IUP Crimson Hawks | |
---|---|
![]() | |
University | Indiana University of Pennsylvania |
Conference | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) |
NCAA | Division II |
Athletic director | Todd Garzarelli |
Location | Indiana, Pennsylvania |
Varsity teams | 19 |
Football stadium | George P. Miller Stadium |
Basketball arena | Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex |
Baseball stadium | Owen Dougherty Field |
Soccer stadium | South Campus Soccer Field |
Other venues | Podbielski Field (softball) S&T Bank Arena Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex |
Mascot | Norm |
Nickname | Crimson Hawks |
Fight song | Crimson Express Hail IUP |
Colors | Crimson and gray [1] |
Website | www |
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks, commonly known as the IUP Crimson Hawks and formerly called the IUP Indians, are the varsity athletic teams that represent Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The university and all of its intercollegiate sports teams compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) within the NCAA Division II. The university sponsors 19 different teams, including eight teams for men and eleven teams for women: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men's golf, women's lacrosse, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and women's volleyball.
IUP originally dubbed its sports teams the "Indians", in reference to the town and school's name, and used a costumed student as a mascot. Following movements to eliminate Native American-related mascots, the university eliminated the Indian mascot in 1991, replacing it with an American black bear named Cherokee - deriving from the name of the university's fight song, though it retained the Indian nickname. [2]
In the early 2000s, the university actively moved to change the nickname as well. A campus poll in 2002 indicated the students favored the "Fighting Squirrels" as a nickname. [3] In May 2006, the NCAA ruled that IUP would be prohibited from hosting postseason championship games and using the Indian nickname in postseason events, a year after the university was placed on a list of 18 schools whose mascots were non-compliant with NCAA policies. [4] Suggestions following the NCAA ruling included hellbenders, "Ridge runners", and mining-related nicknames, all relevant to the university's location in Western Pennsylvania. [5]
In December 2006, the Council of Trustees adopted the "Crimson Hawk" [6] The mascot was introduced during the 2007 season-opening football game against Cheyney. In 2008, the hawk was named "Norm", in reference to the university's former name as the Indiana Normal School. [7]
With the change of the mascot, it was for the best that IUP would change its fight song, "Cherokee", as well since it makes references to a Native American tribe. In 2007, Dr. David Martynuik, director of the marching band, composed "Crimson Xpress", the new fight song that would replace "Cherokee" and would bring in a whole new era to IUP athletics.
When a local sportswriter researched what a "Crimson Hawk" was, it was discovered that the domain name crimsonhawk.com was the site of an adult cartoon character named "Crimson Hawk". Some criticized the university's lack of research prior to making the decision. The site owner moved his content to a different domain name without the university asking or the issue being brought to court. [8] Today, IUP remains the IUP Crimson Hawks in all of their sports and club competitions.
University athletic facilities are roughly divided into two sections. On campus near the Eberly College of Business is Frank Cignetti Field at George P. Miller Stadium, a 6,500-seat artificial turf stadium that serves as the venue for football, field hockey, and track & field. Adjacent to Miller Stadium is the Memorial Field House, which used to be the host to men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball, and additionally houses athletic department offices. Also inside the Field House is the Pidgeon Natatorium, which is used by the men's and women's swimming team. [9] The South Campus Athletic Complex holds other sports venues: Owen Dougherty Field, home of the baseball team, Podbielski Field for the softball team, a soccer field and a rugby pitch.
Beginning in 1999, a construction project for a university convocation center was authorized by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge. Construction began near Miller Stadium in late 2008 for the 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m2) complex that will hold a 6,000-seat arena. The Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, which opened in the fall of 2011, is the current home of the men's and women's basketball teams and women's volleyball, replacing the Memorial Field House as these teams primary venues. [10]
The university's football program dates back to the 1890s when the team competed against regional athletic clubs and other universities. In the early years, the team featured John Brallier, who would become the first paid football player. Official records by the university begin with the tenure of George Miller in 1927. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference was formed in 1951 by the members of the Pennsylvania state university system, and the university has been a member since then, winning 17 West Division titles through 2010. In 1968 the team competed and lost to heavily favored Delaware in the Boardwalk Bowl. Under Frank Cignetti Sr., the Crimson Hawks regularly appeared in NCAA post-season competition, including two appearances in the NCAA Division II National Football Championship in 1990 and 1993. In 2012, under Curt Cignetti, the Crimson Hawks earned the PSAC title and another appearance in the NCAA Division II National Football Championship. They ultimately lost to the top seed in Super Region One, Winston-Salem State University. In 2017, under first-year head coach Paul Tortorella, the Crimson Hawks finished regular season with a perfect 11–0 record winning the PSAC Championship and earning an appearance in the NCAA Division II National Football Championship.
Through 2010, the men's basketball team has made nine appearances in the NCAA tournament. In the first in 1994 the team advanced to the Elite Eight, after winning their regional competition. In total, the team has advanced to the Elite Eight five times, the Final Four three times, and their first national championship game in 2010, where they were defeated by the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos. In 2010, Joe Lombardi was named the Basketball Times Division II Coach of the Year, following the team's finish as national runner-up. In the 2017–18 season, the team went to the PSAC Quarter Finals. [17]
The IUP Women's basketball team won the Atlantic Regional Championships Elite Eight Division II in March 2018. The team has also gone to the PSAC Semifinals and Division II Final Four Semifinals in 2018 and 2019. Their coach, Tom McConnell has led them to many victories over the past few years.
The women's softball team began play in 1979. Beginning in 2009, they compete in the Central Division of the PSAC. They have made appearances in the NCAA tournament in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2010. [26]
The women's lacrosse program began play in 1999, and achieved their first winning season in 2001 with an 8–7 record. [28]
In the 2010–2011 season, the women's tennis team defeated Slippery Rock placing 2nd in their division just behind California University of Pennsylvania. The team lost in the first round to Armstrong Atlantic 5–0. The women also had the most wins ever in a season (21–8).
The PSAC offers both indoor winter and outdoor spring track & field seasons.
The university offers many club sports that compete intercollegiately but are not sponsored by the athletic department include: [34]
The IUP orienteering team won three intercollegiate national championships (1973, 1975, 1976). In 1999, Samantha Zipp of IUP was the women's individual orienteering national champion. [40]
Notable alumni that have played for IUP teams include:
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The conference was originally formed in 1951 as the State Teachers Conference, and was temporarily named the Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference in 1956 before being assuming its current name in 1964.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public research university in Indiana, Pennsylvania. As of 2021, the university enrolled 7,044 undergraduates and 1,865 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 9,009 students. The university is 55 miles (89 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. It is governed by a local Council of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. IUP has branch campuses at Punxsutawney, Northpointe, and Monroeville. IUP is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 24 sports and became a member of the Big Ten Conference on December 1, 1899. The school's official colors are cream and crimson.
Frank Cignetti Sr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at West Virginia University from 1976 to 1979 and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) from 1986 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 199–77–1. Cignetti led the IUP Indians to the title game of the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 1990 and 1993. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2013.
Frank Cignetti Jr. is an American football coach who was the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Before Pitt, he was the offensive coordinator at Boston College and the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He has also been the quarterbacks coach for the New York Giants in 2016 and 2017. Prior to that, he served as the quarterbacks coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2012 to 2014 and offensive coordinator for the Rams in 2015.
The Minot State Beavers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Minot State University (MSU), located in Minot, North Dakota. The Beavers compete at the NCAA Division II level. The university was previously a member of the NAIA's Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) and competed as an independent as a provisional member for the 2011–12 academic year before joining the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in 2012. Minot State Beavers men's and women's ice hockey teams currently play in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), the men's team plays as is an independent team at the ACHA Men's Division I level and women's team at the ACHA Women's Division II level.
The Edinboro Fighting Scots are the athletic teams that represent Pennsylvania Western University Edinboro, located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Fighting Scots are members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) for 15 of 17 varsity sports. The wrestling team competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a member of NCAA Division I and the wheelchair basketball team competes outside of NCAA governance in the NWBA Intercollegiate Division. The Fighting Scots have been a member of the PSAC since its foundation in 1951.
The California Vulcans are the intercollegiate sports teams and players that represent Pennsylvania Western University California, located in California, Pennsylvania. The Vulcans participate in the NCAA Division II in all sports and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in most sports. The school colors are Red and Black. The mascot of California is Blaze the Vulcan.
The Kutztown Golden Bears are the sports teams that represent Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Kutztown University is a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The university sponsors eight men's and fourteen women's intercollegiate sports. In 2022, Kutztown University added women's acrobatics & tumbling as its 22nd varsity sport.
Frank Cignetti Field at George P. Miller Stadium is a stadium located on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It is the home field for the IUP Crimson Hawks football, field hockey, and track & field teams.
The Central Oklahoma Bronchos, are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing University of Central Oklahoma, located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The five men's and nine women's varsity teams are called the "Bronchos". The school's identification as Bronchos dates back to 1922, when the wife of football coach Charles W. Wantland suggested it for the school's mascot. The official colors of the teams are bronze and blue, which the institution adopted in 1895. The Bronchos compete in the NCAA's Division II and in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association in all sports except women's rowing, which competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The Bronchos have won 22 national championships, with the most recent coming in 2024 as the wrestling program won the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. The university's current athletic director is Stan Wagnon, who has served in the position since 2020.
The IUP Crimson Hawks football program represents Indiana University of Pennsylvania in college football at the NCAA Division II level. The Crimson Hawks play their home games at George P. Miller Stadium in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
The Mercyhurst Lakers, representing Mercyhurst University which is located in Erie, Pennsylvania, are composed of 24 teams in intercollegiate athletics, including men's and women's basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, tennis, and water polo. Men's sports include baseball, football, and wrestling. Women's sports include bowling, field hockey, softball, stunt, and volleyball. The Lakers compete in the NCAA Division II and are members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) for all sports except ice hockey, which competes in NCAA Division I; bowling, a sport in which the NCAA holds a single all-divisions national championship, which competes in the East Coast Conference; men's lacrosse and stunt, both of which compete in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference; and water polo, a sport in which the NCAA holds single all-divisions national championships for men and women. The men's and women's ice hockey teams are members of Atlantic Hockey America, formed shortly after the 2023–24 season by the merger of the men's former home of the Atlantic Hockey Association and the women's former home of College Hockey America. The men's and women's water polo teams play in the Western Water Polo Association. On April 4, 2024, it was announced that Mercyhurst would be transitioning to NCAA Division I and join the Northeast Conference starting in the 2024-25 academic school year.
The Davenport Panthers are the athletic teams that represent Davenport University, located in Caledonia Township, Michigan, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) for most of its sports as a provisional member since the 2017–18 academic year. The Panthers previously competed in the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2005–06 to 2016–17.
Joe Lombardi is an American basketball coach currently the head coach for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Crimson Hawks of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in NCAA Division II. Prior to taking the head coaching position at IUP, Lombardi served as an assistant coach, including a nine-year tenure at La Salle University and three season under Jamie Dixon at the University of Pittsburgh. In his fourth season with the Crimson Hawks in 2009–10, Lombardi led the team to the 2010 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship where they were defeated by the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos. Following the season, Lomardi was named as the 2010 Basketball Times Division II National Coach of the Year.
Curt Cignetti is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the current head football coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. He was previously the head coach of the James Madison Dukes, Elon Phoenix, and the IUP Crimson Hawks.
IUP Crimson Hawks men's basketball team is a Division II basketball program who represents Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The program has been in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship nineteen times making the Sweet 16 ten times, Elite 8 seven times, the Final Four five times, and has appeared in the National Championship game twice, coming up short both times in 2010 and 2015. The team's first season was 1927-28 when the team went 4–9.
The 2017 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Football Championship Game was held on December 2, 2017, at a John A. Farrell Stadium on the campus of West Chester University of Pennsylvania in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The Indiana Crimson Hawks repressed the West Division and West Chester Golden Rams the East Division. Play for the PSAC Championship offered an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Football Championship.
The 2021 IUP Crimson Hawks football team represented the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the 2021 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Led by fifth-year head coach Paul Tortorella, the Crimson Hawks compiled an overall record of 7–3 and a mark of 5–2 in conference play, finishing third in the PSAC West Division.
The 2022 Shepherd Rams football team represented Shepherd University as a member of the East Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) during the 2022 NCAA Division II football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Ernie McCook, the Rams compiled an overall record of 13–2 with a mark of 7–0 in conference play, winning the PSAC East Division title. Shepherd lost the PSAC Championship Game to West Division champion IUP. The Rams advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs, where they beat New Haven in the first round, Slippery Rock in the second round, and IUP in the quarterfinal, before falling to Colorado Mines in the semifinals. The team played home games at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The 2022 season was the third for the Rams as a member of the PSAC after joining the conference in 2019.