights, Kentucky
College Name
Northern Kentucky University
Collegiate History
2012 - Present / NCAA Division I
Conference History
2015 - Present / Horizon League
2012 - 2015 / Independent
Nickname
Norse - For sports fans, the origin of a team’s nickname can be just as important as their performance on the court or field. The Northern Kentucky Norse are no exception! This Division I college basketball program has been around since 1926 and is steeped in history – including its unique moniker.
The story of how the Northern Kentucky Norse got their name begins with two brothers from Scotland who came to America in 1805: John and William McLean. They settled near what would become Newport, KY (now part of Cincinnati) and established a farm called “Norsewood,” after an old Scottish word for Northland or northernmost region of Scotland. Over time, this area became known simply as “the Norse Country” due to its strong ties to Scotland's northlands heritage; eventually, it would serve as inspiration for NKU's athletic teams' nickname when they were founded 100 years later in 1926!
This connection between NKU athletics and Scandinavia runs even more profound than just naming rights. However - many symbols associated with Nordic culture have been adopted by various teams throughout school history, including Viking helmets worn by cheerleaders during football games (which were first introduced at an intramural softball game in 1952!) Additionally, all three mascots used over time have had some link back to Scandinavian folklore, such as Thor (a giant hammer-wielding god), Ragnar Lothbrok (a legendary Viking leader) & most recently, Victor E., a modernized version based on these characters but also representing modern-day students attending NKU today!
In conclusion – if you're looking for an interesting backstory behind one team's unique name, then look no further than Northern Kentucky University’s own Norsemen/women whose origins date all way back nearly 200 years ago when two Scotsmen named John & William McLean moved into what is now Newport KY setting up shop on land they named "Norsewood" which ultimately inspired both current mascot designs & more importantly gave us our beloved "Northern Kentucky Norseland!"
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1996
- 2000
- 2000
- 2010
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Back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances
The Norse have three appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament (2017, 2019, 2023. In NCAA postseason play, NKU made 12 NCAA DII postseason appearances, including back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Men’s Division II Basketball Championship in the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. The Norse made thirteen appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. -
Kentucky’s Only Two-Time Champs
In 2000, the NKU women’s basketball team became NKU’s first national championship team by winning the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship in overtime 71–62 over North Dakota State. The 2002–03 team was the NCAA Women’s Division II national runner-up. The team won its second national championship in 2008 by a score of 63–58 over South Dakota, becoming one of ... -
Women’s Soccer Achievements
The women’s soccer team was the NCAA Division II runner-up in 2000 and advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four in 1999 and 2001. -
Division II National Champions
In 2010, the NKU men’s soccer team won the NCAA Division II national championship by defeating Rollins 3–2 in a driving snowstorm in Louisville. The team was led by senior Steven Beattie, who was named Ron Lenz National Player of the Year in both 2008 and 2010.
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 Norse
The Northern Kentucky Norse have a long and storied history of athletic excellence. From its humble beginnings as an NAIA school in the late 1970s to becoming one of the most successful NCAA Division I programs in recent years, NKU has consistently been a powerhouse on both the men’s and women’s sides.
In 1981, NKU joined Division II of NCAA athletics, competing for national championships until 1997, when they moved to Division I. Since then, they have made several appearances in post-season play, including two trips to March Madness (2016 & 2017), where they won two games against highly ranked opponents such as Texas A&M and Dayton, respectively. In addition to these accomplishments on the hardwood court, other teams like soccer have achieved regular conference titles since joining the D1 competition, while others like baseball are steadily improving each year towards achieving similar success at that level, too!
NKU's success is even more impressive considering its size; being one of only three public universities in Kentucky makes it challenging to compete with larger schools from power conferences such as ACC or Big Ten, but that hasn't stopped them from making waves nationally either! With continued growth under head coach John Brannen, who led his team into back-to-back tournaments last season along with strong showings by other sports teams across all divisions this past year - there's no doubt that Norse fans should be proud of what lies ahead for their beloved program moving forward into 2020!
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