College Sports Established
1880
Location
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
College Name
Southern University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division I
1935 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
Conference History
1935 - Present / Southwestern Athletic Conference
Nickname
Jaguars - As a sports fan, you may be familiar with the Southern Jaguars of NCAA Division I athletics. But did you know that the team's nickname has an interesting origin story? After considering several options, the University of South Alabama adopted its current mascot in 1990.
The university was initially known as Mobile College, and it had used various mascots throughout its history, including Bulldogs, Cardinals, and Rebels. In 1989, then-athletic director Joe Gottfried wanted to find a more unified identity for all athletic teams at the school, so he started researching potential nicknames. He eventually settled on Jaguars because they are native to Alabama’s Gulf Coast region and embody strength and power – two qualities he felt were necessary for any successful athletic program.
Gottfried also liked how jaguars could symbolize both ferocity on the field while still being graceful off it. These qualities have become synonymous with South Alabama Athletics since they adopted this iconic animal as their mascot in 1990! The Jaguar is now one of college sports' most recognizable symbols thanks to its unique combination of power and beauty – making it an ideal representation for any proud Southern Jaguar fan!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1934
- 1959
- 1987
- 2003
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Southern Jaguars Football Joining SWAC
The Southern Jaguars are the college football team representing Southern University. The Jaguars play in NCAA Division I Football Championship as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The Jaguars started collegiate football in 1916, and played in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference before joining the SWAC in 1934. -
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship Win
In 1959 Southern, led by future National Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock, became the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to win the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship. -
NCAA Division I Regional Tournament Win
In 1987 Southern became the first HBCU to win a game in an NCAA Division I regional tournament by defeating #2-ranked Cal State Fullerton. In 1996 Southern became the first HBCU to win a game in an NCAA Division I play-in series by defeating Austin Peay. -
Rickie Weeks nation’s top collegiate player
Rickie Weeks was the first college player selected in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft when the Milwaukee Brewers made him their No. 1 pick, the highest a second baseman has ever been drafted in MLB Draft history. Weeks won the Golden Spikes Award, Dick Howser Trophy, and Baseball America College Player of the Year honors as the nation’s top ...
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 Jaguars
Since joining NCAA Division I, the Jaguars have won seven regular season championships, including four consecutive titles from 2011-2014. The Jags also boast three tournament championships: two Sun Belt Conference Championships (2010 and 2012) and one National Invitational Tournament Championship (2008). In addition to these successes on the court/field, numerous members of Southern's athletic programs have gone on to compete professionally at both regional and national levels across several different sports disciplines.
The most recognizable face associated with this program is former head coach Ronnie Arrow who helmed it from 1998-2014 before retiring due to health concerns; during his tenure, he led them to unprecedented success that included six straight 20+ win seasons between 2003-2009 which resulted in five NIT appearances for his teams during those years alone! This period was arguably some of their best years - they reached heights never before seen by any other school within their conference or division!
In recent times however, there has been more disappointment than joy surrounding Jaguar athletics; they haven't had much luck making postseason appearances lately, but hopefully, this will change soon enough under new leadership provided by Head Coach Richie Riley, who took over after Coach Arrow stepped down last year. Regardless, it's crucial not to forget all that has come before – no matter how tough things get now or what happens next, you can always count on Southern’s strong tradition when cheering for your favorite sports team!
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