The Ottawa Braves are the athletic teams that represent

Ottawa University Ottawa University (OU) is a private Baptist university with its main campus in Ottawa, Kansas, a second residential campus in Surprise, Arizona, and adult campuses in the Kansas City, Phoenix and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. It was founded in ...

, located in

Ottawa, Kansas Ottawa (pronounced ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Franklin County, Kansas, United States. It is located on both banks of the Marais des Cygnes River near the center of Franklin County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the c ...

, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its st ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The KCAC is the oldest conference in the NAIA and the second oldest in the United Stat ...

(KCAC) since the 1982–83 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from their charter member days in 1902–03 to 1970–71). The Braves previously competed as a charter member of the

Heart of America Athletic Conference The Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC or The Heart) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in ...

(HAAC) from 1971–72 to 1981–82.

Varsity teams

Ottawa competes in 31 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, powerlifting, soccer, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, cross country, flag football, golf, lacrosse, powerlifting, soccer, softball, stunt, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include competitive cheer, competitive dance and eSports. Also OU offers varied intramural programs.

Football

Ottawa University first put a football team on the field in 1891. As of the conclusion of the 2008 season, the total record of the football team is 117 years, 970 games, 502 victories, 421 defeats, 47 ties. The current 2009 season has the Braves 10–0 and conference champions. The first time in the history of the school that this has happened. They are currently ranked number 20 in the nation. The current football coach is Nick Davis, who took over starting in 2022. The team plays their games at

AdventHealth Field AdventHealth Field, formerly known as Cook Field and Peoples Bank Field, is a sport stadium in Ottawa, Kansas, United States. The facility is primarily used by the Ottawa University football, lacrosse, soccer, and track & field teams. The field ...

Bowl games and postseason play

In 1972, Ottawa defeated the

Friends University Falcons The Friends Falcons are the athletic teams that represent Friends University, located in Wichita, Kansas, in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Kansas ...

in the Mineral Water Bowl by a score of 27–20. Ottawa's football team has qualified for the 2009, 2010, and 2011

NAIA Football National Championship The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Football National Championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best NAIA college football teams in the United States. Under sponsorship of the National Associ ...

playoffs. This gives them three consecutive post-season appearances.

References

External links

* {{Kansas Sports