The cheer “Go, Dayton Flyers!” is as familiar as a friend’s face, as warm as a favorite sweater, as energizing as an electric jolt. Yet 100 years ago, when the University first introduced the athletic nickname in autumn 1923, “Flyers” failed to take off. The first newspaper account of the name came after the varsity football team was defeated 0-6 by Marietta Oct. 20, 1923.  

A flip through a brittle scrapbook of UD athletics from 1923-24 shows newspapers that football season instead preferred the old nickname “the Red and Blue” or the obvious “Dayton.” When they did invoke the new name that paid homage to Dayton being the home of powered flight, the press were as likely to spell it “Fliers” as they were “Flyers.”  

But 1923 was a big year for UD. Though official documents of the nickname discussion do not exist, it is easy to understand excitement was in the air. The University was building its first modern-age dorm, Alumni Hall, made of fireproof concrete and boasting 180 rooms. A fundraising campaign made possible two major athletics projects: the building of a football stadium (now known as Baujan Field) and a gym (now known as the Frericks Center). The newspaper headline proclaimed “Program of Progress Will Be Carried Out: ‘College on Hill’ will boast one of the finest athletic layouts in this section of country within next few years.”

The moniker first stuck to the varsity football team, with gameday programs by 1925 proudly proclaiming the team as “Dayton Flyers.” By 1926, the University’s student paper, The Exponent, was calling the baseball team “Flyers” and, by 1928, “Flyers” were scoring baskets.

While it would be the 1960s before “Flyer faithful” became a popular phrase to describe Dayton’s fan base, quickly afterward every student — athlete or not — understood they were Flyers in body and spirit.

So on this centennial anniversary of our dear Dayton Flyers nickname, we asked students who proudly wear the name on their chests for varsity and club sports what it feels like to be a Flyer. Here are their answers. —Michelle Tedford

Koby Brea

Men’s basketball, junior guard, education and allied studies

How it feels to play in a packed UD Arena

“If I was on the opposing team, I wouldn’t want to come here to play against us — ever. Our fans have got our backs, no matter what. We have 13,000 more people on our side every game, and our opponents are playing against all of us. It’s honestly a surreal moment when we come out of the tunnel and onto the floor and hear everyone cheering — it feels like a dream. We have one of the best environments in the country for college basketball; it’s unbelievable. It definitely gives you such an adrenaline rush, and, no matter how many times you do it, it’s all new again. They say that fans are like a sixth man, and that’s definitely true here. The crowd makes such a difference; you can feel their presence every game. Sometimes you can be a little nervous — especially in a big game or if the game is really close — but knowing the crowd is behind you, it really makes you feel like, ‘I got this.’ Once I’m in the game, I tend not to think about the noise or notice it too much. I’m listening to the voices of my teammates and my coaches. But then there’s a big play and the crowd goes crazy, and it feels like the floor is vibrating — it’s wild. I feel like that’s the biggest thing about playing here, the consistency. Our fans show us love, and we can feel it every single game. The game doesn’t always go our way, but it’s such a good feeling to know you have people behind you. It really feels like I have a big family here — my UD family.”

Lindsey Winner

Volleyball, senior middle blocker, marketing

How it feels to rock the Frericks Center 

“I actually came to UD a lot to watch volleyball when I was a kid because former All-American Lauren Bruns ’19 is a good family friend of ours from Versailles, Ohio. But it wasn’t until my freshman year of high school that I realized I love this sport. So now, knowing that it was my dream to put on this jersey and represent Dayton, it’s really special being here. There’s such a feeling of pride knowing all the great players who came before me, understanding their legacy and honoring it when I step on the court. There is nothing like the cheers you hear when you get a kill or — my favorite thing — put up a big stuff block. It gets you pretty jacked. My freshman year was the COVID year, so the gym was pretty quiet — mostly just family, and they could only get so loud. So, I think I really appreciate when we have a big crowd in here cheering us on. And then having the band and Red Scare in here, it gets really loud — it’s so fun. When you realize all the work you put in during the off-season and in practice day-to-day pays off, you feel accomplished — it’s pretty great. You really cherish those moments. And I love to look into the crowd and see the kids cheering and having a great time. I can put myself back in their shoes and remember what it was like to be a fan. It’s because of them I really put an emphasis on how I conduct myself on and off the court. I’m a firm believer that if you put your nose down and work, it will pay off. And this is the payoff.” 

David Pedanou

Baseball, junior infielder, industrial engineering technology

How it feels to hit a homer for the Flyers

“We were at Georgetown, and I didn’t actually know if I was going to start that day or not. I got the start, and it was my first at-bat. Usually when I’m at bat, I’m not actually thinking about anything in particular — I just want to put a good swing on it. This time, I got a hit and the ball went out pretty quickly. By the time I got to first base, I knew it was a homerun. After that I started slowing up and enjoying it a little bit. A few guys met me at home plate, and everyone else greeted me in the dugout. It was an amazing feeling running those bases and even better that it put us up in the game. It was my first homerun — a few more of those would be nice, especially one at UD in front of our fans. It’s fun playing at home when there’s a big crowd; it helps all of us focus on the game. Home games are great, but we usually get our best crowds downtown at Day Air Ballpark. Those are really fun games. When we play there, it’s not just like having UD fans on our side, it’s like all of Dayton is cheering the Flyers on, which is a lot of fun.”

Sebastian Althoff

Club ice hockey, junior forward, predental

How it feels to be a Flyer on the ice

“It’s definitely a privilege to play for the Flyers. We get to represent the school on the ice and keep doing what we love — to have the opportunity to continue to play hockey competitively is amazing. We kind of chuckle when people tell us, ‘We didn’t even know we had a hockey team.’ There are a lot of students who rarely leave campus, so we get it, but over the past few years we’ve really seen the awareness about our team grow. We have a few diehard fans who aren’t even students and, during Family Weekend, we had a game. The place (Kettering Ice Arena) was packed — it was super fun. It’s what we live for, playing in front of a big crowd, scoring goals and winning games for the Flyers. We’re proud to wear that jersey.”

Kaylee Ballard

Rowing, sophomore, criminal justice studies

How it feels to be a Flyer on the water

“It’s so calming and soothing. Obviously, it’s hard work when you’re really going at it, but when I’m in the boat, my main focus is how can I make my next stroke better and help my team. It takes all nine of us to reach our goal. We are fortunate because we get to experience Dayton from a different perspective, and it’s really nice, especially with the season changes. I wake up in my bed on campus and think, I get to see the sunrise today from the water. It’s amazing. I was not a morning person, but Dayton Flyers rowing made me one. Of course, there are days it’s hard to get out of bed and be on the water before 6 a.m., but when I start my day practicing, it helps me get motivated for the rest of the day.”

Diana Benigno

Women’s soccer, senior midfielder, marketing

How it feels to play on Baujan Field

“Our stage is awesome, being in the center of campus, people walking by all the time. Anyone can easily come in and cheer us on. It’s definitely very special. You don’t see fields like that, so it means a lot to our team. And when we have a big crowd, it psychs me up a lot. People who don’t play a sport might not realize how much it means to us to have our fans there. And when you score a goal, nothing compares to hearing the roar of the fans and hugging your teammates. It’s surreal when I think about watching games and going to summer camps here when I was a kid. It never really registered with me that I could be good enough to play college soccer — much less at UD. There are times I see little girls in the crowd; that’s who I’m doing it for — little me who dreamt of doing this when I grew up. I’m a senior, and it’s still surreal realizing it’s me playing on this field now.”

Evan Del Duco

Club waterskiing, junior, industrial engineering technology

How it feels to ski for the Flyers

“When I tell people I’m on the team, their reaction is usually, ‘We have a waterskiing team?’ It’s very unknown — even my professors haven’t heard about it. But next year will actually be our 30th season, so it’s been around a while. It’s so fun to explain what we do and how we compete. And we have had remarkable growth since my freshman year. We had about 20 people, and now we have more than 55, which is really exciting — some are brand new to the sport. I was probably 5 when I started skiing; my grandma lives on a lake, and I spent my summers there. Collegiate skiing was always in the back of my mind, but I remember thinking I wouldn’t be good enough. But here I am. Joining the team as a freshman was awesome because everyone made me feel comfortable right away. I had teammates and friends before classes even started. I love that I can combine two things I love — waterskiing and being a Flyer. Being at the lake is so therapeutic; I’ll go and spend hours there. It’s close to campus, so sometimes I’ll go, come back for class and go back to the lake. The days we practice are the days I most look forward to. I get back to campus and feel great, adrenaline still pumping. We’re all so proud to represent the Flyers and are so excited for next season. We have been remarkably close to qualifying for the Midwest regionals — actually, we’ve never been closer, and it was crushing when we missed the cut this year. We want to make it next season and let everyone know what we do.”

Photographs by Shon Curtis