Providence Friars

Providence Friars
University	Providence College
Conference(s)	Big East / Hockey East
NCAA	Division I
Athletics director	Robert Driscoll
Location	Providence, RI
Varsity teams	19
Football stadium	none
Basketball arena	Dunkin' Donuts Center
Other arenas	Alumni Hall Schneider Arena
Nickname	Friars
Fight song	When the Saints Go Marching In (since the 1950s); "Friar Away" (original)
Colors	Black, White, and Silver
Homepage	Providence Friars

The Providence Friars is the name of the athletic teams of Providence College. They compete in the Big East Conference (NCAA Division I) for every sport except for ice hockey, where they compete in Hockey East and in women's volleyball, where they compete in the America East Conference. The Big East Conference was founded in 1979 by former athletic director and men's basketball coach Dave Gavitt, and the current commissioner is former athletic director John Marinatto.

The school's men's and women's sports teams are called the Friars, after the Dominican Order that runs the school. They are the only collegiate team to use the name.

Overall, the program consists of 19 varsity sports, seven for men and ten for women: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and women's volleyball. The lacrosse team competed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference through the 2009 season before joining the newly-created Big East lacrosse league for 2010.

Former sports include football, which was offered from 1921 until World War II in 1941, and baseball, which was dropped due to Title IX in 1999. Other dropped sports include men's tennis and men's golf.

The school's biggest rivalries are Boston University and Boston College in hockey and UConn and URI in the school's other sports, especially in soccer, swimming and diving, and basketball.

Athletic facilities

All home games are played on-campus, with the exception of men's basketball:

• Dunkin' Donuts Center – the home court for men's basketball, located in downtown Providence; opened in 1972, known as the Providence Civic Center until 2001
• Alumni Hall – the home court (Mullaney Gymnasium since 2001) for women's basketball; opened in 1955; home of men's basketball until 1972; also contains administrative offices for athletics and the Canavan Sports Medicine Center (opened in 2008)
• Schneider Arena – the home ice rink for men's and women's hockey; opened in 1973
• Taylor Natatorium – located in the Peterson Recreation Center adjacent to Alumni Hall; home to the Providence College men's and women's swimming & diving programs; the vast majority of Providence's varsity athletic programs also use the facility for strength and conditioning workouts
• Jimmy Walker Strength and Conditioning Center – located in the Concannon Fitness Center; opened in 2007; used by varsity athletes only
• Glay Field – home field for men's and women's soccer; opened in 1976
• Raymond Field – home field for softball; opened in 2001
• Lennon Family Field – home field for field hockey and lacrosse; opened in 2005; also used for club and intramural sports
• Hendricken Field – former home of the football and baseball programs; also used as soccer practice field and for club sports

Renovations

The mid-2000s saw the beginning of the improvement of many of the on- and off-campus facilities under new president Fr. Brian Shanley:

In August 2005, the school opened an artificial turf field for its lacrosse and field hockey programs adjacent to the Peterson Recreation Center; underneath the field is a parking garage.^[1]

In December 2005, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority purchased the Dunkin' Donuts Center from the city of Providence and spent $80 million on an extensive renovation. Major elements of the construction included a significantly expanded lobby and concourse, an enclosed pedestrian bridge from the Rhode Island Convention Center, a new center-hung LED video display board, a new restaurant, 20 luxury suites, four new bathrooms, and all-new seats with cupholders in the arena bowl. Behind-the-scenes improvements included a new HVAC system, ice chiller, and a first-of-its-kind fire suppression system. These renovations were completed in October 2008.

In 2006, Schneider Arena underwent a refurbishment that included new seats and renovated training rooms, locker rooms, and offices.

In 2007, the Concannon Fitness Center was built between Alumni Hall and the Peterson Recreation Center,^[2] and included the Jimmy Walker Strength and Conditioning Center^[3] for student-athletes. At the same time, improvements were made to Alumni Hall, including the opening of the Canavan Sports Medicine Center,^[4] the Helen Bert Student Athlete Lounge,^[5] and the Joe Calabria Hallway of Legends.^[6] Mullaney Gymnasium, inside Alumni Hall, was also refurbished during this time, including a new floor, scoreboard, locker rooms, and offices for the basketball programs and athletic department.^[7]

Men's basketball

Men's ice hockey

Women's ice hockey

References

External links

• Official website

v d e Sports teams based in Rhode Island Baseball IL: Pawtucket Red Sox • NECBL: Newport Gulls Hockey AHL: Providence Bruins Roller derby WFTDA: Providence Roller Derby Rugby league USARL: Rhode Island Rebellion Rugby union NERFU: Newport RFC • Providence RFC College athletics (NCAA Div. I) Brown Bears • Bryant Bulldogs • Providence Friars • Rhode Island Rams