Denver Pioneers
Encyclopedia
The Denver Pioneers are the sports teams of the University of Denver
. They play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I, with most teams participating in the Sun Belt Conference
. The Western Athletic Conference
will become Denver's primary sports conference on July 1, 2012.
The University has been fielding athletic teams since 1867. DU's athletic
teams are known as the Pioneers
. In the early years of competition from the 1860s to the early 1920s, Denver had no official nickname, but sports writers of the day referred to Denver teams as the "Ministers" or "Fighting Parsons" in homage to the Methodist heritage of the school. Denver officially became the "Pioneers" in 1925, after the result of a student nickname contest, and that nickname has been in place ever since.
With over 200 All Americans, 28 NCAA Championships and 56 Olympians in its history, there is a long tradition of excellence in Pioneer sports. Today, DU operates a full NCAA Division I athletic program with a unique and successful mix of sports in and around the $85 million Daniel Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness, which was completed in 2000. In 2008, Denver was 47th overall in the NACDA Director's Cup, which ranks NCAA programs on total athletic program achievement, and was first among NCAA D-I schools without football programs (D-I AAA). Sports Illustrated
ranked the DU program 23rd in the nation in 2008 among all schools.
Denver is a currently a member of the Sun Belt Conference
for Men's and Women's Basketball, Swimming, Tennis and Golf, as well as Women's Volleyball and Women's Soccer. In 2012, Denver will join the Western Athletic Conference
in those sports, plus women's gymnastics. The other Denver teams play in various conferences in the sports that are not sponsored by the Sun Belt or the WAC. Men's Ice Hockey plays in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
, Men's Soccer and Women's Lacrosse play in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
, Men's and Women's Skiing compete in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association
, while Men's Lacrosse plays in the ECAC
. Women's Gymnastics currently competes as an Independent until 2012, when it will join the WAC.
flagship spectator sport, regularly selling out the 6,000 seat Magness Arena
on campus, the showpiece of the Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness (completed in 2000). DU's Hockey Program has been playing NCAA Division I hockey since 1949-50. Pioneer Hockey is one of the most successful hockey programs in the history of collegiate hockey. The Pioneers are ranked (with the University of North Dakota) second in all time NCAA National Hockey Championships with seven (1958, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969, 2004, 2005) Only the University of Michigan
(9) has more Championships. The Pioneers have appeared in 14 NCAA Frozen Four Championships. Since the creation of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
in 1959, the Pioneers have won 10 WCHA Regular Season Championships (now the recipients of the MacNaughton Cup
) and 13 WCHA Playoff Championships (now the recipients of the Broadmoor Trophy
).
Denver's ice hockey alumni include over 60 NHL hockey players, including Hall of Famer Glenn Anderson
, and current (2009-2010) NHLers: 2007 Calder Trophy nominee Paul Stastny
of the Colorado Avalanche
, Tyler Bozak
of the Toronto Maple Leafs
, Chris Butler
of the Calgary Flames and 2006 Hobey Baker
Memorial Award Winner Matt Carle
of the Philadelphia Flyers
. Previous DU players who starred in the NHL besides Anderson include Keith Magnuson
, Craig Patrick
, Cliff Koroll
, Peter McNab, and Kevin Dineen
. Legendary hockey coaches at Denver include three former NHL players - Murray Armstrong
, Marshall Johnston
and Ralph Backstrom
. The current hockey coach is George Gwozdecky
.
Skiing
is another strong sport. The University of Denver Ski Team has won 21 NCAA titles (more skiing titles than any other school), dominating the first decade of the 2000s. DU "three-peated" NCAA titles in 2010, 2009 and 2008, won an NCAA title in 2005 and as well as three consecutive NCAA titles from 2001 to 2003.
The Women's Gymnastics
team finished 12th at the 2008 NCAA Championships and 10th in 2007.
The Denver Women's Soccer teams have appeared in the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 NCAA Tournaments, the men's soccer team has appeared in the 2010 and 2008 NCAA tournaments, while the Men's Lacrosse team appeared in the 2006, 2008 and 2010 NCAA Tournaments and made the Final Four of the 2011 tournament.
The women's Basketball team appeared in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
The Women's Golf
team finished 5th in the 2009 NCAA tournament and have also been in the 2008 (6th) and 2007 (14th) NCAA finals.
The Men's Basketball team won the Sun Belt West Division in 2005 and appeared in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) for the first time since the 1950s.
Denver's first athletic event was in a baseball game in 1867 (a loss to the Arapahone Baseball Club), a sport that was played at the varsity level until 1999 when DU returned to full NCAA D-I status. Football
was once the most popular sport at Denver. The first DU football game was played in 1885 against Colorado College, which is believed to be the first intercollegiate football game played west of the Mississippi River. DU's Football highlights include appearances in the 1946 Sun Bowl
, the 1947 Alamo Bowl
and the 1951 Pineapple Bowl
. The football team played in a 30,000 seat stadium
that stood on campus from 1926 to 1971. However, the program was discontinued in 1961 for financial reasons.
Other notable Denver sports alumni include former Major League Baseball
player Dan Schatzeder
, NBA basketball players Vince Boryla
and Byron Beck
, CFL
Hall of Famer and former NFL football player Sam Etcheverry
, 1952 US Olympic Long Jump Gold Medalist Jerome Biffle
, former US Olympic Committee Executive Director Lyman Bingham, and MLS/US National soccer player Nat Borchers
. San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich
received a masters degree from DU but did not play any varsity sports there. Five time world champion and US Olympic figure Skating star Michelle Kwan
graduated from DU in 2009. Also, comedian and actor Sinbad
played basketball at DU under his real name of David Adkins.
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. They play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I, with most teams participating in the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
. The Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
will become Denver's primary sports conference on July 1, 2012.
The University has been fielding athletic teams since 1867. DU's athletic
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
teams are known as the Pioneers
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
. In the early years of competition from the 1860s to the early 1920s, Denver had no official nickname, but sports writers of the day referred to Denver teams as the "Ministers" or "Fighting Parsons" in homage to the Methodist heritage of the school. Denver officially became the "Pioneers" in 1925, after the result of a student nickname contest, and that nickname has been in place ever since.
With over 200 All Americans, 28 NCAA Championships and 56 Olympians in its history, there is a long tradition of excellence in Pioneer sports. Today, DU operates a full NCAA Division I athletic program with a unique and successful mix of sports in and around the $85 million Daniel Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness, which was completed in 2000. In 2008, Denver was 47th overall in the NACDA Director's Cup, which ranks NCAA programs on total athletic program achievement, and was first among NCAA D-I schools without football programs (D-I AAA). Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
ranked the DU program 23rd in the nation in 2008 among all schools.
Denver is a currently a member of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
for Men's and Women's Basketball, Swimming, Tennis and Golf, as well as Women's Volleyball and Women's Soccer. In 2012, Denver will join the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
in those sports, plus women's gymnastics. The other Denver teams play in various conferences in the sports that are not sponsored by the Sun Belt or the WAC. Men's Ice Hockey plays in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
, Men's Soccer and Women's Lacrosse play in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is a college athletic conference whose member teams are located in the western United States. The conference participates at the NCAA Division I level.-History:...
, Men's and Women's Skiing compete in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association
Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association
The Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association is an National Collegiate Athletic Association skiing-only conference. As the NCAA does not have divisions in collegitate skiing, it is composed of both NCAA Division I and Division II schools.-Current members:*University of Alaska...
, while Men's Lacrosse plays in the ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
. Women's Gymnastics currently competes as an Independent until 2012, when it will join the WAC.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey is DU'sUniversity of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
flagship spectator sport, regularly selling out the 6,000 seat Magness Arena
Magness Arena
Magness Arena is a 7,200-seat multi-purpose collegiate sports arena in Denver, Colorado. It was built from 1997 to 1999 as part of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports & Wellness, a $84 million, sports complex at the University of Denver. It is home to the University of Denver Pioneers ice...
on campus, the showpiece of the Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness (completed in 2000). DU's Hockey Program has been playing NCAA Division I hockey since 1949-50. Pioneer Hockey is one of the most successful hockey programs in the history of collegiate hockey. The Pioneers are ranked (with the University of North Dakota) second in all time NCAA National Hockey Championships with seven (1958, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969, 2004, 2005) Only the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(9) has more Championships. The Pioneers have appeared in 14 NCAA Frozen Four Championships. Since the creation of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
in 1959, the Pioneers have won 10 WCHA Regular Season Championships (now the recipients of the MacNaughton Cup
MacNaughton Cup
The MacNaughton Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the regular season conference champion of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association . The trophy is named after James MacNaughton of Calumet, Michigan, who was an avid supporter of amateur ice hockey...
) and 13 WCHA Playoff Championships (now the recipients of the Broadmoor Trophy
Broadmoor Trophy
The Broadmoor Trophy is a trophy that has been awarded to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff champion since 1985. The trophy itself dates to 1981, when it was awarded to the WCHA regular season champion for three seasons, from 1981-82 to 1983-84...
).
Denver's ice hockey alumni include over 60 NHL hockey players, including Hall of Famer Glenn Anderson
Glenn Anderson
Glenn Christopher Anderson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger in the National Hockey League who played for the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues...
, and current (2009-2010) NHLers: 2007 Calder Trophy nominee Paul Stastny
Paul Stastny
Paul Stastny is an American professional ice hockey center, an alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . Of Slovak lineage, Stastny is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, who played for the Avalanche's predecessor, the Quebec Nordiques...
of the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, Tyler Bozak
Tyler Bozak
Tyler Bozak is a Canadian ice hockey centre currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . Bozak has also played for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League...
of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Chris Butler
Chris Butler (ice hockey)
Chris Butler is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was a fourth round selection of the Buffalo Sabres, chosen 96th overall at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft...
of the Calgary Flames and 2006 Hobey Baker
Hobey Baker
Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Regarded as the first American star in ice hockey, he was also an accomplished football player. Born into a prominent family from Philadelphia, he enrolled at Princeton University in 1910...
Memorial Award Winner Matt Carle
Matt Carle
Matthew Carle is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
of the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Previous DU players who starred in the NHL besides Anderson include Keith Magnuson
Keith Magnuson
Keith Arlen Magnuson was a professional ice hockey defenceman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan who played in the National Hockey League between 1969 and 1979...
, Craig Patrick
Craig Patrick
Craig Patrick is a former American hockey player, coach and general manager, the son of Lynn Patrick and the grandson of Lester Patrick...
, Cliff Koroll
Cliff Koroll
Clifford Eugene Koroll is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. After earning all-WCHA honors at the University of Denver in 1968, Koroll signed an NHL contract and played his entire National Hockey League career spanning from 1969 to 1980 with the Chicago Black Hawks...
, Peter McNab, and Kevin Dineen
Kevin Dineen
Kevin William Dineen is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently the head coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.-St. Michael's Buzzers:As a seventeen year old, Dineen played with the St...
. Legendary hockey coaches at Denver include three former NHL players - Murray Armstrong
Murray Armstrong
Murray Alexander Armstrong was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and NCAA hockey coach.-Playing career:...
, Marshall Johnston
Marshall Johnston
Lawrence "Marshall" Johnston is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars and California Golden Seals...
and Ralph Backstrom
Ralph Backstrom
Ralph Gerald Backstrom is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre.-Playing career:Backstrom played junior hockey with the Montreal Junior Canadiens from 1954 to 1956, and the Ottawa Junior Canadiens from 1956 to 1958...
. The current hockey coach is George Gwozdecky
George Gwozdecky
George Gwozdecky is an ice hockey coach who is currently the head coach for the University of Denver Pioneers hockey team. The Pioneers have won 2 national championships under his guidance...
.
Other sports
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
is another strong sport. The University of Denver Ski Team has won 21 NCAA titles (more skiing titles than any other school), dominating the first decade of the 2000s. DU "three-peated" NCAA titles in 2010, 2009 and 2008, won an NCAA title in 2005 and as well as three consecutive NCAA titles from 2001 to 2003.
The Women's Gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
team finished 12th at the 2008 NCAA Championships and 10th in 2007.
The Denver Women's Soccer teams have appeared in the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 NCAA Tournaments, the men's soccer team has appeared in the 2010 and 2008 NCAA tournaments, while the Men's Lacrosse team appeared in the 2006, 2008 and 2010 NCAA Tournaments and made the Final Four of the 2011 tournament.
The women's Basketball team appeared in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
The Women's Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
team finished 5th in the 2009 NCAA tournament and have also been in the 2008 (6th) and 2007 (14th) NCAA finals.
The Men's Basketball team won the Sun Belt West Division in 2005 and appeared in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) for the first time since the 1950s.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
was once the most popular sport at Denver. The first DU football game was played in 1885 against Colorado College, which is believed to be the first intercollegiate football game played west of the Mississippi River. DU's Football highlights include appearances in the 1946 Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
, the 1947 Alamo Bowl
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
and the 1951 Pineapple Bowl
Pineapple Bowl
The Pineapple Bowl is a now-defunct college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Honolulu Stadium. Played on New Year's Day except in 1950, the Pineapple Bowl succeeded the Poi Bowl. The inaugural game was played in 1940 and the last game was played in 1952. After the bombing of...
. The football team played in a 30,000 seat stadium
DU Stadium
DU Stadium was a stadium in Denver, Colorado. Built in 1926, the crescent-shaped main grandstand design was based on other similar-sized stadiums from the same the time period, Brown Stadium and Cornell's Schoellkopf Field...
that stood on campus from 1926 to 1971. However, the program was discontinued in 1961 for financial reasons.
Other notable Denver sports alumni include former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Dan Schatzeder
Dan Schatzeder
Daniel Ernest Schatzeder is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from - for nine different teams. Schatzeder played college baseball at the University of Denver...
, NBA basketball players Vince Boryla
Vince Boryla
Vincent Joseph Boryla is a retired American basketball player, coach, and executive. His nickname was "Moose". He graduated from East Chicago Washington High School in 1944. He played basketball at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Denver...
and Byron Beck
Byron Beck
A. Byron Beck is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'9" forward/center from the University of Denver, Beck was one of six players who participated in all nine seasons of the original American Basketball...
, CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
Hall of Famer and former NFL football player Sam Etcheverry
Sam Etcheverry
Sam "The Rifle" Etcheverry was a professional American and Canadian football player and head coach. Etcheverry played the quarterback position, most famously with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and was named Canadian football's Most Outstanding Player in 1954...
, 1952 US Olympic Long Jump Gold Medalist Jerome Biffle
Jerome Biffle
Jerome Cousins Biffle was an American athlete who competed mainly in the long jump.Biffle attended Denver East High School, where he won all-state honors in the 100 and 220-yard sprints, high jump and broad jump before landing at the University of Denver. Biffle was known as "the one-man track...
, former US Olympic Committee Executive Director Lyman Bingham, and MLS/US National soccer player Nat Borchers
Nat Borchers
Nat Borchers is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
. San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
received a masters degree from DU but did not play any varsity sports there. Five time world champion and US Olympic figure Skating star Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
graduated from DU in 2009. Also, comedian and actor Sinbad
Sinbad (entertainer)
David Adkins better known by his professional name of Sinbad, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became well known in the 1990s from being featured on his own HBO specials, appearing on several television series, and starring in the films Necessary Roughness, Houseguest, First Kid,...
played basketball at DU under his real name of David Adkins.