You may know FAU is in the Final Four. But you may not know all this about the school
Every year we follow March Madness as college basketball teams shoot to bust our brackets. Some schools are in it all the time and we know them well.
Then there is FAU.
Welcome to the spotlight, Florida Atlantic University. Now explain yourself.
Where are you? What are you? The world wants to know. Even some in South Florida need some answers.
So here are a few things to know about Florida Atlantic University ahead of Saturday’s Final Four showdown with San Diego State:
Academics and student life
Location: FAU is a public research university, part of the state university system like UF, FIU and FSU. The main campus is in Boca Raton, a city known for its beaches, golf courses, shopping and financial firms. It became the state’s fifth public university in 1961 and offers more than 170 degree programs. FAU also has several satellite campuses in Broward County, including downtown Fort Lauderdale and Davie.
Student population: More than 30,000 students, most of which are commuters, attend the university across seven different campuses. It’s even ranked as the most diverse public university in the state.
Mascot: FAU’s mascot is the burrowing owl due to the bird’s presence on the university’s land.
READ MORE: FAU’s durable veteran on Final Four run
Owls athletic program
Teams: FAU boasts 19 varsity athletic teams that compete in NCAA Division I and Conference USA. In 2021, the university joined the AAC and is set to become a full member on July 1.
Titles: The Owls have clinched national and conference championship titles. National championship winners include its beach volleyball and women’s golf teams. The conference championship list is more extensive, including baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, beach volleyball, football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, women’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and volleyball.
Football: FAU’s football team suited up for the first time in 2001 and was coached by Howard Schnellenberger, who led the University of Miami Hurricanes to a national championship in 1983. The stadium’s field is named after Schnellenberger. The stadium, which has views of the beach in the distance from the top of the stands, is affectionately known as “The House that Howard Built.”
KNOW MORE: This GOP legislator sponsored culture wars bills. Could he be FAU’s next president?
FAU in the news
Alumni: Notable FAU graduates include Yolanda Griffith, WNBA player; Shannon Spake, TV reporter, sports analyst and host of NASCAR Race Hub; Steven Swanson, NASA astronaut
Naming rights: In 2013, FAU announced the stadium’s naming rights were going to the GEO Group, a private prison provider, after a $6 million deal. An FAU play-by-play announcer dubbed the stadium “Owlcatraz.” The deal then fell through.
Conspiracy professor: James Tracy was fired after posting a conspiracy theory about the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which left 20 elementary schoolchildren and six teachers dead. The professor lost a lawsuit in 2017 after a federal jury ruled that FAU didn’t violate his First Amendment rights.
This story was originally published March 29, 2023 at 1:55 PM.
