The Southern Connecticut Owls (also Southern Connecticut State Owls, Southern Connecticut State College Owls, and SCSU Owls) are the athletic teams that represent Southern Connecticut State University, located in New Haven, Connecticut, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Owls' 17 athletic teams, seven for men and 10 for women, compete as members of either the Northeast-10 Conference or the Eastern College Athletic Conference. SCSU has been a member of the NE-10 since 2000.
| Southern Connecticut Owls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Southern Connecticut State University |
| Conference | Northeast-10 Conference Eastern College Athletic Conference |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Terrance Jones |
| Location | New Haven, Connecticut |
| Varsity teams | 19 |
| Football stadium | Jess Dow Field |
| Basketball arena | Moore Field House |
| Baseball stadium | The Ballpark at SCSU |
| Aquatics center | Hutchinson Natatorium |
| Other venues | Pelz Gymnasium |
| Mascot | Otus |
| Nickname | Owls |
| Colors | Blue and white[1] |
| Website | scsuowls |
| Team NCAA championships | |
| 10 | |
There have been 10 NCAA National Championship Teams at Southern, as well as 75 NCAA Individual Champions in the sports of Track and Field, Swimming and Gymnastics.
Sports sponsored
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Field hockey |
| Football | Gymnastics |
| Soccer | Lacrosse |
| Swimming and diving | Soccer |
| Track & field† | Softball |
| Swimming & diving | |
| Track & field† | |
| Volleyball | |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | |
Soccer
SCSU's men's soccer team won titles in 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998, 1999. The six titles are the most for any Division II men's soccer team in the country.[2] The program has appeared in 32 NCAA Division II Tournaments, 17 NCAA Final Four appearances, and has produced 52 All-Americans, 15 Senior Bowl Players, 4 National Player of the Year Award Winners, and 1 Golden Boot Award (Top Goalkeeper in any NCAA Division) winner.[3]
Basketball
On March 24, 2007, the women's basketball team won the NCAA Division II championships. In a 61–45 victory, SCSU beat the previously undefeated Florida Gulf Coast.
Gymnastics
The street circle in front of the Moore Fieldhouse is named in honor of former Olympian Abie Grossfeld, former head gymnastics coach at the university.
Swimming
The swimming and diving team scored their highest at the NCAA championship meet in March for the years 2007 and 2008.[citation needed]
Football
Elm City rivalry
SCSU's football program has produced coaches and players who went on to the National Football League.
Alumni in the NFL
Active coaches
- Jeff Stoutland, linebackers coach (1984-1985), offensive coordinator (1988-1992)
- Tim Holt, tight ends coach & assistant offensive line coach (1995-1996), running backs coach (2005-2007)
- Jacques Cesaire, defensive line coach and former defensive lineman
Former coaches
- Kevin Gilbride, quarterback and tight end, head coach (1980-1984)
- Chris Palmer, quarterback (1969-1971)
- Nick Nicolau, running back (1957-1959), assistant coach (1960)
Former players
- Scott Mersereau, defensive tackle for the New York Jets (1987-1993)
- Joe Andruzzi, guard (1998-2006)
Volleyball
SCSU's volleyball program had its most successful seasons in 2017–18 and in 2018–19. The Owls had their first National Tournament berth in 2017 with a record of 24–11. They ended their campaign in the second round of the National Tournament when they lost to New Haven. In 2018, the Owls won their first-ever NE-10 Conference Title against American International College. The Owls then had their second berth into the National Tournament, bust lost in the first round.
National championships
The Owls have won ten NCAA team national championships.
Team
| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Opponent/Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA (10) | Division II (10) | ||||
| Women's Basketball (1) | 2007 | Florida Gulf Coast | 61–45 | ||
| Men's Gymnastics (3) | 1973 | Cal State Northridge | 160.75–158.70 | ||
| 1975 | Illinois–Chicago | 411.65–398.80 | |||
| 1976 | Illinois–Chicago | 419.20–388.85 | |||
| Men's Soccer (6) | 1987 | Cal State Northridge | 2–0 | ||
| 1990 | Seattle Pacific | 0–0 (4OT, PK) | |||
| 1992 | Tampa | 1–0 | |||
| 1995 | USC Spartanburg | 2–0 | |||
| 1998 | USC Spartanburg | 1–0 | |||
| 1999 | Fort Lewis | 2–1 (2OT) |
References
External links
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