New FAU students should know that to gain access into any athletic event, all that is needed is a valid student identification card (Owl Card). It’s very important to participate in support of FAU athletic events because of one sole reason: You pay for it! When any student of the college pays for tuition, a percentage of that bill is collected in the form of a student athletic fee.
When FAU started a football program in 2001, this fee became the largest student athletic fee for all colleges and universities in the state of Florida. There is no way a student can bypass this fee, so my advice to the new students is: Get Involved! Anyway, going to these games is a great chance to meet great looking young men and women, and will provide weekly getaways from your classes, and also that 120 minute, 500 seat, Friday, 9:00 a.m. lecture class.
The men’s basketball team became of national prominence last year when Coach Matt Doherty took over. Doherty played with Michael Jordan at North Carolina, winning the 1984 NCAA Division I championship. He then coached at Notre Dame and North Carolina before leading FAU to a winning record in 2005 and early 2006. The Men’s Basketball team was also featured on ESPN2 for the show The Season. Unfortunately, Doherty left for Southern Methodist University in Texas. Yuck!
After Doherty left, FAU named Rex Walters as Head Coach. Walters played at Kansas under college coaching great Roy Williams, and then later for the NBA and the Miami Heat. Walters was also the assistant coach for Doherty last season. With a talented team returning, Walters should lead FAU to a Sun Belt Championship and NCAA tournament run.
Women’s Basketball had an outstanding year under Coach Chancellor Dugan. She led her team to the NCAA tournament, and won the Atlantic Sun Championship. Florida Atlantic University’s Women’s Basketball team achieved something that hadn’t been done at the college since the 1993. An automatic berth in the NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament, and winning the Atlantic Sun title, capped the most successful regular season ever for Women’s Basketball at FAU. Every woman’s college basketball team in the country sets the goal of earning a trip to the NCAA tournament. FAU captured the opportunity by getting hot at the end of the season when it mattered most.
Their final regular season record of 20-10 was much more impressive than the more popular publicity laced men’s team. The men’s team was featured on ESPN’s The Season, but the real story at FAU has been the teamwork-driven women’s basketball team. Besides the obvious talent of veteran guard Shontavia Williams, sophomore guard Shuteamia Brayboy led the Atlantic Sun Conference in steals. Junior Guard Cristal Randolph has been downright deadly from beyond the three-point arc. Junior Forward Demina Anderson finished third in the Atlantic Sun Conference field goal percentage. Coach Chancellor Dugan’s “bench bunch,” has provided depth, and has accounted for over 40% of scored points for the team.
