History of the Golden Eagles

The Marquette Golden Eagles, formerly known as the Marquette Warriors, Blue and Gold, Gold, Hilltoppers, and Golden Avalanche (football only), are the athletic teams representing Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They compete as a member of the NCAA Division I level (non-football sub-level), primarily competing in the Big East Conference for all sports since its establishment in 2013. The Golden Eagles are a founding member of the current Big East, having been one of the seven members of the original Big East that broke away to form a basketball-focused league. They had joined the original Big East in 2005, having previously competed in Conference USA (C-USA) from 1995–96 to 2004–05, the Great Midwest Conference from 1991–92 to 1994–95, and the Horizon League from 1988–89 to 1990–91. They also competed as an independent from 1916–17 to 1987–88. Men's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and track & field, while women's sports include basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

The men's basketball team won the NCAA national championship in 1977 and was a finalist in 1974 and a semifinalist in 2003. The 1970 team won the National Invitation Tournament; the NCAA tournament in 1970 included just 25 teams and the NIT had 16.

The nickname change to "Golden Eagles" came in May 1994 to address the school's Native American name controversy, despite another Jesuit school—Boston College—already being called the "Eagles." In May 2005, the university changed the nickname to "Gold" (in the same manner as Syracuse's "Orange"), but the decision was reversed after public backlash.

On December 15, 2012, Marquette and the other six Catholic, non-FBS Big East schools (the Catholic 7) announced that they were departing the Big East for a new conference. In March 2013, it was confirmed that the Catholic 7, along with three other schools, would begin operations that July as a new Big East Conference.

College Sports Established
1916

Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

College Name
Marquette University

Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1921 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
1916 - 1921 / Athletic Association of the United States

Conference History
2005 - Present / Big East Conference
1995 – 2005 / Conference USA
1991 - 1995 / Great Midwest Conference
1988 – 1991 / Horizon League
1916 – 1988 / Independent

Nickname
Golden Eagles - From 1954 to 1994 Marquette athletics nickname was officially the Warriors for all sports. Prior to that period, athletic teams were known as the Blue & Gold unofficially, then the Hilltoppers officially, but then eventually the Golden Avalanche was used for the Men's Football team only.

In 1993-1994 Father DiUlio, who was the president of the university at the time, outraged students and alums by deciding to change the team's athletic nickname. Inexplicably, the only choices given to stakeholders were “Lightning” and “Golden Eagles,” neither of which had any historical or logical connection to Marquette.

In May 2005, the university changed the nickname to "Gold," but the decision was reversed after public backlash.

NCAA Championships
Baseball 0

Men's Basketball 1
1977

Women's Basketball 0

Football 0

Soccer 0