The Friends Falcons are the athletic teams that represent Friends University, located in Wichita, Kansas, in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) since the 1953–54 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1902–03 to December 1928 (of the 1928–29 school year).[3]
| Friends Falcons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Friends University |
| Nickname | Falcons |
| Association | NAIA |
| Conference | KCAC (primary) |
| Athletic director | Dr. Rob Ramseyer |
| Location | Wichita, Kansas |
| Varsity teams | 23 |
| Football stadium | Adair-Austin Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Garvey Center |
| Softball stadium | Two Rivers Youth Complex [n 1] |
| Soccer stadium | Adair-Austin Stadium |
| Tennis venue | Forrest Lattner Courts |
| Outdoor track and field venue | Adair-Austin Stadium |
| Volleyball arena | Garvey Center |
| Colors | Scarlet and gray[2] |
| Mascot | Freddy Falcon |
| Website | friendsathletics |
 | |
Varsity teams
editFriends competes in 19 intercollegiate varsity sports:
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Basketball | Basketball |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Football | Golf |
| Golf | Powerlifting |
| Powerlifting | Soccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Tennis | Tennis |
| Track and field1 | Track and field1 |
| Wrestling | Volleyball |
| Wrestling | |
| 1 – includes both indoor and outdoor | |
Football
editFriends University is coached by Terry Harrison, who has held the position since the 2023 season.[4]
Bowl games
editIn 1972, Friends was defeated by the Ottawa Braves in the Mineral Water Bowl by a score of 27–20.[5]
Facilities
edit
Mascot
editThe school's first athletic teams were known as the "Fighting Quakers" which symbolized the schools affiliation with the Society of Friends. In the 1930s, governance of the institution was turned over to an independent board not affiliated with the religious organization that founded the school. Still, the university's athletic teams remained known as the Fighting Quakers and used a duck as their mascot symbol up to 1960.
After 1960, student body began to desire a different mascot to represent Friends University. "Freddy Falcon" was created as a response to this initiative and adopted by the school.[10]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ↑ Two Rivers Youth Club
- ↑ Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Style Guide (PDF). July 6, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ↑ College Fanz Friends University Athletics
- ↑ Coach Profile Coach Profile
- ↑ Mineral Water Bowl All-time results
- 1 2 Adair-Austin Stadium & Forrest C. Lattner Tennis Courts
- ↑ Garvey Center
- ↑ Crestview Country Club
- ↑ Crestview Country Club (facilities) on friendsathletics.com
- ↑ Friends University Athletics Archived 2010-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Traditions
