La Salle Explorers

La Salle Explorers
University La Salle University
Conference A-10
NCAA Division I
Athletic director Thomas Brennan
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Varsity teams 25
Football stadium McCarthy Stadium
Basketball arena Tom Gola Arena
Baseball stadium Hank DeVincent Field
Soccer stadium Finnesey Field
Mascot The Explorer
Nickname The Explorers
Fight song Fight On, Explorers
Colors Blue and Gold[1]
         
Website www.goexplorers.com

The La Salle Explorers are the varsity sports teams from La Salle University in Philadelphia.[2] The Explorers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.[3] The men's and women's basketball teams are also participate in the Philadelphia Big 5.[4]

The Explorers name

The Explorers nickname derives from a famous mistake made by a local Philadelphia sportswriter. The writer thought the university was named after the French explorer Sieur de La Salle, when in fact it is named after St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle. The nickname caught on, however, and has remained ever since.

Teams

A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, La Salle University will sponsor teams in 10 men's and 14 women's NCAA sanctioned sports, plus one men's sport that is not recognized by the NCAA, in the 2016–17 school year.[5] The most recently added varsity sports are women's golf and men's and women's water polo, all added for 2016–17.[6]

Notes
  1. ↑ Men's rowing is sanctioned by the Intercollegiate Rowing Association, not by the NCAA; La Salle's men compete as independents.
  2. 1 2 The NCAA officially classifies swimming and diving as a single sport.
  3. 1 2 The NCAA officially classifies indoor and outdoor track and field as two separate sports.
  4. ↑ Competes in the Collegiate Water Polo Association.
  5. 1 2 Competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

National championships

La Salle's teams have won two national championships: the 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and the 1980 AIAW Field Hockey Championship.

The school also won the 1952 National Invitation Tournament when that tournament was still considered to be on a par with the NCAA tournament.

The rivalry

La Salle's major historic rival has been the Hawks of the Saint Joseph's University, especially in men's basketball. Not only are both schools situated in Philadelphia, but they are also both Catholic, private institutions and are both members of both the Atlantic 10 and the Big 5.

Men's basketball

The men's basketball team has won eight City Championships (four were shared). In addition to the National Championship and NIT Championship, La Salle was also a national finalist in the 1955 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and was named the 53rd "Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time" by Street & Smith's in January 2005.

Only Duke (7) and UCLA (4) have had more National Players of the Year than La Salle, which has had three--- Lionel Simmons, Michael Brooks, and Tom Gola. Tom Gola was listed on "ESPN's Countdown to the Greatest" College basketball players as #17.

Women's basketball

Baseball

Football

La Salle discontinued football at the end the 2007 season.[7]

Professional sports alumni

Club sports

In addition to its varsity sports, La Salle also sponsors a number of club sports. These include:

See also

References

  1. ↑ La Salle Logo Acceptable Color Breaks and Basic Guidelines (PDF). Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  2. ↑ http://www.lasalle.edu/
  3. ↑ http://www.atlantic10.com/
  4. ↑ http://www.philadelphiabig5.org/
  5. ↑ "La Salle Explorers". La Salle University. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ "La Salle Adds Men's And Women's Water Polo, Women's Golf As Varsity Sports" (Press release). La Salle Explorers. December 7, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  7. ↑ http://www.lasalle.edu/univcomm/2007/football_program.html

External links

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