Grand View Vikings | |
---|---|
University | Grand View University |
Association | NAIA |
Conference | Heart of America Athletic Conference |
Athletic director | Troy Plummer |
Location | Des Moines, IA, United States |
Varsity teams | 21 |
Football stadium | Williams Stadium |
Basketball arena | Sisam Arena |
Mascot | Viktor |
Nickname | Vikings |
Colors | Red and White |
Website | www |
The Grand View Vikings are the athletic teams of Grand View University. The college is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference and competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, fielding 21 varsity teams in 13 sports.
In addition, the Vikings offer co-ed cheerleading and shooting sports. The squads are supported by the athletic department.
Grand View joined the NAIA after it moved from junior college status in 1979. Many athletic programs at Grand View have been reinstated or added in the past decade. Grand View added women's soccer in 1998 and has reinstated competitive dance (2002), cross country (2003), golf (2004) and track (2006). Wrestling and football were added in 2008.
Grand View announced that it will be creating a football team in the fall of 2008 with the hiring of Mike Woodley in July 2007. Woodley has over 30 years of coaching experience and prior to Grand View, Woodley was head coach at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena, Texas. Woodley is a familiar name in the Iowa football community, after serving as head coach at conference rival Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa from 1991 to 1993 and assistant coach at Iowa State University from 1994 to 2003. Woodley is a 1974 University of Northern Iowa graduate and four-year football letterman. He still holds the Panthers' school record for 20 career interceptions.
In a press release by the Grand View athletic department, Woodley stated, “Anybody who’s been in this business long enough knows that the opportunity to start a program from scratch is very rare. There are so many exhilarating things happening on campus with the addition of athletic programs, new student housing, and new buildings. Grand View is headed in the right direction, and I want to be a part of it."