Jerry Sloan played college basketball for the University of Evansville Purple Aces from 1962 to 1965. During his time at Evansville, Sloan was a standout player and was named an All-American in both his junior and senior seasons. He was also a key member of the Evansville team that reached the NCAA tournament in 1964.

Sloan’s success at Evansville helped him to be selected in the 1965 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. He went on to have a long and successful career in the NBA as both a player and coach, but he remained connected to Evansville throughout his life. In 2007, Sloan donated $50,000 to Evansville to help with the construction of the Carson Center, a new practice facility for the basketball team. And in 2009, he was inducted into the University of Evansville Athletics Hall of Fame.