Northern Kentucky Norse

Norse has been a common term for Norsemen in the early medieval period, especially in connection with raids and monastic plundering by Norsemen in the British Isles (i.e. Norse Vikings or Norwegians)[3] (Gall Goidel, lit.: foreign Gaelic), was used concerning the people of Norse descent in Ireland and Scotland, who assimilated into the Gaelic culture. The Norse, or Northmen, were also known as Ascomanni, ashmen, by the Germans, Lochlanach (Norse) by the Irish and Dene (Danes) by the Anglo-Saxons.[4]

NKU began preparing to reclassify as an NCAA Division I institution in the fall of 2008, and officially started the process in the fall of 2012. During the four-year reclassification, NKU was not eligible for Division I championships.[5] The university ended its membership in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) at the conclusion of the 2011–12 academic year and began playing a full Atlantic Sun Conference schedule in fall 2012.[5] Following the four years, NKU became a full Division I member.[6] Prior to completing its transition to Division I, NKU changed its membership from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Horizon League.[2]

A member of the Horizon League, NKU sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports:[7]

Over the forty years Northern Kentucky has sponsored intercollegiate athletics the university has won three NCAA DII national championships, 33 GLVC championships, and seven GLVC All-Sport Awards[16]

Students have also organized club teams in ice hockey, taekwondo, fencing, boxing, lacrosse, rugby, kickball, skeet & trap, ultimate frisbee, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. These clubs are primarily organized through the Sport Club program.

• Truist Arena, originally known as The Bank of Kentucky Center and later as BB&T Arena, is a 9,400-seat multi-purpose arena located on the NKU campus. It was completed in 2008[17] and is the home to men's and women's basketball teams, as well as graduation ceremonies. The arena is also home and other non-university entertainment and sporting events[18] and the Kentucky Monsters of the Ultimate Indoor Football League.[19] The arena name was first changed in 2015 following the purchase of The Bank of Kentucky by BB&T, and most recently in 2022, two years after BB&T merged with SunTrust to create Truist Financial. This latest name change was delayed because Truist did not start rebranding its Kentucky locations with the new corporate name until late 2021.
• NKU Soccer Stadium is the home of Norse soccer. The $6.5-million, 1,000-seat facility was completed in the Fall of 2009 and is located next to BB&T Arena.[20] Stadium amenities include: seating for 1,000 spectators plus 1,000 sq ft (93 m²) "Founders' Suite" luxury box, night lighting, a World Cup style 120-yard by 80-yard playing surface, concessions, coaches' offices, four locker rooms, athletic training facilities, and press box and media areas.[21]
• Regents Hall is the home court for NKU volleyball and the practice facility for NKU men's and women's basketball. The gym seats about 1,800. The facility, along with the adjacent Albright Health Center houses most of the coaches within the department along with locker room facilities for the baseball, softball and cross country teams.
• The Bill Aker Baseball Complex at Friendship Field is the home field for NKU baseball. It has a seating capacity of 500 spectators.
• The Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field is the home field for NKU softball. It has a seating capacity of about 500.
• The Joyce Yeager Tennis Complex is the home court for NKU tennis. The six-court facility is used as a competition venue as well as general use by the university community. There is seating available for about 200 spectators.
• The NKU cross country teams host the Queen City Invitational every third year at A.J. Jolly Park in Alexandria, Kentucky in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University.

• Official website