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The Patriot League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising private institutions of higher education and two United States service academies based in the Northeastern United States. Except for the Ivy League, it is the most selective group of higher education institutions in NCAA Division I, and has a very high student-athlete graduation rate for both the NCAA graduation success rate and the federal graduation rate.
In United States colleges and universities, basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Each of these various organizations is subdivided into one to three divisions, based on the number and level of scholarships that may be provided to the athletes. Teams with more talent tend to win over teams with less talent.
The 2004 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament began on March 20 and concluded on April 6 when Connecticut won a third consecutive national championship, becoming only the second school in history to accomplish such a feat. The Final Four was held at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 4–6 and was hosted by Tulane University. UConn, coached by Geno Auriemma, defeated archrivals Tennessee, coached by Pat Summitt, 81–67 in the championship game. UConn's Diana Taurasi was named Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive year. The tournament was also notable as UC Santa Barbara became the first double digit seed not to lose by a double-digit margin in the Sweet 16 as they lost to UConn 63–57.
The George Mason Patriots are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing George Mason University (GMU), located in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference for most sports.
The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Most of the programs are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and classified as Division I (non-football) in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The Fordham Rams are the varsity sports teams for Fordham University. Their colors are maroon and white. The Fordham Rams are members of NCAA Division I and compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference for most sports. In football, the Rams play in the Patriot League of NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision. The University also supports a number of club sports, and a significant intramural sports program. The University's athletic booster clubs include the Sixth Man Club for basketball and the Afterguard for sailing.
The Lafayette Leopards represent the 23 Division I varsity athletic teams of Lafayette College and compete in the Patriot League. There are 11 men's teams, 11 women's teams, and one co-ed team. The club teams also compete as the Leopards. Though not a varsity sport, crew and ice hockey are very competitive at Lafayette and play in intercollegiate club leagues.
The 2003 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament began on March 22, 2003, and concluded on April 8, 2003, when the Connecticut Huskies (UConn) won their second straight national title. The Final Four was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on April 6–8, 2003. UConn, coached by Geno Auriemma, defeated archrival Tennessee, coached by Pat Summitt, 73–68 in the championship game. UConn's Diana Taurasi was named Most Outstanding Player.
The Loyola Greyhounds men's basketball team represents Loyola University Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition. It became a member of the Patriot League along with the university's other intercollegiate athletic programs on July 1, 2013. Home matches are played at Reitz Arena. Loyola has appeared twice in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2012.
The Bucknell Bison are the athletic teams that represent Bucknell University. The program is a member of the Patriot League for most NCAA Division I sports and Division I FCS in football.
The 1996 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament took place March 15–31, 1996. The Final Four consisted of Connecticut, Georgia, Stanford, and Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Georgia 83–65 in the championship game.
The American Eagles men's basketball team represents American University in Washington, D.C. in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Patriot League and play their home games in Bender Arena. Their rivals include the Boston University Terriers, Bucknell Bison, and Navy Midshipmen. Duane Simpkins was appointed the program's 18th head coach on April 1, 2023.
The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I, primarily as members of the Patriot League. In ice hockey, a sport not sponsored by the Patriot League for either sex, the Crusaders are members of two other leagues, with men competing in the Atlantic Hockey Association and women in Hockey East. The men's rowing team is part of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges. Of its 25 varsity teams, Holy Cross supports 12 men's and 13 women's sports, giving Holy Cross the largest ratio of teams-per-enrollment in the country. Holy Cross's athletic teams for both men and women are known as the Crusaders.
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks men's basketball team represents Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in NCAA Division I competition. They have competed in the Patriot League since the circuit became an all-sport conference in 1990. Its home games are played at Stabler Arena.
The Fordham Rams women's basketball team represents Fordham University, located in the Bronx, New York, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Holy Cross Crusaders women's basketball team is the women's basketball team that represents the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. The team currently competes in the Patriot League. The Crusaders are currently coached by Maureen Magarity.
The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The Bison currently participate as part of the NCAA Division I basketball, and compete in the Patriot League. The Bison currently play their home games at the Sojka Pavilion.
The 2019 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 64 teams to determine the national champion for the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The 38th annual edition of the tournament began on March 22, and concluded with the championship game on April 7 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, with the University of South Florida serving as host. The tournament field was announced on March 18.
The 2019 Patriot League men's basketball tournament was the postseason tournament for the Patriot League during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was held on March 5, 7, 10, and 13, with the higher seed in each match up hosting at their respective campus sites. No. 1 seed Colgate defeated Bucknell 94–80 in the championship game to win the conference tournament championship, and the conference's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA tournament. It was Colgate's first Patriot League tournament championship since 1996, and third overall.
The 2020 Patriot League men's basketball tournament was the postseason tournament for the Patriot League during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was held on March 3, 5, 8, and 11, with the higher seed in each match up hosting at their respective campus sites. No. 3 seed Boston University defeated Colgate 64–61 in the championship game to win the conference tournament championship and the conference's automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The NCAA Tournament would be subsequently canceled in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Patriot League was the final conference to hold its championship game before all others remaining were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
- ↑ "WOMEN'S basketball RECORD BOOK" (PDF). patriotleague.org. Patriot League. Retrieved 19 February 2023.