Champions and a Cinderella: The 1963 and 2018 Men's Basketball Teams 

A photo of the 1963 Men's Basketball NCAAP Championship Team on a basketball court.

1963 Men's Basketball NCAAP Championship Team
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Then:

In 1963, the Loyola University of Chicago men’s basketball team and Coach George Ireland took the nation by storm as one of the first teams ever to enter the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and win it in their first try. In the process, Coach Ireland and the team broke down color barriers amid the Civil Rights movement.   

The unwritten rule of college basketball during the 1950s and 1960s was that teams were only to play two African American players during home games and one African American player during road games. Coach Ireland rejected this policy by playing four African American players and a lone white one on the Loyola team. During a game against Wyoming, five African Americans played when the only white starter, John Egan, was ejected.   

An illustration of George Ireland and Jerry Harkness with some facts about the 1963 printed next to them.

Mighties of the Midwest
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With a record of 24-2 heading into the NCAA tournament, Loyola cruised to victory over their first opponent, Tennessee Tech, 111-42. The next game became known as the “The Game of Change” against Mississippi State in East Lansing, Michigan. Mississippi State administrators had forbidden the team from playing against integrated teams, such as Loyola’s, until 1963 when they let the basketball team attend the tournament. The Mississippi State team flew to Michigan before the state could stop them from leaving.

Loyola captain Jerry Harkness and Mississippi State captain Joe Gold made history with their handshake at center court before the tip off. Loyola won the game 61-51.

Loyola quickly worked through their next two opponents: University of Illinois and Duke, on the way to face the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. In the first ever televised NCAA tournament game, the Ramblers and the Bearcats went into overtime, with Loyola winning 60-58 on a Vic Rouse tip in basket off a Les Hunter missed shot. The Ramblers were welcomed home as heroes. 

Mayor Richard Daley greets the 1963 team at the airport. The championship trophy, draped in a basketball net, is held between them.

Mayor Richard Daley greets 1963 LUC men's basket team champions
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Two Loyola players go up for a dunk while a player from Duke defends.

LUC versus Duke
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Now: 

In 2018, the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball became the Cinderella of the NCAA Tournament. The Ramblers’ run began with the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) tournament, where they swept the bracket and obtained the automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA tournament. The Ramblers entered with a 28-5 record and were seeded 11th in their regional bracket.

Their first NCAA opponent was the University of Miami, ranked 6th in the nation. The Ramblers defeated Miami with a last second 3-pointer by Donte Ingram 64-63, earning them praise from then President Barack Obama saying, “I had faith in my pick”. They went on to defeat number three ranked Tennessee 63-62 and number seven ranked Nevada 69-68. In the Elite Eight they defeated number nine ranked Kansas State 78-62.   

The plays scream with excitement as confetti is dropped on them after their Elite Eight win.

2018 men's basketball team celebrates Elite Eight Win
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Loyola became the darling of the tournament with people from around the country and the world rooting for them. Students at the Vietnam Center found locals cheering for the team despite the time difference. Back home, tweets of support from professional sports teams such as the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, and Blackhawks poured forth. The city of Chicago also expressed its support, with many buildings lit up in the Loyola colors of maroon and gold at night and the United Center projecting the Loyola Logo on the building.  

Sister Jean, the 98-year-old chaplain of the men’s basketball team, received extensive media attention. The combination of Loyola’s status as a Cinderella team and Sister Jean’s own likeable personality endeared her greatly to the public, resulting in appearances on television shows such as Good Morning America and merchandise produced in her likeness.

Sister Jean smiles for the camera at the Elite Eight game.

Sister Jean at the Elite Eight
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A up-angled shot of the Navy Pier Frris Wheel showing a graphic of the LU Wolf.

Navy Pier Ferris Wheel showing Loyola Ramblers Pride
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A stadium of fans watch as the ball is tipped off at the 2018 Arch Madness Championship game.

Tip-off of the 2018 Arch Madness Championship game
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A crowd of ecstatic Loyola basketball fans.

Students cheering
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Even though Loyola lost to Michigan, the Cinderella run had lasting effects. During Loyola’s tournament run web traffic to the university home page increased nearly 300 percent. The athletics department saw a 660 percent increase in donations and a 170 percent rise in ticket sales. Loyola also saw a surge in applications and interest in the university during and after the Final Four run.

 

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