DePaul Blue Demons

DePaul Blue Demons
University	DePaul University
Conference(s)	Big East Conference,
NCAA	Division I
Athletics director	Jean Lenti Ponsetto
Location	Chicago, IL
Varsity teams	6 men & 7 women
Football stadium	Wish Field (soccer)
Basketball arena	Allstate Arena (men's basketball)
Other arenas	McGrath-Phillips Arena (women's basketball)
Mascot	DIBS
Nickname	Blue Demons
Fight song	"Blue Demons Fight Song"
Colors	Royal Blue and Scarlet
Homepage	www.depaulbluedemons.com

The DePaul Blue Demons are the intercollegiate athletic teams of DePaul University, located in Chicago Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big East Conference.

In 1900, when the first athletic team to represent DePaul University was organized, the monogram "D" was selected for the uniforms. From this originated the nickname "D-men" which evolved into "Demons." The blue, which combines with Demons, signifies loyalty and was chosen in 1901 by a vote of the student body. The university's official school colors are royal blue (PMS 287) and scarlet (PMS 185).^[1]

Sports

DePaul University fields 13 sports, 6 men's and 7 women's:

Men's Intercollegiate Sports Basketball Cross Country Golf Soccer Tennis Track & Field

Women's intercollegiate athletic teams Basketball Cross Country Soccer Softball Tennis Track & Field Volleyball

Men's basketball

Main article: DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball

The school is well known for its basketball program which gained prominence under Ray Meyer who led the team to the NCAA Division I basketball Final Four in the 1978–1979 season. The school's only national championship came in 1945 after winning the NIT tournament. The team has played at the Allstate Arena since 1980.

The men's basketball coach, Jerry Wainwright, was fired on January 11, 2010. Assistant coach Tracy Webster will be the interim coach for the remainder of the current season. Wainwright still had two years remaining on his contract at the time of his firing. Wainwright's first season with his young team was erratic, beating No. 16 Wake Forest 84-81 before falling to Old Dominion by a score of 87–43 (the worst defeat in the team's history), and then beating future Big East Champion, Syracuse, 108–69 on March 2, 2006. In the 2006–2007 season, the Blue Demons beat powerhouse #5 Kansas, pulling off one of the greatest upsets in school history. They also beat 2006 NCAA tournament teams California, Northwestern State, Marquette, Connecticut, and Villanova. The team made it to the NIT and lost in the bracket final to Air Force.

The Demons opened up the 2008 season with two of their star players gone to the NBA. But freshman Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal look to fill in those spots and senior Draelon Burns is already a star. Four games into the 2007-2008 season, Wainwright logged his 200th career win as a head coach. He has made six post-season appearances in his previous 12 years as head coach. The 2007–08 season saw the Demons with a 10–19 record, but there were high points in the year. DePaul had upsets over Villanova University, then ranked #15 nationally and ultimately a member of the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, and Northwestern. However, things took a turn for the worse during the 2008-2009 season. DePaul went 0-18 in regular season Big East play, setting a school-record for longest losing streak, before winning their first Big East Conference tournament game against Cincinnati. During the 2009-10 season, head coach Jerry Wainwright was fired and replaced by Oliver Purnell of Clemson University after the season ended.

Women's basketball

DePaul's NCAA women's basketball reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in the program's history in 2006. Head Coach Doug Bruno is entering his 22nd year as head coach of the team. He recently completed a two-year term as president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.^[2]

Softball

The DePaul women's softball team has participated four times in the Women's College World Series since 1999. It finished the 2006-07 season ranked sixth in the final USA Today/NFCA Poll.^[3] The women's softball team has participated in the NCAA World Series several times in recent years. Head coach Eugene Lenti and his staff were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association Mideast Region Staff of the Year.^[4]

Club sports

DePaul offers a number of other intercollegiate club athletic teams under the Department of Recreational Sports.

Ice hockey

DePaul University has an ice hockey club team called the DePaul University Hockey Club that competes as an Independent team in the Central Division of ACHA Division II. The team plays a 25-30 game schedule against regional opponents from the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States, including: Indiana University, University of Illinois, Illinois State University, and Northern Illinois University. Home games are played at the Northshore Ice Arena. In 2009 the team made the ACHA Division II National Championship Tournament for the first time in the team's history.

Lacrosse

DePaul University fields Men's Lacrosse at the non-varsity club level at the MCLA Division II level in the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference in the GRLC Northeast Division. DePaul Lacrosse rivals include: Augustana College, St. Louis University, Palmer College of Chiropractic and Wheaton College as well as other MCLA opponents. They play their home games at Diversey Harbor (Chicago Park District) and Techny Field in Glenbrook, IL. They promote 'epic flow' hair-styles and 'top cheese' shot-locations.

Volleyball

DePaul University's Men's Volleyball Club competes at the division 1AA level, hosts and travels to several tournaments per year, competing against clubs from accross the nation. The Blue Demons practice and play their home matches at the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center. In 2011, the Blue Demons finished 3rd at the NCVF National Championships in Houston, Tx, their best finish in club history.

Facilities

• Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois has been the home of Blue Demons men's basketball since 1980.
• Cacciatore Stadium is the 1000-seat softball field for Blue Demons Softball.
• McGrath-Phillips Arena is a 3,000 seat indoor arena located in the Sullivan Athletic Center. It is the home of women's basketball and volleyball.
• Wish Field is the home of Blue Demons men’s and women’s soccer programs.

Traditions

Mascot

DePaul's mascot is DIBS which stands for Demon In a Blue Suit. DIBS is present at every Blue Demons basketball game and makes frequent appearances at DePaul's Lincoln Park Campus and charity appearances around the Chicago metropolitan area. While the Blue Demon nickname has been around for many years, the Blue Demon mascot took the game floor for the first time in 1968 with a papier-mache head and old warm-up suit. Through the years, the Blue Demon has taken on many forms in its evolution and was dubbed DIBS in 1999.^[5]

Blue Demons fight song

We will gather
'Neath your banner,
'Neath the scarlet and the blue,
While in song we
Tell your praises
Praises for old DePaul U

Let the battle
wage and threaten
Yours the victory to claim;
As we fight beneath your standard: Proud!
Exulting in your name.
D - E - M - O - N S
(repeat first verse and conclude with "D-E-P-A-U-L")

References

1. ^ DePaul Basketball A-to-Z – DePaul University Athletics.
2. ^ WBCA website
3. ^ NFCA website
4. ^ NFCA website
5. ^ View the DePaul Blue Demons site

External links

• DePaul Blue Demons Official Athletics Website