College Sports Established
1897
Location
Wichita, Kansas
College Name
Wichita State University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1921 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
1907 - 1921 / Athletic Association of the United States
Conference History
2017 - Present / American Athletic Conference
1945 – 2017 / Missouri Valley Conference
1923 - 1945 / Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1902 - 1923 / Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Nickname
Shockers - The Wichita State Shockers have been a powerhouse in the NCAA for decades, and their unique nickname has become synonymous with college basketball excellence. But where did it come from?
It all started in 1915 when the school was known as Fairmount College. The football team needed a new mascot to replace its old one, which had become outdated and unpopular among students. A contest was held to find something more suitable, and “Shockers” emerged victorious over other contenders such as “Wheatshockers” or even just plain old “Shocks."
The name is derived from wheat harvesting practices – specifically, using shock piles (or bundles) of grain left out on fields for threshing later during harvest season. It made sense at the time since Kansas is one of America's biggest wheat producers, thus making Wichita State an ideal home for this agricultural-themed nickname!
The Shockers moniker stuck through several changes throughout history, including merging with another local university (Friends University) in 1926 before finally settling into its current form: Wichita State University - Go Shox! Today they are widely recognized both within collegiate sports and nationally due to their athletically and academic success over recent years. Fans proudly wear apparel emblazoned with "Go Shox" across campuses nationwide while cheering them on toward victory after victory each season!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1970
- 1985
- 1989
- 2010
- 2014
- 2018
-
Shockers Football Team Crash
On October 2, 1970, the first, or “gold” plane (the twin plane to the second, or black, plane) carrying players and staff of the WSU football team took off from a Colorado airport after refueling, bound for Logan, Utah for a game against Utah State University. It flew into a mountain valley too narrow to enable it to turn back ... -
Wichita State Shockers – Xavier McDaniel
While at Wichita State, McDaniel was the first person to lead the nation in both rebounding and scoring in the same season. In college, McDaniel began to shave both his head and his eyebrows to look more intimidating. He continued this all throughout his pro career. For his first two seasons at Wichita State, the Shockers were on NCAA probation. ... -
baseball team wins its second national championship
In 1989: The baseball team wins its second national championship, defeating Texas in the College World Series final. Gene Stephenson is named Coach of the Year again and Greg Brummett is named Most Outstanding Player. -
Gregg Marshall is hired as the new head coach of the men’s basketball team
In 2010: Gregg Marshall is hired as the new head coach of the men’s basketball team, replacing Mark Turgeon who left for Texas A&M. Marshall would go on to become one of the most successful coaches in Wichita State history, leading the Shockers to eight NCAA tournament appearances, including a Final Four run in 2013 and an undefeated regular season ... -
2014 NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed
In 2014: The men’s basketball team reaches the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year, becoming the first team in NCAA history to start the season 35–0. They win the MVC regular season and tournament titles and earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. They defeat Cal Poly and Kentucky before losing to Kentucky in the round of ... -
men’s basketball team win the AAC regular season title
In 2018: The men’s basketball team reaches the NCAA tournament for the seventh consecutive year, tying a school record. They win the AAC regular season title and earn a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament. They lose to Marshall in the first round, ending their streak of five straight trips to the round of 32 or better. They finish ...
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History of the Shockers
The Shockers began as an independent school before joining the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) for most of its tenure from 1951-2017. During this time, they had some great teams that featured players such as Antoine Carr and Xavier McDaniel, who went on to successful NBA careers. The team also won several conference championships throughout these years, including six MVC regular season titles and four MVC Tournament Championships during the 1980s alone!
In 2013, Wichita State moved up to Division I when they joined The American Athletic Conference (AAC). This move helped them take their game even further with more exposure nationally, which led them to become one of college basketball’s elite programs by making multiple trips to both Sweet 16s & Elite 8’s, along with two Final Four appearances since 2014! They also became just one of three schools ever -joining UConn & Villanova-to win at least 30 games five times within 6 seasons!
With all these accomplishments, it's safe to say that Wichita State has now considered a powerhouse program within collegiate hoops today; something not many would've thought possible when looking back at where things started for this historic university located right here in Kansas!
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