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Evansville, Indiana, USA is the home of three minor league professional, two semi-professional, and one amateur sports team. The city is also the home to two NCAA collegiate teams, and nine high schools that participate in the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Evansville is also the annual host to the Hoosier Nationals, a BMX National Series race sanctioned by the National Bicycle League. The Hoosier Nationals take place on the BMX course at Evansville's Burdette Park.
Contents
- Professional teams in Evansville
- Evansville Otters
- Evansville Thunderbolts
- Semi Professional teams in Evansville
- Evansville Crush
- Evansville Enforcers
- Amateur teams in Evansville
- Dynamite Dolls
- Evansville Jr Thunderbolts
- College teams in Evansville
- Evansville Purple Aces
- Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
- Defunct professional teams in Evansville
- NCAA events
- Thunder on the Ohio
- The Refrigerator Bowl
- Evansville high school state championships
- Cycling
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Horse Racing
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track Field
- Wrestling
- References
Professional teams in Evansville
Evansville is currently the home of two minor league professional sports teams.
Evansville Otters
The Evansville Otters are a professional minor league baseball team based in Evansville. The team is part of the West Division of the Frontier League. The Otters have won two league titles (2006, 2016) and five division titles (1997, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006) since their inception in 1995. The team plays at Bosse Field, which has been used for minor league baseball since it opened in 1915 and is the third oldest ballpark used for professional baseball on a regular basis in the United States. The Otters were previously known as the Lancaster Scouts (1993–1994).
Evansville Thunderbolts
The Evansville Thunderbolts are a professional minor league hockey team based in Evansville. The team is part of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Thunderbolts' home arena is the Ford Center where they play all 28 of their home games. The Thunderbolts replaced the ECHL's Evansville IceMen after the IceMen's owner, Ron Geary, and the City of Evansville failed to coma to an agreement for a new lease at the Ford Center during the 2015–16 season.
Semi-Professional teams in Evansville
Evansville is the home of two semi-professional sports teams.
Evansville Crush
The Evansville Crush are a semi-professional football team based in Evansville. The team is part of the Premier Arena Soccer League. The Crush's home field is the Metro Sports Center.
Evansville Enforcers
The Evansville Enforcers are a semi-professional football team based in Evansville. The team is part of the Minor League Football Alliance and their season runs from Mid-May to Late September. The Evansville Enforcers' home field is Romain Stadium.
Amateur teams in Evansville
Evansville is home to one traveling Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) teams: the Dynamite Dolls.
Dynamite Dolls
The Dynamite Dolls are the A-team for Demolition City Roller Derby, a roller derby league in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) league. The team plays their home bouts at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum in downtown Evansville, Indiana.
Evansville Jr. Thunderbolts
The Evansville Jr. Thunderbolts are a junior ice hockey team in the North American 3 Hockey League. The junior Thunderbolt's home arena is at Swonder Ice Arena.
College teams in Evansville
Evansville has two universities that field teams for the NCAA: the University of Evansville (Purple Aces) and University of Southern Indiana (Screaming Eagles). These schools have a combined 8 team national championships.
* NCAA College Division (now Division II) national championships
Evansville Purple Aces
The University of Evansville (UE) is a member of the NCAA Division I and the Missouri Valley Conference. UE has 14 NCAA Division I varsity sports, eight for women and six for men.
The University of Evansville athletics department was built upon a foundation of success in men's basketball, including NCAA College Division (now Division II) national championships in 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 and 1971. The team was led by legendary coach Arad McCutchan from 1946 to 1977 who led the Purple Aces to a 515–313 record. In 1977 UE began playing in NCAA Division I athletics.
Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
The University of Southern Indiana (USI) Athletic Department is a member of the NCAA Division II and the Great Lakes Valley Conference. USI sponsors 15 varsity intercollegiate sports.
Since 1990, all 15 Screaming Eagles teams have participated in their respective national tournaments and/or were ranked at the national level. USI has claimed three national championships (men's basketball, 1995; men's baseball, 2010 and 2014), finished three times as the national finalist (men's basketball, 1994 and 2004; women's basketball, 1997), and earned one third-place finish (men's cross country, 1982).
Defunct professional teams in Evansville
Evansville has had a long history with professional sports teams. Past professional organizations have included the NFL, Triple-A minor league baseball, arena football, minor league ice hockey, and professional basketball. Past Evansville major league, minor league, and semi professional teams have won a combined 17 championships.
NCAA events
From 1957 to 1975 Evansville hosted the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship (Elite Eight) at Roberts Municipal Stadium, and then again in 2002. The city is also slated to host the event at the Ford Center in 2014. From 1999 to 2007 Roberts Stadium hosted the Great Lakes Valley Conference basketball tournaments, and in 2013 and 2014 the same event was held at the Ford Center.
A number of Division I NCAA events have been hosted by the city as well. In 1983 Roberts Stadium hosted the first round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, and in 1980 and 1983 it hosted the Midwestern City Conference (now Horizon League) men's basketball conference tournament.
Thunder on the Ohio
From 1938 to 1940 and 1979 to 2009, Evansville hosted Thunder on the Ohio, a hydroplane boat race in the H1 Unlimited season. The race was held on the Ohio River in downtown Evansville. The winner of Thunder on the Ohio received the Four Freedoms Trophy, which was named after the nearby Four Freedoms Monument which rests along the Ohio River. The race had frequently been broadcast on ESPN and the SPEED television network.
Thunder on the Ohio had been an Unlimited hydroplane mainstay for 30 consecutive years. "Ideal Evansville" replaced Owensboro, Kentucky, on the unlimited calendar in 1979. Evansville was the world headquarters of Atlas Van Lines, Inc., which sponsored Bill Muncey's race team. Muncey played a major role in Evansville being awarded its first sanction.
Prior to Thunder on the Ohio, the 725 Cubic Inch Class boats, the forerunners of the modern unlimiteds, raced at Evansville from 1938 through 1940. Dave Villwock had won more Evansville races than anyone else, including seven with Miss Budweiser.
The Refrigerator Bowl
From 1948 to 1956, Evanville hosted the annual college football Refrigerator Bowl. Currently, Evansville is the only city in Indiana to have hosted a college football bowl game.
Evansville high school state championships
Evansville has a proud high school sport heritage, including 72 team championships. Evansville has 9 active city high schools that participate in the Indiana High School Athletic Association. The 72 team titles won by Evansville city high schools includes 17 soccer titles, 14 football titles, 12 wrestling titles, 9 basketball titles, 6 tennis titles, 6 golf titles, 5 baseball titles, 2 softball titles, and 1 bowling title. Defunct IHSAA high schools from Evansville that are no longer active include Evansville Rex Mundi and Evansville Lincoln.
* = indicates title won before IHSAA State Tournament was initiated
+ = indicates sanctioned by the Indiana High School Bowling Association
Cycling
Golf
Ice hockey
Horse Racing
Soccer
Swimming
Tennis
Track & Field
1986 Billy Hayes Inv. Outdoor Record, Jumped 7-1.75 (2.18)Champion