Valparaiso Crusaders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Valparaiso Crusaders | |
 |
|
| University | Valparaiso University |
|---|---|
| Conference | Mid-Continent Conference |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Mark LaBarbera |
| Location | Valparaiso, IN |
| Varsity Teams | 18 |
| Stadium | Brown Field (Valparaiso University) |
| Arena | Athletics-Recreation Center |
| Mascot | The Crusader |
| Nickname | Crusaders |
| Fight Song | |
| Colors | Brown and Gold
|
| Homepage | valpo.edu/athletics |
The Valparaiso University Crusaders are the 18 intercollegiate teams that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. Valparaiso University competes in the Mid-Continent Conference in all sports except for football, which is not sponsored by the conference. The football team is a member of the Pioneer Football League. On May 27, 2006, Valparaiso announced it would be joining the Horizon League, effective July 1, 2007.[1] This move will rejoin the school with six former Mid-Con rivals.
Contents |
[edit] Conference affiliation
The Crusaders first joined a Division I conference in 1982 when the men's basketball team joined the Mid-Continent Conference. Other sports joined conferences in later years.
| Years | Football | Men's Basketball | Women's Basketball |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-1987 | Division II | Mid-Continent Conference | |
| 1987-1992 | Division II | Mid-Continent Conference | North Star Conference |
| 1992-1993 | Division II | Mid-Continent Conference | Mid-Continent Conference |
| 1993-present | Pioneer Football League | Mid-Continent Conference | Mid-Continent Conference |
[edit] Sport participation
- Football
- Men's Cross Country
- Women's Cross Country
- Volleyball
- Men's Soccer
- Women's Soccer
- Men's Basketball
- Women's Basketball
- Men's Swimming
- Women's Swimming
- Men's Indoor Track and Field
- Women's Indoor Track and Field
- Men's Tennis
- Women's Tennis
- Men's Outdoor Track and Field
- Women's Outdoor Track and Field
- Softball
- Baseball
[edit] Venues
VU plays its home football games at Brown Field (capacity 5,000), opened in 1919. Its basketball, swimming and volleyball teams play at the ARC, which has a capacity of 5,000. Eastgate Field is home to the soccer teams. The tennis teams use the world-class Valparaiso University Tennis Complex. The baseball team plays at the Eastgate Athletic Complex in Emory G. Bauer Field (capacity 500). The cross country teams compete at Sunset Hills Farm.
[edit] Mascot
After years of going without one, Valparaiso University pursued a mascot in 1931. The Uhlan was chosen over the Dunesmen and the Vandals.[2] After debate in 1941 over choosing a mascot less proximate to the Nazi cause, the Crusader was chosen as the new mascot in 1942. The current illustrated mascot was penned by a Disney artist and patented in 1951. The Crusader has remained the mascot ever since. However, an October 2000 forum along with the events of September 11, 2001 have prompted discussion among student activist groups, professors, and the Student Senate of changing the mascot again.
[edit] Football
[edit] First years
The Valparaiso football program was started in 1919, as prior to this point the administration believed athletics were a distraction from academic pursuits. George Keogan, who also coached the men's basketball team, was the first coach. The first game was October 4 at Brown Field, a win over the Chicago YMCA team 26-0. Every game that first year would end as a shutout. The team had a 5-3 record that year. [1]. In 1943 and 1944, the Crusaders did not field a football team due to World War II.
[edit] Post-war years
The Crusaders resumed their football program in 1945. That year, they joined their first conference, the Indiana Collegiate Conference, their home until 1976. The post-war years began a tremendous run of coaching stability. They hired Emory Bauer in 1946. Bauer would coach the team until 1967. Walt Reiner would also coach the team from 1957 until 1964. Until 2006, only four other men would coach the Crusaders. This includes Stacy Adams who in 2005 became the university's first African American head coach.
[edit] Down years
In 1977, the Crusaders joined the Heartland Collegiate Conference. In 1990, the Crusaders moved to the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference. During their time in these conferences, they would lose more often than win.
[edit] Division I years
In 1993, the NCAA mandated that schools playing Division I basketball may only play football in Division I. The Crusaders along with five other schools formed the Pioneer Football League, where they remain today. Playing primarily against non-scholarship teams, the Crusaders' reversed their fortunes. They won their first outright championship in 2003, when they won the PFL championship game.
[edit] Men's basketball
[edit] The beginning
The Crusaders' first game was in 1917. Under the coaching of Sidney Winters, the team lost to Chicago. The team would finish 7-2 that year [2]
[edit] The tallest team
The 1944-1945 team was billed as "The World's Tallest Team."[3] That year, they defeated Long Island University in a game played in Madison Square Garden.
[edit] Conference affiliation
The Crusaders would join the Indiana Collegiate Conference for the 1950-1951 season. The Crusaders advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 1961-1962. In 1968-1969, they hosted an NCAA tournament game for the first time.
[edit] Division I
The Crusaders joined Division I before the 1978-1979 season. After four years as an independent, they became charter members of the AMCU.
[edit] NCAA tournament
Under coach Homer Drew, the Crusaders became a conference power. They won their first Mid-Continent championship in 1995, led by star player Bryce Drew. However, the team was not invited to the NCAA Tournament. The Crusaders won the 1996 conference championship and received their first invitation to the Division I NCAA Tournament. In the 1998 Tournament, the Crusaders won their first Tournament game, defeating the University of Mississippi with the shot. The Crusaders would go on to win their second round game against Florida State University before losing in the Sweet 16 to the University of Rhode Island. The Crusaders would win the Mid-Continent Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament every year until 2001, when Southern Utah University won the conference tournament. In Coach Scott Drew's only year as head coach, the team advanced to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost to the University of Iowa in their first game televised by ESPN. They would play in the title game of the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament every year between 1995 and 2004.
[edit] All time tournament results
| Year | Seed | First Round Winner | First Round Loser | Second Round Winner | Second Round Loser | Sweet 16 Winner | Sweet 16 Loser | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 14 | Arizona | 90 | Valparaiso | 51 | ||||||||
| 1997 | 12 | Boston College | 73 | Valparaiso | 66 | ||||||||
| 1998 | 13 | Valparaiso | 70 | Mississippi | 69 | Valparaiso | 83 | Florida State | 77 | Rhode Island | 74 | Valparaiso | 68 |
| 1999 | 15 | Maryland | 82 | Valparaiso | 60 | ||||||||
| 2000 | 16 | Michigan State | 65 | Valparaiso | 38 | ||||||||
| 2002 | 13 | Kentucky | 83 | Valparaiso | 68 | ||||||||
| 2004 | 15 | Gonzaga | 76 | Valparaiso | 49 | ||||||||
[edit] Radio
All Crusader games are broadcast for free on the Valparaiso website at www.valpo.edu/athletics.
[edit] Women's basketball
The Crusaders women's basketball team started play during the 1971-1972 season. The team joined the North Star Conference for the 1987-1988 season. In 1990-1991, the Crusaders reached the finals of the North Star Conference Tournament before losing to DePaul. The Crusaders' best season in the North Star Conference was 1991-1992. That year, they finished with a record of 20-9. The 1992-1993 season was their first season in the Mid-Continent Conference. The Crusaders advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2004 seasons under coach Keith Freeman. The Crusaders lost in the first round each of these years, to Purdue and Kansas State, respectively. Marlous Nieuwveen is the only Crusader to appear in a WNBA game.
[edit] Women's volleyball
The women's volleyball team has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1994, 1995 and 2003–2005.
[edit] Women's soccer
In 2005, the Crusaders advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
[edit] Men's soccer
In 1996, the Crusaders advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
[edit] Track & Field
In 2007, sophomore Laura Rolf became just the second Crusader athlete in program history track and field athlete to earn All-American honors with a tenth-place finish Saturday, March 10, in the finals of the mile run at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Rolf also became just the second Valpo runner to compete in an NCAA championship meet, following in the footsteps of former Valpo All-American Collette Liss. Rolf crossed the line in 4:49.95 for her tenth-place finish, less than a second behind the eighth-place finisher. Duke’s Shannon Rowbury earned the victory with a time of 4:42.17.
All-American honors are awarded to the top eight finishers in each event, and in individual events, if one or more of the top eight finishers are of another nationality, eight American-born athletes are selected in addition to any foreign-born All-Americans. Two of the runners who finished ahead of Rolf Saturday were foreign-born, allowing her to receive the honors
Rolf qualified in the mile at the Purdue Boilermaker Invitational on February 17th 2007, winning the race with a time of 4:44.96, less than three seconds behind Liss’ school record. [4][5]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Press Release. Valpo to Join Horizon League in 2007-2008 May 17, 2006.
- ^ Questioning the Crusader posted 15 November, 2006.
| Mid-Continent Conference |
|---|
| Centenary (Gentlemen & Ladies) • IUPUI (Jaguars) • Oakland (Golden Grizzlies) • Oral Roberts (Golden Eagles) • Southern Utah (Thunderbirds) • UMKC (Kangaroos) • Valparaiso (Crusaders) • Western Illinois (Leathernecks) |
| Horizon League |
|---|
| Butler (Butler Bulldogs) • Cleveland State (Cleveland State Vikings) • Detroit • UIC • Loyola • Milwaukee (Milwaukee Panthers) • UW-Green Bay • Wright State • Youngstown State |
| Pioneer Football League |
|---|
| Butler (Butler Bulldogs) • Davidson • Dayton (Dayton Flyers) • Drake (Drake Bulldogs) • Jacksonville • Morehead State • San Diego • Valparaiso (Valparaiso Crusaders) |
