
History of the Billikens
The Saint Louis Billikens are the collegiate athletic teams representing Saint Louis University, located in St. Louis, Missouri. The Billikens compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference (where they are the westernmost member and both the first member located west of the Mississippi and in the Central Time Zone). The school has nationally recognized soccer programs for men and women. The school has heavily invested in its on-campus athletic facilities since the 1990s with the creation of Hermann Stadium and Chaifetz Arena. Chris May is the current director of athletics of the St. Louis Billikens.
College Sports Established
1818
Location
St. Louis, Missouri
College Name
Saint Louis University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division I
1937 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
Conference History
2005 - Present / Atlantic 10 Conference
1995 - 2005 / C-USA Conference
1919 - 1995 / Great Midwest Conference
1982 - 1991 /Midwestern Collegiate Conference
1974 - 1982 / Metro Conference
1937 - 1974 / Missouri Valley Conference
Nickname
Billikens - An early SLU football coach, John R. Bender,[2] is said to have been the inspiration for the nickname "Billikens," which is still used by the school's athletic teams. During the 1911 season, according to one version of the story, local sportswriters commented that Bender bore an uncanny resemblance to a charm doll called a Billiken, which was a national fad at the time. His squad became known as "Bender's Billikens" and the name stuck.
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
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.