College Sports Established
1846
Location
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
College Name
Bucknell University
Collegiate History
1978 - Present / NCAA Division I
Conference History
1986 - Present / Patriot League
1978 - 1985 / Independent
Nickname
Bison - The Bucknell Bison are an NCAA Division 1 basketball team representing Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The team has been around since the late 19th century and is known for its fierce competitive spirit and winning tradition. However, many fans may not know that the nickname "Bison" dates back to 1885 when students first used it at the then-named “University of Lewisburg” as an homage to their mascot—a bison head mounted on a shield.
At this time, there were few teams with animal nicknames, so the name “Bison” was unique and quickly caught on among other schools in the area who began adopting similar names, such as Wildcats or Bears. In 1895, when Bucknell officially changed its name from University of Lewisburg to Bucknell College, they kept their beloved bison mascot, which had become part of school traditions over time, including cheers like "Go Bison!" during sporting events or wearing orange & black (the colors associated with buffalos) clothing items proudly displaying logos featuring bison heads & horns while cheering for them at games across campus grounds.
Today's modern-day version of our beloved Bucky still honors his original namesake--the mighty American Buffalo! He can be seen prominently displayed throughout our athletic facilities and featured on uniforms worn by student-athletes competing under his banner each year, making him one of the most recognizable mascots within NCAA Division I sports today! So next time you watch your favorite game, basketball, soccer, football, etc., show some love for old 'Bucky' - he deserves it!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1890
- 1941
- 1979
- 2012
- 2018
-
Bucknell Football Takes the Field
Bucknell fielded its first football team, beginning a tradition of athletics at the university. -
Bucknell Basketball Joins the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League
In 1941 Bucknell joins the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League (EIBL), which later becomes the Ivy League, putting the program on the national stage. -
Bucknell Basketball Wins Its First Patriot League Championship
In 1979 Bucknell wins its first-ever Patriot League basketball championship, establishing a winning tradition for the program. -
Mike Muscala
In 2012 Mike Muscala graduates from Bucknell as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in school history. He goes on to play in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks and several other teams. -
Bucknell Basketball Wins Second Patriot League Championship
In 2018 Bucknell men’s basketball team wins its second Patriot League championship in three years and advances to the NCAA tournament, cementing the program’s place in Bucknell history.
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Bison
For sports fans, the Bucknell Bison are a team with an impressive history. As one of the oldest teams in college athletics, they have been playing since 1883 and represent Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The Bisons compete as part of the Patriot League for most varsity sports and have had great successes over their long history. Here’s a look at what has made them successful throughout their years competing in NCAA Division I athletics.
First off is football - one of the oldest traditions for this school’s athletic program. The team started as an independent club before joining other local schools to form what would become known as “The Big Three Conference” (now defunct). Throughout its time within that conference, it won three championships (1912-13-14) and was even invited to participate in four bowl games during that era! In recent years they have continued to dominate on both sides of the ball - winning multiple conference titles between 2002–2009 while also appearing twice more Bowl Games during those same seasons!
It is moving on to basketball – another sport that has seen plenty of success from this university over its long tenure within Division I competition, appearing 19 times total across all post-season tournaments, including four trips into March Madness alone! They also hold two regular season titles from 2012 & 2013, respectively, and 3 tournament crowns to boot, making them quite formidable opponents when it comes down to crunch time come tournament playtime each year!
Lastly, we shall focus upon baseball, where again we see much success coming out of these bison herdsmen – having appeared 6 times now in various post-season tournaments such as College World Series or Super Regionals, etc. Not only did they win 2 regular season championships here, but they were able to reach regional finals once back in 2007 before falling short against eventual national champions Oregon State Beavers, who went on to take the title game itself later that year after defeating North Carolina Tar Heels by 1 run margin score 10–11th inning thriller finale!! So clearly, there's much to be proud of when looking past accomplishments achieved thus far by our beloved buccaneer's bison squads, no matter which sports you may follow closely...
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