Northern Kentucky Norse
| Northern Kentucky Norse | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| University | Northern Kentucky University |
| Conference | Horizon League |
| NCAA | Division I full member (2016) |
| Athletic director | Ken Bothof |
| Location | Highland Heights, Kentucky |
| Varsity teams | 17 |
| Basketball arena | BB&T Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Bill Aker Baseball Complex |
| Soccer stadium | NKU Soccer Stadium |
| Mascot | Victor E. Viking |
| Nickname | Norse |
| Colors | Black, White, and Gold |
| Website | nkunorse |
The Northern Kentucky Norse are the athletic teams of Northern Kentucky University, located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States. NKU is a NCAA Division I school competing in the Horizon League, which it joined on July 1, 2015 after leaving the Atlantic Sun Conference. The university's teams for both men and women are nicknamed "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) (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.
NKU began preparing to reclassify as a 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. 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. Following the four years, NKU became a full Division I member. Prior to completing its transition to Division I, NKU changed its membership from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Horizon League.
A member of the Horizon League, NKU sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports:
The men's basketball team was the NCAA Division II national runner-up during the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. The Norse won the Horizon League Tournament following the 2016-17 season, making them eligible for their first NCAA tournament appearance.
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