DePaul Blue Demons

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DePaul Blue Demons
DePaul Blue Demons logo.svg
University DePaul University
Conference Big East Conference
NCAA Division I
Athletic directorDeWayne Peevy
Location Chicago, Illinois
Varsity teams15 (7 men’s and 8 women’s)
Basketball arena Wintrust Arena
Softball stadium Cacciatore Stadium
Soccer stadium Wish Field
Other venues Lakeshore Sport and Fitness
Lane Stadium
McGrath-Phillips Arena
Ruffled Feathers Golf Club
MascotDIBS
NicknameBlue Demons
Fight song"Blue Demons Fight Song"
ColorsRoyal blue and scarlet [1]
   
Website www.depaulbluedemons.com
DePaul Blue Demons Script Logo.png

The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent DePaul University, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and are a member of the Big East Conference. [2] [3]

Contents

DePaul's Athletic Director is DeWayne Peevy. DePaul was not affiliated with any conference until it helped establish the Great Midwest Conference in 1991. [4] It subsequently became a charter member of Conference USA from 1995 until its move to the original Big East in 2005 through 2012. [2] DePaul and the other six Catholic, non-FBS schools announced on December 15, 2012, their separation to eventually form a new conference that would carry the Big East name in 2013. [5]

Nickname

The origin of the Blue Demons nickname dates back to 1907 when the university changed its name from St. Vincent's College to its current form. At the time, the athletic teams had red uniforms with a large "D" on the front. After an announcer referred to the players as the "D-men," the moniker stuck and eventually evolved into "Demons." The "blue" was part of an attempt to distinguish the university's players from those of its now-defunct high school, DePaul Academy. The former wore red with a blue "D," while the latter adopted the reverse. [6] The official athletic colors are scarlet and royal blue. [4]

Sports sponsored

A member of the Big East Conference, DePaul University sponsors teams in six men's and seven women's NCAA sanctioned sports. [7]

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Basketball Basketball
Cross countryCross country
GolfSoccer
Soccer Softball
TennisTennis
Track & fieldTrack & field
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

Men's basketball

DePaul's NCAA men's basketball team is well known for its basketball program, which gained prominence under Ray Meyer who led DePaul to two NCAA Division I basketball Final Four's in the 1942–43 season and 1978–79 season. Meyer also led the Blue Demons to the 1945 NIT championship during the 1944–45 season. The current head basketball coach is Chris Holtmann, having taken the position in 2024.

The team currently plays their home games at Wintrust Arena adjacent to the McCormick Place convention center. [8]

Women's basketball

DePaul's NCAA women's basketball team has reached the Sweet 16 multiple times in the program's history. Head Coach Doug Bruno has been the women's basketball coach since 1988. [9]

The team currently plays their home games at Wintrust Arena adjacent to the McCormick Place convention center and select games at McGrath-Phillips Arena.

Men's soccer

The DePaul Blue Demons men's soccer team represents DePaul University in the Big East Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). [10]

Softball

Since 2011, the head coach of Wisconsin's softball program is former Blue Demon second-baseman Yvette Healy. Former DePaul All-American pitcher Tracie Adix-Zins returned to Lincoln Park to lead the softball program as head coach just before the start of the 2019 season. Following her standout career in the circle for the Blue Demons she has served as an assistant coach at Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and North Carolina State.

Women's volleyball

The DePaul Blue Demons women's volleyball team competes in NCAA Division I volleyball and is part of the Big East Conference.

Former varsity sports

Football

DePaul University fielded a varsity football team until 1939. It played its home games at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field. [11] [12]

Club sports

DePaul offers a number of other intercollegiate club athletic teams under its Department of Campus Recreation.

Football

DePaul fielded a football club team in the National Club Football Association until 2015.

Men's Ice Hockey

DePaul University has an ice hockey club team called the DePaul University Hockey Club that competes in the Northern Collegiate Hockey League in the Central Region of the ACHA. The team plays a 25–30 game schedule against regional opponents. Home games are played at Johnny's Ice House West. [13] In 2009 the team made the ACHA Division II National Championship Tournament for the first time in the team's history.

Men's Lacrosse

DePaul University fields Men's Lacrosse at the non-varsity club level in the Great Lakes Lacrosse League in the Chicago Division. [14] DePaul Men's Lacrosse divisional rivals include: Bradley University, University of Chicago, Lake Forest College, Loyola University Chicago, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Western Illinois University and Wheaton College, as well as other GLLL opponents. The Men's Lacrosse Club play their home games at Diversey Harbor (Chicago Park District) and Montrose Beach (Chicago Park District).

DePaul reached the national stage in 2013 when they reached their first ever MCLA Tournament appearance only to be ousted in the 1st round by the 2012 and 2013 MCLA Division II Champion, St. Thomas Tommies 11–3.

YearWinsLossesConference (GRLC)Playoffs (MCLA)National Rank
2013931stFirst Round22
2012552nd----
2011263rd----
2010465th----
2009643rd----
2008453rd----

Men's Roller Hockey

DePaul's roller hockey club competes in the Midwest Collegiate Roller Hockey League, a league within the NCRHA. The team was first started in 2005 and played steadily in the NCRHA for seven consecutive seasons before dropping out of the league for a few years. The team has recently been reactivated and rejoined the NCRHA in 2014. The current team plays in Division III of the MCRHL.

Rowing

DePaul has had a crew team for the last four years and gained formal recognition in 2013.

Men's Rugby

DePaul University currently competes as a non-varsity club in USA Rugby's DII collegiate rugby division. As one of the top collegiate teams in the city of Chicago, DePaul competes in the Great Midwest Rugby Conference formerly known as the WIIL Conference in the Southern division. As famed collegiate rugby writer Alex Goff states, WIIL conference is one of the toughest divisions in DII rugby." DePaul Rugby was the inaugural champion of the THG Chicago Cup. Men's Rugby play their home matches at Diversey Harbor (Chicago Park District).

Tennis

DePaul University Club Tennis competes regionally in the Midwest League of the USTA's national Tennis on Campus program. They practice and host their home matches at Midtown Athletic Club Chicago, the largest indoor tennis facility in the country. In recent years, the club has taken a lead role in helping to develop the Chicago Tennis on Campus community of schools. In February 2013, they were named USTA Midwest Club of the Year. [15]

Men's volleyball

DePaul University's Men's Volleyball Club competes at the division 1AA level, hosts and travels to several tournaments per year, competing against clubs from across the nation. The Blue Demons practice and play their home matches at the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center. In 2011, the Blue Demons finished 3rd at the NCVF National Championships in Houston, TX, their best finish in club history.

Water Polo

DePaul Water Polo is a coed water polo club that was founded in 2013. Practices are currently held at Gill Park in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.

Notable players

Athletic facilities

Current facilities

Former facilities

Traditions

Mascot

DePaul's mascot is DIBS which stands for Demon In a Blue Suit. DIBS is present at every Blue Demons basketball game and makes frequent appearances at DePaul's Lincoln Park Campus and charity appearances around the Chicago metropolitan area. While the Blue Demon nickname has been around for many years, the Blue Demon mascot took the game floor for the first time in 1968 with a papier-mache head and old warm-up suit. Through the years, the Blue Demon has taken on many forms in its evolution and was dubbed DIBS in 1999. Former mascot performers; John Maniatis and Paul Fisher. [22]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball</span> College basketball team

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wintrust Arena</span> Indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square, previously referred to as DePaul Arena or McCormick Place Events Center, is a 10,387-seat sports venue in the Near South Side community area of Chicago that opened in 2017. It is the current home court for the men's and women's basketball teams of DePaul University and serves as an events center for McCormick Place. It also is the home of the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2016–17 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons, led by 31st year head coach Doug Bruno, played their home games at the McGrath–Phillips Arena as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 27–8, 16–2 in Big East play to win the Big East regular season title. They advanced to the championship game of the Big East women's tournament where they lost to Marquette. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA women's tournament where they defeated Northern Iowa in the first round before losing to Mississippi State in the second round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2016–17 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They played almost all of their home games at Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, though they scheduled two regular-season games at the considerably smaller McGrath–Phillips Arena, the regular home of the DePaul women's team, on the school's Chicago campus. The Blue Demons, members of the Big East Conference, were led by head coach Dave Leitao, in the second year of his current tenure and fifth overall at DePaul. They finished the season 9–23, 2–16 in Big East play to finish in last place. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Xavier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by third-year head coach Dave Leitao and played their home games at the new Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 11–20, 4–14 in Big East play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Marquette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2017–18 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represents DePaul University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons, led by thirty-second year head coach Doug Bruno, play their home games at the Wintrust Arena. They were members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 27–8, 15–3 in Big East play to share the Big East regular season title with Marquette. They won the Big East women's tournament by defeating Marquette in the championship game. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA women's tournament where they defeated Oklahoma in the first round before losing to Texas A&M in the second round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2018–18 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons, led by thirty-third year head coach Doug Bruno, played their home games at the Wintrust Arena as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 26–8, 14–4 in Big East play to finish in second place. DePaul won the Big East Conference tournament championship game over Marquette, 74–73. They were upset in the first round by Missouri State in the NCAA women's tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2019–20 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons, led by thirty-fourth year head coach Doug Bruno, played their home games at the Wintrust Arena and the McGrath-Phillips Arena as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 28–5, 15–3 in Big East play to finish in first place. DePaul won the Big East Conference tournament championship game over Marquette, 88–74. The NCAA tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> DePaul Blue Demons mens basketball

The 2021–22 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by first year head coach Tony Stubblefield and played their home games at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Big East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2021–22 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons were led by thirty-sixth year head coach Doug Bruno and played their home games at the Wintrust Arena as members of the Big East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2022–23 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by second-year head coach Tony Stubblefield and played their home games at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Big East Conference. The Demons finished the season 10–23, 3–17 in Big East play to finish in tenth place. They defeated Seton Hall in the first round of the Big East tournament before losing to Xavier in the quarterfinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023–24 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2023–24 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represents DePaul University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by third-year head coach Tony Stubblefield for the first 18 games of the season. They play their home games at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 3–29, 0–20 in Big East play to finish in last place. They lost to Villanova in the first round of the Big East tournament.

References

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  16. "Max Strus Cleveland Cavaliers". nba.com.
  17. "TwoTwo tough endings for DePaul's Brianna Ryce". chicagotribune.com.
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