DePaul Blue Demons
| DePaul Blue Demons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | DePaul University |
| Conference | Big East Conference |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Jean Lenti Ponsetto |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Varsity teams | 15 (7 men’s and 8 women’s) |
| Basketball arena | Wintrust Arena |
| Softball stadium | Cacciatore Stadium |
| Soccer stadium | Wish Field |
| Other venues | Lakeshore Sport & Fitness Lane Stadium Ruffled Feathers Golf Club Sullivan Athletic Center |
| Mascot | DIBS |
| Nickname | Blue Demons |
| Fight song | "Blue Demons Fight Song" |
| Colors | Royal blue and scarlet[1] |
| Website | www |
 | |
The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent DePaul University, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and are a member of the Big East Conference.[2][3] They were not affiliated with any circuit until it helped establish the Great Midwest Conference in 1991.[4] It subsequently became a charter member of Conference USA from 1995 until its move to the original Big East in 2005.[2] DePaul and the other six Catholic, non-FBS schools announced on December 15, 2012 their separation to eventually form a new conference that would carry the Big East name.[5]
The origin of the Blue Demons nickname dates back to 1907 when the university changed its name from St. Vincent's College to its current form. At the time, the athletic teams had red uniforms with a large "D" on the front. After an announcer referred to the players as the "D-men," the moniker stuck and eventually evolved into "Demons." The "blue" was part of an attempt to distinguish the university's players from those of its now-defunct high school DePaul Academy. The former wore red with a blue "D," while the latter adopted the reverse.[6] The official athletic colors are scarlet and royal blue.[4]
Sports sponsored
A member of the Big East Conference, DePaul University sponsors teams in seven men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[7]
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Basketball | Basketball |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Golf | Soccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Tennis | Tennis |
| Track & field† | Track & field† |
| Volleyball | |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor. | |
Men's basketball
 | This section needs to be updated. (December 2016) |
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 played at the Allstate Arena between 1980 and 2017. They currently play their home games at the Wintrust Arena adjacent to the McCormick Place south of downtown Chicago[8].
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 losing to 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 31st year as head coach of the team. He recently completed a two-year term as president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.[9]
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.[10] 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.[11]
Club sports
DePaul offers a number of other intercollegiate club athletic teams under its Department of Campus Recreation.
Rowing
DePaul has had a crew team for the last four years and gained formal recognition in 2013.
Football
DePaul Blue Demons no longer fields a football team. The Blue Demons fielded a varsity team until 1939 and a club team in the National Club Football Association until 2015.
Men's Rugby
DePaul University currently competes as a non-varsity club in USA Rugby's DII collegiate rugby division. As one of the top collegiate teams in the city of Chicago, DePaul competes in the WIIL conference's southern division. As famed collegiate rugby writer Alex Goff states, "The WIIL conference is one of the toughest divisions in DII rugby." DePaul Rugby was the inaugural champion of the THG Chicago Cup. With a prime location in the heart of Chicago DePaul rugby is able to compete against many men and collegiate teams alike.
Men's Lacrosse
DePaul University fields Men's Lacrosse at the non-varsity club level in the Great Lakes Lacrosse League in the Chicago Division.[12] DePaul Men's Lacrosse divisional rivals include: Bradley University, University of Chicago, Lake Forest College, Loyola University Chicago, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Western Illinois University and Wheaton College, as well as other GLLL opponents. The Men's Lacrosse Club plays their home games at Diversey Harbor (Chicago Park District) and Montrose Beach (Chicago Park District).
DePaul reached the national stage in 2013 when they reached their first ever MCLA Tournament appearance only to be ousted in the 1st round by the 2012 and 2013 MCLA Division II Champion, St. Thomas Tommies 11-3.
|
Conference Championships
|
National Tournament Appearances
|
| Year | Wins | Losses | Conference (GRLC) | Playoffs (MCLA) | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 9 | 3 | 1st | First Round | 22 |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 | 2nd | -- | -- |
| 2011 | 2 | 6 | 3rd | -- | -- |
| 2010 | 4 | 6 | 5th | -- | -- |
| 2009 | 6 | 4 | 3rd | -- | -- |
| 2008 | 4 | 5 | 3rd | -- | -- |
Men's Ice Hockey
DePaul University has an ice hockey club team called the DePaul University Hockey Club that competes in the Northern Collegiate Hockey League in the Central Region of the ACHA. The team plays a 25-30 game schedule against regional opponents. Home games are played at Johnny's Ice House West. In 2009 the team made the ACHA Division II National Championship Tournament for the first time in the team's history.
Men's roller hockey
DePaul's roller hockey club competes in the Midwest Collegiate Roller Hockey League, a league within the NCRHA. The team was first started in 2005 and played steadily in the NCRHA for seven consecutive seasons before dropping out of the league for a few years. The team has recently been reactivated and rejoined the NCRHA in 2014. The current team plays in Division II of the MCRHL.
Tennis
DePaul University Club Tennis competes regionally in the Midwest League of the USTA's national Tennis on Campus program. They practice and host their home matches at Midtown Athletic Club—Chicago, the largest indoor tennis facility in the country. In recent years, the club has taken a lead role in helping to develop the Chicago Tennis on Campus community of schools. In February 2013, they were named USTA Midwest Club of the Year.[13]
Men's 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 across 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.
Water Polo
DePaul Water Polo is a coed water polo club that competes in the ACWPL (American Collegiate Water Polo League) and competes against other clubs/schools from across the country. The team was founded in 2013 and currently practices at the Northeastern Illinois University P.E. Complex.
Athletic facilities
- Wintrust Arena: a 10,000-seat arena to be the new home of the Blue Demons men's and women's basketball teams.[14]
- Lakeshore Sport & Fitness: Home of the men's and women's tennis teams.
- Lane Stadium: Home stadium for the men's and women's track and field teams.
- McGrath-Phillips Arena: A 3,000-seat indoor arena located in the Sullivan Athletic Center is the home of women's volleyball team since the facility opened in 2000.[15]
- Ruffled Feathers Golf Club: Home course for the men's and women's golf teams
- Wish Field/Cacciatore Stadium: Wish Field, which features a FieldTurf playing surface, is the home of Blue Demons men’s and women’s soccer during the autumn. Cacciatore Stadium occupies the south end of Wish Field for Blue Demons softball during the spring, with its 1,200-seat grandstand situated in the southwest corner.[16]
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.[17]
References
- ^ DePaul University Graphic Identity Guidelines (PDF). Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- ^ a b "About Conference USA". Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "It's Official: DePaul To Join BIG EAST Conference". Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ a b "DePaul University Official Athletic Site(none) - DePaul University Official Athletic Site". www.depaulbluedemons.com. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "Seven schools leaving Big East". ESPN.com. December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ ""How did DePaul get a demon as a mascot?" DePaul University Libraries, Friday, July 25, 2008". Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "DePaull Blue Deamons The Official Website of DePaul University Athletics". CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ "Wintrust Arena Era Begins Saturday". Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ "Past Presidents". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ "NFCA website". Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "NFCA website". Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "DePaul University Campus Recreation". campusrec.depaul.edu. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "DePaul University Club Tennis". www.depaulclubtennis.org. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ Ryan, Shannon. "DePaul unveils preview center for new McCormick Place arena". Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "DePaul University Newsroom". newsroom.depaul.edu. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "Wish Field/Cacciatore Stadium – DePaul University". Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "View the DePaul Blue Demons site". Retrieved October 20, 2017.
