A 40th Anniversary logo will be worn as a commemorative patch on the home uniforms throughout the upcoming year
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Beginning this fall, the Nova Southeastern athletic department is excited to announce the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of NSU Athletics throughout the 2022-23 academic year.
In honor of the celebration, the athletic department has unveiled a 40th Anniversary logo that will be worn as a commemorative patch on the home uniforms throughout the upcoming year.
“Nova Southeastern University athletics holds a special place in the hearts of those who have been a part of both the Knight and Shark eras,” said NSU Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President for Advancement, Michael Mominey. “From the student-athletes to the coaches and staff, as well as the families, friends and fans, so many have played a role in what it means to be a member of the NSU athletics community. NSU athletics has crowned many champions, and more importantly has laid the foundation for past and present student-athletes to become successful professionals as well as parents. I’ve had the privilege to be a part of the NSU athletics community for the past 22 years, personally experiencing eight team national championships, 27 individual national championships, along with 20 consecutive years in which our student-athletes have achieved a department-wide GPA of above a 3.0. Right now is an exciting time to be a part of the campus community and I look forward to honoring and celebrating the 40th Anniversary of NSU Athletics!”
Under the guidance of the school’s first-ever Director of Athletics, Charles “Sonny” Hansley, NSU Athletics made its debut back in 1982 when the school in fact was recognized as Nova University. That same year, Nova University found its new athletics nickname, choosing “Knights” after the mascot was deemed the most popular in a contest open to the general public.
Also coached by Hansley, men’s basketball became the first program to field a team, beginning competition later on during the 1982-83 season. The team initially played as an independent program, not affiliated with a conference.
In 1985, Nova University was no longer unaffiliated after joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Five years later, the school teamed up with seven others across the state to form the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (FIAC), which would later become known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) in 1992.
Nova University and Southeastern University of the Health Sciences merged to form what we all know now as Nova Southeastern University in 1994.
Fast forward to 2002-03, NSU was then granted full membership into NCAA Division II and provisional membership into the Sunshine State Conference before unveiling “Sharks” as the university’s new mascot in 2005.
Mominey assumed the full-time role as Director of Athletics in 2009, the same year the NSU women’s golf team captured the school’s very first NCAA Division II National Championship, which has since paved the way for NSU Athletics’ now-eight team National Championships and 27 individual National Championships. As recently as 2021-22, NSU’s student-athletes also posted a collective GPA of 3.41, giving NSU 24 consecutive semesters with a departmental GPA of 3.00 and above.
In recognition of NSU Athletics’ 40th Anniversary year-long celebration, the department will be honoring the past through a variety of events, as well as social media and website features. Among those include inducting the 2022 NSU Athletics Hall of Fame class, Homecoming, the NSU Scholarship Golf Classic, along with additional alumni gatherings.
To stay up-to-date with all info regarding the 40th Anniversary of NSU Athletics, visit NSUSharks.com or following the Sharks on Instagram and Twitter at @NSUSharks.
