College: University of Dayton

Conference: Atlantic 10

Stadium: University of Dayton Arena (UD Arena) (capacity 14,000)

Head Coach: Anthony Grant (2017-present)

2022-23 Regular Season Record: 22-12

2023 Postseason Record: Did not qualify

Legendary Alumni: Kostas Antetokounmpo, Henry Finkel, Jim Paxson Jr.

National Championships: None (NCAA tournament runner-up: 1967)

Despite representing a relatively small college in a town known mostly for its former speedway, the Dayton Flyers men’s basketball team have an impressive tournament record, having appeared 7 times in the Sweet 16, 3 times in the Elite 8, and once in the Final Four (in 1967) as well as winning the NIT Conference tournament on two occasions. The team is currently led by head coach Anthony Grant, who formerly worked with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA and has helped to inspire Dayton players like Kostas Antetokounmpo to go on to successful NBA careers. Unfortunately, the Flyers have not made it to the NCAA March Madness tournament under Grant’s tenure, frustratingly winning their conference in 2019-20 only to see the postseason canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With 2nd place finishes in both 2021-22 and 2022-23, Flyers fans will be hoping that their team will be back in March Madness  before long. The Flyers are extremely popular in Dayton, frequently featuring among the top college teams in terms of attendance and often selling out home games before the season even begins. Their fans, known as the Flyer Faithful, are known as one of the most devoted fan bases in all of American college basketball, creating an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams in UD Arena and also traveling in large numbers to away games with the team. Fans tend to come decked out in the team’s colors of red and white. Going to see a Dayton Flyers game with their legions of passionate fans will be an experience that you will not soon forget!

Dayton Flyers Basketball Rivalries

The Dayton Flyers have a long list of rivalries with teams from their region, particularly the Xavier Musketeers, against whom the Flyers have played over 150 times. While the Flyers have the overall lead in the series (84-75 at last count), Xavier has dominated in recent decades, winning 45 out of the last 64 encounters between the two teams. Unfortunately, because Xavier left the Atlantic Conference in 2013, the two rivals no longer regularly play one another. Other local rivals of the Flyers include the Miami RedHawks (of Miami, Ohio, not Miami, Florida!) and Wright State Raiders. Being founded as a Catholic school, the Flyers also have strong rivalries with teams from other Catholic colleges such as the Marquette Golden Eagles, DePaul Blue Demons, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Since the departure of Xavier from the conference, the Flyers have also developed new rivalries against the VCU Rams and Saint Louis Billikens, against whom they now contest the annual Arch Baron Cup. 

How to find the cheapest tickets to Dayton Flyers Basketball games

With success at the conference and national levels along with many top players like Kostas Antetokounmpo who have gone on to star in the NBA, the Dayton Flyers are a huge draw for students and alumni of the University of Dayton as well as local residents and general basketball fans. Their fans, known collectively as the Flyer Faithful, are known for packing the UD Arena to create an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams as well as traveling in large numbers to away games or tournaments. The Flyers frequently feature among the top 25 college teams in America in terms of attendance, often selling out their home games prior to the beginning of the season. While this makes for a fantastic game day experience, it can render tickets difficult to get your hands on, especially for key conference games or rivalry matchups (see above). Tickets to postseason tournament games, when the Flyers qualify, are even more in demand. The best way to find the cheapest tickets to Dayton Flyers is to check our listings on TicketX and use our helpful TicketX seating chart to compare prices and locations. Tickets can be purchased from TicketX for the lowest commission fees with a single click!