Portland State Vikings football Portland State Vikings is the nickname of the NCAA - affiliated , intercollegiate athletic teams representing Portland State University of Portland , Oregon . PSU , being situated in the downtown district known as the " Park Blocks " , has also sometimes been referred to as the Park Block Bombers . The Vikings compete at the NCAA Division I level in basketball , soccer , volleyball , golf , tennis , softball , indoor and outdoor track and field , and cross country . The university holds membership in the Big Sky Conference ( joined 1996 ) . and the Pacific Coast Softball Conference for softball . Along with the other Big Sky football programs , Viking football takes - part in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision ( FCS ) , formerly known as NCAA Division I - AA . Prior to joining Division I , the school won NCAA National Division II Championships in women ' s volleyball and wrestling . The school has also placed second twice nationally in football and once in women ' s basketball at the Division II level . Portland State ' s colors are forest green and white , and its mascot is the Viking manifested as " Victor E . Viking " . Among the more notable former PSU athletes are Freeman Williams and Neil Lomax . Freeman Williams was the NCAA Division I national men ' s basketball individual scoring leader in 1977 and 1978 . Neil Lomax was a record - setting quarterback who went on to star for the then St . Louis Cardinals in the NFL . Football ' s " Run & Shoot " offense was first implemented at the college level at PSU by then coach Darryl " Mouse " Davis . Davis ' quarterback protégées were Lomax and June Jones . Jones , the former head coach at the University of Hawaii now at Southern Methodist , is also a proponent of the Run & Shoot . Home games for football are held at Jeld - Wen Field , and home games for basketball are held on - campus at the Peter W . Stott Center . Torre Chisholm was named new Athletic Director March 26 , 2007 . Chisholm replaced interim AD Teri Mariani , who filled that role since February 2006 when Tom Burman left for the University of Wyoming . Washington State University AD Jim Sterk preceded Burman as PSU AD . Men ' s sports . Football . Football began competing at the college level in 1947 . PSU competed at the small college level before beginning to compete at an interstate level in the 1960s . The 1970s brokered a new level of achievement under Mouse Davis . Mouse Davis installed the " Run & Shoot " which provided prolific scoring teams led by quarterbacks June Jones and Neil Lomax . Later in the 1980s , highlights included 2nd place finishes in NCAA Division II in 1989 and 1990 under legendary coach Pokey Allen . The 2006 season included a victory over the University of New Mexico . The team finished the season tied for second in the conference and featured PSU offensive lineman Brennan Carvalho and linebacker Adam Hayword being named All - Americans . Tim Walsh completed his 14th year at the helm in 2006 and resigned to become the offensive coordinator at Army . Walsh was the longest tenured coach in PSU history . He was succeeded by Jerry Glanville , former NFL head coach and University of Hawaii defensive coordinator . Glanville hired Mouse Davis as his new offensive coordinator who re - installed the Run & Shoot . Jerry Glanville ' s initial season at PSU in 2007 was a disappointing 3 – 8 campaign . The team recorded a 1 – 4 home record , worst since 1973 . However , enthusiasm was reflected with an increase in attendance and included a wild 73 – 68 loss to Weber State . Center Brennan Carvalho finished a brilliant career by being named All - American for a second time . On December 8 , 2009 , Portland State announced Nevada defensive coordinator Nigel Burton as their new head coach . Rivals . See : The Dam Cup < br > See : Eastern Washington Eagles Football Portland State ' s rival are the Eastern Washington Eagles . The Eastern Washington University Eagles and the Portland State University Vikings is a five - sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup . The Dam Cup will celebrate the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference . The so - named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339 - mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus . Located along the Columbia River , they are Bonneville Dam , The Dalles Dam , The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam . The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas . Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions ' student body . Wrestling . PSU ' s wrestling program has won NCAA Division II Championships in 1969 , 1989 and 1990 . Rick Sanders was the first Viking to win individual national championships and was a two - time Olympic silver medalist . Portland State eliminated its wrestling program in 2009 due to state budget issues attributed to the worst recessions to hit the US since the great depression . . The programs final head coach was 1987 alum Mike Haluska . Track & Field . The men and women ' s track & field teams are led by interim head coach Ronnye Harrison . The assistant track & field coaches are John Parks and Seth Henson . Tennis . Head Coach Brian Parrott leads the Vikings ' tennis program starting with the 2008 – 09 season . After his collegiate career , Parrott played professionally for several years . He played in the U . S . Open qualifier in 1973 , and was a member of the Sea - Port Cascades of the World Team Tennis league in 1977 . Between 1967 and 1980 , Parrott was ranked No . 1 in doubles seven times in the Pacific Northwest , and was never ranked lower than No . 8 in singles . But recently Parrott resigned from his coaching position , and is now taken over by assistant coach Jay Starling . Women ' s sports . Basketball . The women ' s basketball tradition includes considerable success at the NCAA DII level playing for national championships prior to moving to Division I . Head Sherri Murrell , formerly the head coach of Washington State , was hired July 1 , 2007 to lead the program into its second decade in the Big Sky . Murrell was preceded by Coach Charity Elliot who resigned at the end of the 2006 - 07 season to become the head coach at University of California - San Diego . Under first - year head coach Sherri Murrell , the 2007 - 08 Portland State team finished 22 - 9 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament . Portland State finished 11 - 5 in the Big Sky , tying with Montana State for third place , to post its first winning conference mark since going 8 - 6 in 2002 - 03 . The Vikings were impressive in their conference victories , posting an average margin of victory of 16 . 7 points . The 22 wins marked the Vikings ’ first 20 - win season as a Division I program , and their first since going 25 - 5 as a member of Division II in 1995 - 96 . In 2008 - 09 under Murrell ' s guidance , Portland State posted an impressive 14 - 2 conference record in the Big Sky Conference losing only to Montana State at home and Montana on the road . PSU finished second behind Montana and beat Idaho State in the conference semi - finals and then lost to Montana in the tournament final . Volleyball . Long time coach Jeff Mozzochi led the Vikings to it most successful DI finish in 2006 since moving up from DII . With a . 750 winning percentage ( 21 - 7 , 14 - 2 ) , the best in the school ’ s Division I era , PSU finished second in the conference ’ s final standings for the second straight year . In the off - season , Mozzochi relinquished the head coaching reigns of the program to assistant Michael Seemann . Mozzochi moved into an associate head coaching position . Under Seemann , the Vikings ended the 2007 season with a 21 - 8 record and Portland State ' s first ever Big Sky Regular Championship but missed the NCAA tournament by losing in the conference tournament . Portland State returned most of its 2007 roster for the 2008 season and finished tied for second in the conference standings . The Vikings hosted and won the 2008 Big Sky Championship tournament at the Peter W . Stott Center for a first ever trip to the NCAA DI tournament . One of the highlights of Mozzochi ’ s incredible run at PSU came during the 1992 season when the Vikings ran off one of the best NCAA Division II seasons in history . The Vikings lost their ninth match of the year to Cal State - Bakersfield and would not lose again , winning their last 28 straight ( 31 including foreign teams ) matches . Portland State swept through the first three rounds of the NCAA DII Tournament and then defeated Northern Michigan in five games in front of a sellout crowd at the Stott Center for national title number four . Soccer . A new era in Portland State women ’ s soccer began on Feb . 22 , 2008 , when former All - American and professional player Laura Schott was named the Vikings ’ new head coach . Schott is the seventh head coach in program history . The soccer team won the Big Sky Conference Championship in 2004 under then coach Tara Erickson who subsequently was hired by the University of Oregon . Golf . The Viking program has been in existence since 1996 , but has already proven to be competitive at a high level under former Portland State golf coach Felicia Johnston ’ s guidance . Johnston , led the Vikings to three Big Sky Conference Championships during her tenure ( 2003 , 2004 , 2005 ) . After seven seasons in charge , Portland State women ' s golf coach Felicia Johnston announced her resignation , citing a desire to spend more time with her family . Johnston and her husband , Shane , had a son , Connor , summer of 2007 . ( PSU Vikings Official Athletics Site ) “ I have been a head coach for 10 years ( seven at PSU , three at Northern Arizona ) , ” said Johnston . “ Traveling and ( coaching and parenting ) was tough . Something was going to suffer . So , if I couldn ’ t do it 100 % , I had to choose my family . I ’ ve been lucky to help this program grow , and I thank everyone for the support they have given me . ” ( GOLFWEEK , Nov 22 , 2007 ) Kathleen Takaishi was named the new women ’ s golf coach on February 4 and took over the program immediately in preparation for the 2008 spring season . Softball . Tobin Echo - Hawk has been coach since the 2008 - ' 09 season and is just the third head softball coach at PSU since 1977 . The teams record for her first two years is 59 - 33 . They are 27 - 16 with three games left ( as of 5 / 3 / 11 ) in the ' 10 - ' 11 season . Prior to joining the Vikings staff she was the head coach at Broomfield High School in Colorado in 2006 . She also spent three years coaching at her alma mater in Colorado , Centaurus High School , and guided the team to a record of 60 - 15 from 2000 - 02 . Overall as a high school head coach , she compiled a four - year record of 97 - 26 , produced seven all - state performers , and was twice named the league coach of the year . Track & Field . The men and women ' s track & field teams are led by interim head coach Ronnye Harrison . The assistant track & field coaches are John Parks and Seth Henson . Tennis . Head Coach Brian Parrott leads the Vikings ' tennis program starting with the 2008 - ' 09 season . After his collegiate career , Parrott played professionally for several years . He played in the U . S . Open qualifier in 1973 , and was a member of the Sea - Port Cascades of the World Team Tennis league in 1977 . Between 1967 and 1980 , Parrott was ranked No . 1 in doubles seven times in the Pacific Northwest , and was never ranked lower than No . 8 in singles .