Seton Hall Pirates basketball — program history
Seton Hall's basketball program dates to 1903, making it one of the oldest Catholic university basketball programs in the nation. The 'Pirates' nickname dates to 1931, when a sportswriter dubbed Seton Hall's comeback-minded baseball team 'a gang of Pirates.' Seton Hall reached the 1989 NCAA Championship game under P.J. Carlesimo, falling to Michigan in overtime on Rumeal Robinson's free throws — one of the most dramatic title games ever played. As a founding member of the Big East, the Pirates have been a consistent presence in one of basketball's premier conferences.
The name
The 'Pirates' nickname was born on April 24, 1931, when a Newark News sportswriter, watching Seton Hall's baseball team steal a come-from-behind win over Holy Cross, called them 'a gang of Pirates' — a name that stuck.
Signature moment
The 1989 NCAA Championship game against Michigan, a classic that went to overtime with the title decided on free throws in the final seconds
Seton Hall was the first Big East team from New Jersey to reach the NCAA Championship game, and the 1989 title game remains one of the most dramatic finals in tournament history
The Seton Hall Pirates compete in the Big East and hold an all-time record of 1640–1182 (.581 winning percentage) across 113 recorded seasons dating back to 1908-09. The program has reached 1 Final Four.
Season-by-season results
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