History of the Ramblers
The Loyola Ramblers (also called the Loyola Chicago Ramblers) are the varsity sports teams of Loyola University Chicago. Most teams compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, which the school joined in 2022 after leaving the Missouri Valley Conference. They previously played in the Horizon League. Notable athletes from Loyola have included middle-distance runner Tom O'Hara, volleyball player Thomas Jaeschke, and basketball players Mike Novak, Jerry Harkness, Les Hunter, Wayne Sappleton, Alfredrick Hughes, LaRue Martin, and Blake Schilb. The nickname "Ramblers" was first used in 1926. The Loyola Ramblers departed from the Missouri Valley Conference and joined the Atlantic 10 Conference effective July 1, 2022.
College Sports Established
1870
Location
Chicago, Illinois
College Name
Loyola University Chicago
Collegiate History
1979 - Present / NCAA Division I
Conference History
2022 - Present / Atlantic 10 Conference
2013 - 2022 / Missouri Valley Conference
1979 - 2013 / Horizon League
Nickname
Ramblers - As the only collegiate program with the nickname "Ramblers," the question is often asked as to why that sobriquet was picked. The origin goes back to the days when football was king at Loyola. Prior to the 1920's all athletic teams were merely assigned the school colors instead of a nickname - thus, all teams were known as the "Maroon and Gold". In 1925, the football coach, along with the student newspaper, conducted a contest to name the football team. The winning entry was "Grandees", tying in to the Spanish origins of St. Ignatius of Loyola. However that name apparently did not catch on in the following months.
In 1926, a more informal but much more binding process finally gave Loyola's teams their nickname - Ramblers. That year, the football team travelled extensively across the United States, "rambling" from place to place for games, thus earning the nickname "Ramblers". Despite the fact that football was dropped as a varsity sport in 1930, the nickname Ramblers is still proudly carried by today's athletic teams at Loyola University Chicago.
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 1
1963
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
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