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Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Logo
University Southern Utah University
Conference Western Athletic Conference (primary)
United Athletic Conference (football)
Mountain Rim Gymnastics
NCAA Division I ( FCS)
Athletic director Debbie Corum
Location Cedar City, Utah
Varsity teams13 (5 men's and 8 women's)
Football stadium Eccles Coliseum
Basketball arena America First Event Center
Soccer stadium Thunderbird Park Complex
Nickname Thunderbirds
ColorsScarlet and white [1]
   
Website www.suutbirds.com

The Southern Utah Thunderbirds are the varsity athletic teams representing Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsors thirteen teams including five men's sports: basketball, cross country, football, golf, and track and field and eight women's sports: basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. The baseball program was dropped after the 2011–12 season. [2] The Thunderbirds compete in NCAA Division I and joined the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2012, after departing from The Summit League. [3]

Since 1961, Southern Utah has used the Thunderbird as its team mascot in the sports events they participate in. Its football team mascot is an even more powerful version of the Thunderbird, as it is inspired by Thor, a well-known god of Norse mythology. [4]

In 2022, the Thunderbirds left the Big Sky Conference and joined the Western Athletic Conference. [5] The football team played the 2022 season in a partnership between the WAC and the ASUN Conference. After that season, the two conferences merged their football leagues, creating what eventually became the United Athletic Conference.

Varsity sports

A member of the Western Athletic Conference. SUU sponsors teams in six men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports. [6]

Men's sports Women's sports
Basketball Basketball
Cross country Cross country
Football Golf
Golf Gymnastics
Track and field Soccer
Softball
Track and field
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

References

  1. ^ "Branding & Creative - Marketing Communication". Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  2. ^ "College baseball: Southern Utah mourns, celebrates dropped program | The Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  3. ^ "Big Sky Conference - Member Institutions". Bigskyconf.com. July 1, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  4. ^ "Top 5 Football Mascots in Utah – Cougars, Utes, and More". Daily Herald. October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  5. ^ "WAC adds Southern Utah University, and will play football in 2022". ABC4 Utah. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  6. ^ "Southern Utah Thunderbirds". Southern Utah University. Retrieved December 17, 2016.

External links