The Oklahoma City Stars are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma City University, located in Oklahoma City, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) for most of its sports since the 1985–86 academic year. The Stars previously competed at the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Midwestern City Conference (MCC; now known as the Horizon League) from 1979–80 to 1984–85; in the D-I Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC; now known as the Atlantic Sun Conference) during the 1978–79 school year, and as a Division I independent prior to that. Its women's wrestling team competed in the Women's College Wrestling Association (WCWA).
Conference affiliations NCAA Trans America Athletic Conference – 1978–79 Midwestern City Conference – 1979–80 to 1984–85
NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference – 1985–86 to Present
Notes
Varsity teams OCU competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports:
Men's sports Women's sports Baseball Basketball Basketball Cross country Cross country Golf Golf Rowing Rowing Soccer Soccer Softball Track and field Track and field Wrestling Volleyball
Men's basketball
Oklahoma City University has won 6 NAIA National Championships: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2008
Oklahoma City University has made 18 NAIA tournament appearances: 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010.
As a member of the NCAA, Oklahoma City University went to the NCAA tournament 11 times, the most of any school no longer a member of the NCAA (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1973)
Oklahoma City University appeared in the NIT twice, in 1959 and 1968.
Baseball The Stars won the 2005 NAIA National Championship.
Oklahoma City has had 71 Major League Baseball draft selections since the draft began in 1965.
Stars in the Major League Baseball Draft Year Player Round Team 1978 18 Royals 1979 8 Astros 1982 10 Rangers 1983 32 Pirates 1983 13 Rangers 1984 3 Giants 1986 11 Rangers 1989 39 Rangers 1989 15 Phillies 1990 41 Indians 1990 36 Athletics 1990 8 Indians 1991 40 Padres 1991 27 Expos 1991 18 Reds 1991 18 Angels 1992 32 Phillies 1993 41 Tigers 1993 9 Rangers 1993 9 Yankees 1994 23 Rockies 1994 15 Athletics 1995 15 Indians 1995 15 Marlins 1996 55 Mets 1996 22 Blue Jays 1999 29 Blue Jays 1999 18 Reds 1999 5 Indians 2000 46 Reds 2000 11 Red Sox 2001 19 Expos 2001 14 Phillies 2002 43 Dodgers 2002 23 Brewers 2002 14 Brewers 2003 22 Padres 2003 11 Reds 2003 11 Orioles 2003 9 Reds 2004 29 Padres 2004 23 Marlins 2004 18 Blue Jays 2004 13 Orioles 2004 12 Phillies 2004 3 White Sox 2005 41 Orioles 2005 33 Yankees 2005 27 Angels 2007 29 Padres 2007 23 Tigers 2007 19 Pirates 2007 16 Royals 2007 15 Tigers 2008 8 Red Sox 2009 26 Marlins 2009 17 Astros 2009 5 Orioles 2010 45 Mets 2011 26 Braves 2011 23 Astros 2011 4 Dodgers 2012 24 Phillies 2012 19 Rays 2012 17 Nationals 2012 2 Padres 2013 32 Marlins 2013 22 Padres 2014 18 Athletics 2014 9 Rays 2014 7 Mets
Spirit squads OCU fields a pom squad, a cheerleading squad, and a stunt team
OCU has won the NCA/NAIA National Invitational/Championships in the following years:
NCA: All-Girl NAIA: 2012, 2013 Small Coed NAIA: 2014, 2015, 2016 Large Coed NAIA: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
NAIA: Competitive Cheer Invitational: 2014 NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship: 2017, 2021
OCU has won the National Dance Alliance Championships in the following divisions:
NDA NAIA Large: 2011, 2013
NDA NAIA Small: 2016
NDA Division III Hip Hop: 2016
OCU Dance won the NAIA Invitational in 2014
Former sports
Football
Oklahoma City's football program and head coach Os Doenges made multiple innovative attempts to improving the game.
The first and most successful innovation was credited to opposing coach Dike Beede when the football team played in the 1941 Oklahoma City vs. Youngstown football game. This game marks the first American football game to use a penalty flag.
The second innovation was an unsuccessful venture to allow a coach to be on the field with the offense to help call plays and provide additional coaching as time allows.
National championships In 2012, Kevin Patrick Hardy (class of 2013) became OCU's first national champion in wrestling, taking the national title at 165 pounds. Hardy was a Division 1 three time state champion at Solon High School in Ohio.
Through the Spring 2012 sports season, Oklahoma City has won 49 national championships. Of these, 45 are NAIA championships, and four are WCWA championships.
Oklahoma City won the NACDA Director's Cup for the NAIA in 2002 and 2017, awarded annually to the college or university with the most success in collegiate athletics.
OCU has won national championships in the following sports (number of championships in parentheses, NAIA titles unless otherwise specified): Men's Baseball (1) – 2005 Basketball (6) – 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2008 Golf (10) – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2026 Tennis (4) – 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Total men's Championships: 21 (in 4 different men's team sports) Women's Basketball (8) – 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015 Golf (8) – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2017 Softball (11) – 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2022 Wrestling (4-WCWA) – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Total women's championships: 31 (in 4 different women's team sports)
Co-ed Cheerleading (2) – 2017, 2021
Total coed championships: 2 (in 1 coed team sport)
Nickname and mascot history The school is currently known as the Stars, but was known as the Goldbugs or Gold Bugs in the 1920s, 30s and early 40s. From 1944, the university was known as the Chiefs a nickname changed in 1998 in reaction to the mounting pressure on schools to adopt names more sensitive to and respectful of Native American culture.
References
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