Parts of this article (those related to various sports in sections lower in the body of the article.) need to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2016)
The Cleveland State Vikings, or Vikes, are the athletic teams of Cleveland State University. Before as Fenn College they were known as the Fenn College Foxes or Fenn Foxes. Cleveland State competes in NCAADivision I. The Vikings have competed in NCAA Division I since 1972. They were previously members of the NCAA College Division, a precursor to NCAA Division II. The university is a member of the Horizon League (1994–present), the Mid-American Conference (2019–present) for wrestling, and the ASUN Conference (2021–present) for men's lacrosse. Cleveland State was formerly in the Mid-Continent Conference (1982–1994) and North Star Conference (1989–1992). Cleveland State previously fielded baseball, men's cross country as well as men and women's track and field. As Fenn College they fielded men's ice hockey and rifle. Cleveland State has a number of club sports as well.
The McCafferty Trophy is awarded by the Horizon League to the school with the best overall athletic performance in all the sponsored sports. Cleveland State has won the award twice, in 2008 and 2013. Below is a table of the Cleveland State finishes and points.
Baseball at Cleveland State was played for a total of 69 seasons. On May 2, 2011 Clevleland State University announced that they would eliminate the baseball team. The reasons cited were budget concerns as well as the difficulty of having a baseball team in the northern United States with the season starting earlier and earlier and favoring teams in the warmer southern United States.[15]
On October 14, 2008 Cleveland State University President Michael Schwartz stated "he wants a blue ribbon panel to give him a recommendation on the football team before July 1 when he is scheduled to retire. He also said the program will have to be structured to pay for itself."[16] On November 19, 2008 it was revealed that President Schwartz had chosen the committee members to explore the feasibility of football at Cleveland State.[17] On October 9, 2009 it was announced the University had completed its feasibility study.[18] From April 12–14, 2010 the Cleveland State Student Government Association polled students online about whether they favored football at Cleveland State. The results were as follows.[19]
#
Question
% Yes
Votes
% No
Votes
1
Are you interested in having Cleveland State add a Division I non-scholarship football team?
68.7
1,214
31.3
553
2
Are you willing to pay a fee for Division I non-scholarship football in addition to any potential, future tuition increases that may be instituted by the university?
44.4
780
55.6
977
3
The fee that would be instituted will cover operating costs for the football team. This would include staff salaries, equipment, travel, insurance, and medical care. Would you be willing to pay $4 to $6 per credit hour for CSU football?
51.8
913
48.2
847
4
Would you be willing to pay $6 to $8 per credit hour for CSU football and other Division I sports?
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion
Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion
Cleveland State established its varsity men's lacrosse program on March 30, 2015.[22] The Vikings' inaugural lacrosse match was a 13–8 home loss to Michigan on February 4, 2017.[23]
CSU competed as an independent for its first five men's lacrosse seasons. After the 2021 season, CSU joined the newly reinstated men's lacrosse league of the ASUN Conference.[24]
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion
Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion
School
Season
Record
(Conf. Record)
Postseason
Total
?? years
?-?-?
(?-?-?)
0 Postseason bids
Totals updated through the end of the 2010–2011 school year.[27][28]
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion
Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion
School
Season
Record
(Conf. Record)
Postseason
Total
13 years
76–174–13
(27–74–7)
0 Postseason bids
Totals updated through the end of the 2016–2017 school year.[29][30]
Viking Crew is a successful coed club crew.[31] Each year the team travels around the nation to compete against other top collegiate crew. In 2006 the team's lightweight men's four traveled to Boston to race in the Head of the Charles Regatta. In 2007 and 2009 the team raced at Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta with over 37 boats in their race. In 2009 Cleveland State won the Hammer Ergatta cup and the Cleveland Collegiate Regatta cup.
Mid-America Collegiate Rowing Association Championships (0):
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-02-12. Retrieved 2017-02-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". horizonleague.org. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved 2010-10-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Football Feasibility Study Announced . Accessed October 2, 2010.
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-06-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) 2010 SGA Election Results . Accessed October 2, 2010.
