Columbia Lions basketball — program history
Columbia's basketball program dates to 1900 at the Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. The Lions have won multiple Ivy League titles and made several NCAA Tournament appearances, with their peak in the 1960s-70s. As an Ivy League school, Columbia does not offer athletic scholarships.
The name
The Lions nickname has been associated with Columbia since the late 1800s, with the lion symbolizing strength and courage — a fitting emblem for the university named after Christopher Columbus.
Signature moment
Jim McMillian scoring 37 points to lead the Lions past Princeton in a one-game playoff for the 1968 Ivy League title before his standout NBA career with the Lakers.
Columbia's Levien Gymnasium is located in Morningside Heights, Manhattan — perhaps the only Division I basketball venue where players can grab a slice of New York pizza within a block of the arena.
The Columbia Lions compete in the Ivy League and hold an all-time record of 1360–1425 (.488 winning percentage) across 125 recorded seasons dating back to 1900-01.
Season-by-season results
* Season vacated by the NCAA — absent from the official season table; record computed from the game log and not counted in official totals or rankings.
More Ivy League programs
Brown Bears · Cornell Big Red · Dartmouth Big Green · Harvard Crimson · Pennsylvania Quakers · Princeton Tigers · Yale Bulldogs
All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home