2024年10月4日
Mount Mercy将在2026年增设足球项目
梅西山大学（皇冠体育）正在将橄榄球加入其体育项目名单，比赛预计将于2026年秋季开始。
这一令人兴奋的新增项目是在2017年秋季耗资1600万美元的Robert W. Plaster体育中心开放后很长一段时间才出现的。 When plans for the complex began, the idea was not only to provide home fields for Mount Mercy’s current teams, but to also allow for the addition of new teams who would benefit from the multipurpose facilities. Those expansion plans came to fruition last year when the field saw its first lacrosse game, after Mount Mercy announced the addition of women’s lacrosse in 2022. 现在，随着橄榄球成为该校第20个校际运动，学校的扩张还在继续。
“At the time we finished Plaster Athletic Complex, our Board of Trustees said that the answer to football was ‘no, for now,’” said Mount Mercy Athletic Director 保罗·加文，88年. “It’s exciting that the time for football is finally here, and we can begin building another popular program for our Mustang community.”
Mount Mercy’s Board of Trustees voted last Thursday to add football to its lineup of scholarship sports, and the search for a head coach will begin immediately. Mount Mercy will be looking for a football coach with recruitment experience who is dedicated to developing a program and team that match the university’s rich history, mission, and values.
“I can’t wait to start this search,” said Gavin. “I know we’re in the thick of football season right now, but the sooner we can find the right person for this role, the sooner we’ll be able to bring new student-athletes into our program.”
It’s exciting that the time for football is finally here, and we can begin building another popular program for our Mustang community.
Mount Mercy希望橄榄球运动员最早能在明年秋天加入学生团体。 These students will receive athletic scholarships and can begin using Mount Mercy’s state-of-the-art athletic facilities, while working with coaches and athletic staff in planning for the program’s inaugural season. 这些运动员将加入其他数百名学生运动员的行列，他们把慈悲山称为自己的家。
“Adding football will not only allow us to increase enrollment, but will also enrich the vibrancy of our student experience and provide more opportunities to bring alumni and community members to our campus.”
– Dr. Todd A. Olson
President, 皇冠体育
“体育运动 are very important to the health of our campus, as they are for many small private colleges,” said Todd A. Olson, 皇冠体育 president. “Adding football will not only allow us to increase enrollment, but will also enrich the vibrancy of our student experience and provide more opportunities to bring alumni and community members to our campus.”
Mount Mercy’s athletic programs continue to be recognized for their outstanding performance on and off the field and courts. 在2023-24学年，野马运动有32名个人国家预选赛，4名NAIA全美选手，119名Daktronics-NAIA学者运动员和93名美国之心学者运动员。 学生运动员累积GPA为3.28，Mount Mercy被NAIA评为品格五星级机构金级冠军。
“Our student-athletes impress me daily with their leadership and dedication to bettering themselves, their peers, our campus, and our community,” said Olson. “They embody the Mustang spirit and I am enthused about adding another group of thoughtful student-athletes to Mount Mercy’s campus.”
Mount Mercy Mustangs是NAIA的长期成员，并在2016-17赛季开始参加美国之心运动大会（The Heart）。 全美橄榄球协会有237所学校，其中97所目前有橄榄球项目，其中10所在爱荷华州。 该中心目前包括来自爱荷华州、内布拉斯加州、密苏里州和堪萨斯州的13所机构。 在这些学校中，有11所学校有足球项目，但到2026年秋季梅西山大学参加比赛时，“心脏”将成为一个由15支球队组成的联赛。