add site
services
publishers
database
health videos
toolbar
stats
live show
health store
more stuff
JOIN/LOGIN
| advertise add site services publishers database health videos
| | about toolbar stats live show health store more stuff JOIN/LOGIN |
Georgetown Dental Office, Georgetown KY Cosmetic Dentist, Georgetown... thoroughbredsmiles.com | Fantastic Georgetown Dentistry - Georgetown Dentists - Make Dr. Frazier... lexingtonfamilydentist.co... | Georgetown Hospital System - Georgetown Hospital System announces plans... georgetownhospitalsystem.... | Interventional Radiologist Georgetown University Washington... hopeforfibroids.org |
The Georgetown Hoyas are the athletics teams that officially represent Georgetown University in college sports. The school is located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. and was founded in 1789. Part of the NCAA's Division I, the Hoyas field 23 varsity level sports teams, most of which participate in the Big East Conference, with the exception of the Division I-AA Patriot League in football. The rowing and sailing teams also participate in east coast conferences. The Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team is the school's most famous and most successful program, but Hoyas have achieved some degree of success in a wide range of sports. The team name is derived from the mixed Greek and Latin chant, "Hoya Saxa," which gained popularity in the 1870s. The name Hoyas came into use in the 1920s. Most teams have their athletic facilities on the main campus of Georgetown University. The men's basketball team plays most of their home games at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. and the baseball team plays at Shirley Povich Field in Cabin John, Maryland. Daniel R. Porterfield took over as the school's interim athletic director after Bernard Muir left Georgetown to become the athletic director at the University of Delaware in May 2009.
[edit] Traditions[edit] "What is a Hoya?"The University admits that the precise origin of the term "Hoya" is unknown.[1] At some point before 1893, students well-versed in classical languages combined the Greek hoia or hoya, meaning "what" or "such", and the Latin saxa to form Hoya Saxa!, or "What Rocks!"[2] This cheer may either refer to the stalwart defense of the football team, or to the baseball team, which was nicknamed the "Stonewalls", or to the actual stone wall that surrounds the campus.[3]  After World War I, the term "Hoya" was increasingly used on campus, including for the newspaper and the school mascot. In 1920, students began publishing the campus's first regular newspaper under the name The Hoya, after successfully petitioning the Dean of the College to use it instead of the proposed name, The Hilltopper. "Hilltoppers" was also a name sometimes used for the sports teams.[1] By the fall of 1928, the newspaper had taken to referring to the sports teams as the Hoyas. This was influenced by a popular half time show at football games, where the mascot, a dog nicknamed "Hoya," would entertain fans.[4] Georgetown's unique team name has caused opponents to mock Georgetown with chants including "What's a Hoya?"[5] Harrison High School, located in Kennesaw, Georgia, is the only other institution in the country licensed to share this name. However, Georgetown Preparatory School, which separated from the University in 1927, uses the name "Little Hoyas" for its sports teams and shares the University's blue and gray color scheme. [edit] MascotMain article: Jack the Bulldog Georgetown's nickname is The Hoyas, but its mascot is "Jack the Bulldog." Among the earliest mascots was a Bull Terrier named Stubby. Stubby was discovered by a soldier at the Yale Bowl, and went on to fight in the trenches of World War I in France. He was promoted to Sergeant for his actions in combat and awarded a special medal by General John J. Pershing. His owner then entered Georgetown Law School, and Stubby became the main attraction of the halftime show during football games.[6] When Sergeant Stubby died in 1926, student Paul Van Laanen offered the football team use of his dog, Jazz Bo, who they nicknamed Hoya. The athletic teams are possibly named, in turn, for this dog. In 1951, the school joined a growing movement among private schools and suspend the football program as un-academic. The dog as a symbol lived on, though, and sporadically students would bring pets to games. In 1962, as the school revived the football team and adopted as its logo a drawing of a Bulldog sporting a blue and gray cap. In 1964, students financed a new bulldog named Lil Nan's Royal Jacket, who used the callname "Jack".[7] In 1977, the university began the tradition of dressing up a student in a blue and gray bulldog costume, replacing the live bulldog. In 1999, Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., with the help of the Hoya Blue fan club, revived the tradition of a live bulldog. When Pilarz left for the University of Scranton, taking Jack with him, Georgetown secured a new bulldog puppy and found another Jesuit, Christopher Steck, S.J., to care for him.[8] [edit] Fight songMain article: There Goes Old Georgetown The Georgetown Fight Song, known as "There Goes Old Georgetown", is actually an amalgamation of three songs, only the oldest of which, 1913's "The Touchdown Song", contains the lyric "here goes old Georgetown". Students combined a version of "The Touchdown Song" with "Cheer for Victory", written in 1915, and "The Hoya Song", written in 1930, both of which are included in their entirety.[9] The authors of these songs, and of the combined version, are unknown.[10] Georgetown's fight song is rare among U.S. university fight songs for mentioning other colleges by name. Specifically, it mentions Yale University, Harvard University, Princeton University, College of the Holy Cross, the United States Naval Academy, and Cornell University, who were all rivals of Georgetown in the early to mid-20th century, and mocks their fight songs. In recent years the Hoyas only play Cornell and Holy Cross regularly (in football), and many of these schools no longer use the fight songs that Georgetown's song mocks.[11] [edit] Colors Blue and gray are the official colors of Georgetown University and its athletic teams. The colors are an important reminder of the school's past. During the American Civil War, blue was commonly used in northern (Union) uniforms, while gray was used in southern (Confederate) uniforms. These colors were introduced by the rowing team in 1876, who deemed blue and gray "appropriate colors for the [Boat] Club and expressive of the feeling of unity between the Northern and Southern boys of the College." Girls from neighboring Georgetown Visitation sewed the original uniforms together for the team and presented the Boat Club with a blue and gray banner reading "Ocior Euro" (Swifter than the Wind).[12] The basketball and lacrosse teams use gray as their primary color in home jerseys, with blue in away jerseys. White is also frequently used as an accent to these colors, and is actually the main color in the football and baseball teams' away jerseys and the soccer team's home jerseys. Campus spirit groups often encourage students to "bleed Hoya blue," a slogan often used on shirts.[13] [edit] Varsity sportsGeorgetown University fields 23 varsity level sports teams, 11 men's teams, 11 women's teams, and one co-ed team. Intercollegiate sports include (inaugural season and current coach in parentheses):[14]
[edit] BasketballMain article: Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball  The Georgetown University men's Basketball team is perhaps the most well-known Hoya program. Georgetown's first intercollegiate men's basketball team was formed in 1907.[15] John Thompson III, son of the accomplished Hoyas coach John Thompson, is the current head coach. The Hoyas historically have been well regarded not only for their team success, but also for their ability to generate players that after graduation succeed both on the court, such as Patrick Ewing, and off, such as Paul Tagliabue and Henry Hyde.[16] The team has reached the NCAA Tournament Final Four five times, has won the Big East Tournament seven times, and has won or shared the Big East regular season title seven times.[17][18] The women's basketball also plays in the Big East Conference, and are coached by Terri Williams-Flournoy. The team was first formed in 1970, and joined the Big East in 1983. They play their home games on campus at McDonough Gymnasium. The women's team so far has not seen the same success as the men's, and have only been invited to the NCAA tournament once, in 1993, reaching the Sweet Sixteen.[19] They have been invited to the Women's National Invitation Tournament, five times, progressing furthest in 2009 by reaching the forth round.[20] [edit] RowingRowing at Georgetown has a distinguished history since the founding of the Boat Club in 1876. The team was however suspended from 1909 to 1920 due to lack of interest, and involvement in World War I.[21] Georgetown added a men's lightweight team in 1963, a women's team in 1975, and a women's lightweight team in 1996. Under the guidance of Tony Johnson, Director of Rowing and Varsity Heavyweight Coach, Georgetown competes as a member of the top league in American rowing, the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges. Georgetown's four crew teams have seen success in recent years, including trips to the Henley Royal Regatta and entry into the Eastern Sprints for the men's heavyweight and lightweight teams and second-in-the-nation finishes for both men's and women's lightweight teams.[22][23] Many Georgetown oarsmen and -women have gone on to represent the United States on national and Olympic teams.[24] The university currently rents space in Thompson Boat Center, though has ongoing plans to build a new boathouse closer to campus.[25] [edit] LacrosseMain article: Georgetown Hoyas women's lacrosse Both the men's and women's lacrosse teams have been highly competitive in recent years both in-conference in in their NCAA tournaments. The men's team played in the Eastern College Athletic Conference until the 2010 season, when the Big East Conference created a men's league. The men's team made the NCAA Tournament each season from 1996–2007.[26] The women's lacrosse team won 6 consecutive Big East titles from 2001–2006. The Lady Hoyas reached the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship final in both 2001 and 2002. They play their home games on Multi-Sport Field. In 2005, their first season under new coach Ricky Fried, the team went 13–5 and made the NCAA Tournament for the 8th straight year.[14] [edit] FootballMain article: Georgetown Hoyas football  In the 1940s, Georgetown had one of the better college football teams in America. In 1941, Georgetown played in the Orange Bowl, where they lost 14–7 to Mississippi State. As the college game became more expensive after World War II, however, Georgetown's program began to lose money rapidly.[27] The Hoyas last successful season was 1949, when they lost in the Sun Bowl against Texas Western.[27] However the program was losing too much money, and on March 22, 1951, the university's president canceled the football program.[27][28] In 1964, Georgetown allowed its students to start a football program as an exhibition-only club sport.[29] Varsity football resumed in 1970 at what later became known as the Division III level.[30] Today, Georgetown plays at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, competing in the Patriot League and perennially plays against Ivy League schools. The Hoyas have also begun an cross-town rivalry with Howard University for a championship known as the D.C. Cup.[31] "Big Jim" Ricca, an NFL defensive end and offensive lineman, graduated in 1949 and was the last Hoya to play in an NFL game.[32] In 2007, the Washington Redskins made Alex Buzbee a reserve player, becoming the first Georgetown player on an NFL team since Ricca retired in 1956.[33] [edit] Other sports
 Hoyas have excelled in a wide range of sports over the years:
[edit] Club teamsGeorgetown University fields numerous club sports teams.[39] They range from club versions of varsity sports, such as tennis or basketball, to sports for which there is no varsity equivalent, such as men and women's Water Polo Clubs or the Georgetown University Croquet Society, a nationally competitive croquet team.[40] Though other teams exist, the Club Sports Board at Georgetown supports eleven men's club teams, nine women's, and three co-ed teams (year founded in parentheses):
[edit] RugbyMain article: Georgetown University Rugby Football Club The Georgetown University Rugby Football Club is the intercollegiate men's rugby union team that represents Georgetown in the USA Rugby league. It was founded in the spring semester of 1967 by former members of the Washington D.C. Rugby Football Club including graduate student Michael Murphy.[41] In 2005, Georgetown's first reached the Final Four of the USA Rugby National Tournament. The "Hoya Ruggers" again reached for the semifinals in 2009 in Palo Alto, California, and have had an undefeated 2009-10 season.[42] A women's rugby team was founded in 2000, and plays in Division II in the Potomac Rugby Union (PRU).[43] They have won the PRU championship four times, 2006–2009. They have also been invited to the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union tournament three times, and were runner-up in 2006-07.[44] [edit] Athletic directorsSince May 11, 2009, the Director of the Athletic Department position has been vacant. Dr. Daniel R. Porterfield, Senior Vice President for Strategic Development, has served as Interim Director of Athletics since June 3, 2009.[45]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↑ top of page ↑ | about thumbshots |
