Loyola Chicago Ramblers basketball — program history
Loyola Chicago, a Jesuit university founded in 1870, has played basketball since 1913. The 'Ramblers' nickname dates to 1926, when the well-traveled football team was said to 'ramble' from state to state for its games. Loyola won the 1963 NCAA Championship with a historic team that started four Black players — a first for a championship team during the Civil Rights era. The program captured hearts again in 2018 when 98-year-old team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt became a national sensation during their Cinderella Final Four run.
The name
The 'Ramblers' name originated with the 1926 football team, which 'rambled' from state to state for far-flung road games in the program's early years
Signature moment
The 2018 Final Four run as an 11-seed, with 98-year-old team chaplain Sister Jean becoming a national phenomenon
Loyola's 1963 championship team broke racial barriers by starting four Black players; the team's semifinal game against Mississippi State only happened because MSU players defied a state injunction prohibiting them from playing against integrated teams
The Loyola Chicago Ramblers compete in the A-10 and hold an all-time record of 1462–1254 (.538 winning percentage) across 105 recorded seasons dating back to 1920-21. The program has won 1 NCAA national championship (1963) and reached 2 Final Fours.
National championships
1963
Season-by-season results
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