
The men's basketball team representing the State University of New York at Albany is known as the Albany Great Danes. The team currently competes in the America East Conference, playing its home games at Broadview Center. The Great Danes have had a notable presence in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, with appearances in 2006, 2007, 2013, 2014, and 2015. They also participated in the CIT in 2016 and 2017, showcasing their consistent performance in competitive basketball. It's worth noting that there is also an Albany State University in Georgia, whose basketball team competes in the Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Team Name | Albany Great Danes |
| University | University at Albany, State University of New York |
| Conference | America East Conference |
| Nickname | Great Danes |
| Colors | Purple and Gold |
| Home Games Arena | Broadview Center |
| Home Games Capacity | 4,538 |
| Coach | Dwayne Killings |
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What You'll Learn

University at Albany
The University at Albany, State University of New York, is represented by the basketball team Albany Great Danes. The team currently competes in the America East Conference, playing its home games at the Broadview Center. The team's colours are purple and gold, and their nickname is the Great Danes.
The University at Albany hosted its first America East Men's Basketball Conference Championship in 2009, marking a significant milestone in the team's history. The Great Danes have had notable successes in the America East Conference tournament, winning back-to-back championships in 2013 and 2014. They also made it to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2006, 2007, 2013, 2014, and 2015, achieving a combined record of 1-5.
The Albany Great Danes men's basketball team has a rich history, with Richard "Doc" Sauers serving as head coach from 1955 to 1997 (excluding the 1987-1988 season). During his tenure, Sauers led the team to impressive achievements, including eleven NCAA College Division/Division III and four NAIA post-season tournament appearances. He concluded his coaching career with an impressive record of 702-330 across 41 seasons, earning him a place in the school's Hall of Fame in 2004.
The transition to becoming a Division I program was challenging for the University at Albany. Between the 1999-2000 and 2004-2005 seasons, the team struggled, posting a record of 48-118. However, they showed significant improvement in the 2005-2006 season, compiling a 21-11 record and taking on formidable opponents such as the Florida Gators and UCLA Bruins.
The University at Albany's basketball team has continued to grow and establish itself in the America East Conference, striving for success and building upon its proud basketball history.
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America East Conference
The University at Albany's basketball team is part of the America East Conference. The America East Conference was founded in 1979 as a men's basketball-only athletic conference, originally named the Eastern College Athletic Conference-North. The conference name changed to its present form on July 1, 1996.
The University at Albany joined the America East Conference in 2001, along with Binghamton University and Stony Brook University, after the departure of Delaware, Drexel, Hofstra, and Towson to the Colonial Athletic Association (now the Coastal Athletic Association). The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) joined the conference in 2003, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell joined in 2013, previously having competed in Division II. In 2020, the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) joined the conference, having previously been a member before leaving when the conference dropped their sponsored sport. The most recent new member is Bryant University, which left the Northeast Conference to join America East in 2022. Stony Brook University left the conference in 2022 to join the Colonial Athletic Association.
The America East Conference currently sponsors 18 sports, including 8 men's and 10 women's sports. The conference has a rich history in basketball, making history in the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament when the No.16 seed UMBC defeated the No.1 seed Virginia, a first for the men's tournament.
The University at Albany's basketball team is known as the Great Danes, with purple and gold as their team colours.
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NCAA Division I tournament
The University at Albany, State University of New York, is represented by the Albany Great Danes men's basketball team. The team currently competes in the America East Conference, playing its home games at the Broadview Center.
The Great Danes played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2006, 2007, 2013, 2014, and 2015. They have made five appearances in the NCAA Division I tournament, with a combined record of 1-5.
In the 2013-14 season, the Great Danes finished 15-14 in the regular season and 9-7 in conference play, ranked #4 going into the America East Conference tournament. They won their first-round game and pulled off an upset in the semifinals, defeating #1 seed Vermont 67-58. The Great Danes then travelled to Stony Brook for the Championship Game, winning their second straight America East title and fourth title in nine years. On March 18, 2014, they won their first NCAA tournament victory, defeating Mount St. Mary's 71-64 in the First Four Round before losing to Florida in the second round.
The University at Albany hosted its first America East Men's Basketball Championship in 2009 at the SEFCU Arena, which has a capacity of 4,538 seats. The Great Danes have had notable successes in the America East Conference tournament, including in 2009 when they entered as the #7 seed and upset the #2 seeded Catamounts.
The team's coach, Dwayne Killings, has continued to build on the successes of previous coaches, including Richard "Doc" Sauers, who led the program to four NAIA post-season tournament appearances and eleven NCAA College Division/Division III tournament appearances during his tenure from 1955 to 1997.
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SUNY's first NCAA tournament
The University at Albany, whose basketball team is nicknamed the Great Danes, is part of the America East Conference in Division I.
The State University of New York (SUNY) system has campuses participating in the NCAA across Divisions I, III, and possibly II. SUNY New Paltz appeared in its first-ever NCAA Division III (DIII) Tournament in 2024. SUNY Geneseo's women's field hockey team has also competed in the NCAA Tournament, although it is unclear whether their men's basketball team has done so.
SUNY New Paltz's men's basketball team pulled off an upset in 2024, knocking off the two-time reigning SUNYAC Champion SUNY Oswego to claim its first SUNY Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title. This win secured their first appearance in the NCAA DIII Tournament. The Hawks entered postseason play in the John Carroll bracket, facing a challenging bracket as they began their historic run.
While it is not explicitly stated that this was the first time a SUNY school had reached the NCAA Tournament, the language used by sources indicates that this was a significant milestone, suggesting that appearances by SUNY schools may have been relatively rare up to that point. SUNY New Paltz's achievement was celebrated as a memorable moment in their athletic history, showcasing the potential of their basketball program on a national stage.
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Albany State University, Georgia
Albany State University in Georgia has athletic sports teams called the Albany State Golden Rams. The Golden Rams compete in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports as members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). In addition to men's and women's basketball teams, Albany State University also sponsors teams in several other men's and women's NCAA-sanctioned sports, including baseball, women's soccer, and men's cross country. The university's colours are royal blue and gold, and their nickname is the Golden Rams.
The Golden Rams have a history of success in various sports, with the men's basketball team winning conference championships in 1973, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1997, and 2007. The women's basketball team has also performed well, with conference championships under their belt in 1980, 1981, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1996, and 2015.
Albany State University's women's soccer team will start competing as an associate member in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) from the fall of 2019. This move will provide new opportunities for the team to compete against different opponents and showcase their skills in a new conference.
The university's baseball team has also achieved notable success over the years, with a string of conference championships in 1991, 1994, 2000-2004, 2006, 2010, and 2015. Additionally, the men's cross-country team has consistently performed well, winning conference championships in 1976, 1977, and every year from 1979 to 1986.
Albany State University's athletic programme offers a well-rounded and competitive environment for its students, with a balance of men's and women's sports teams achieving success in their respective conferences. The Golden Rams' royal blue and gold colours are proudly represented across various sports, with a history of victories to celebrate.
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Frequently asked questions
The University at Albany's basketball team, the Great Danes, plays in the America East Conference.
The University at Albany basketball team is in Division I.
The University at Albany basketball team's colours are purple and gold.
The University at Albany basketball team's nickname is the Great Danes.
Note: There is also an Albany State University with a basketball team nicknamed the Golden Rams. This team is in Division II and plays in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.









































