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DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Blue Demons, is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program. The team, which plays in the Big East Conference, has enjoyed success under coaches Ray Meyer and his son, Joey Meyer, and has appeared in two Final Fours in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The Blue Demons play their home games at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Division | NCAA Division I |
| Conference | Big East Conference |
| Nickname | Blue Demons |
| Colours | Royal Blue & Scarlet |
| Home Games | Wintrust Arena, Chicago |
| Capacity | 10,387 |
| Previous Coaches | Ray Meyer, Joey Meyer, Jerry Wainwright, Oliver Purnell |
| Current Coach | Chris Holtmann |
| Jersey Retirements | 4 |
| National Coach of the Year Awards | 5 |
| Final Fours | 2 |
| National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Championship | 1 |
| Conference Championships | 2 |
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What You'll Learn
DePaul Blue Demons play NCAA Division I basketball
DePaul Blue Demons is the intercollegiate men's basketball programme of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The team plays in NCAA Division I and the Big East Conference. They play their home games in the 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena, part of the McCormick Place convention centre in Chicago's Near South Side.
DePaul has played in two Final Fours in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, in 1943 and 1979. The Blue Demons are 0-2 all-time in the Final Four. The team has also won one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship, in 1945.
DePaul's basketball programme gained prominence under Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Ray Meyer, who coached the team for 42 years from 1942 to 1984. He led the Blue Demons to two Final Four appearances in the 1943 and 1979 seasons, as well as the 1945 NIT championship. Meyer's teams were a No. 1 seed in its NCAA regional three years in a row from 1980 to 1982.
The Blue Demons moved to the Rosemont Horizon, later renamed the Allstate Arena, for the start of the 1980 season. Ray Meyer's son, Joey Meyer, took over as head coach in 1984 and led DePaul to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in his first eight seasons, including back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances.
In recent years, the Blue Demons have continued to perform well, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2025 Big East men's basketball tournament and the College Basketball Crown inaugural postseason tournament as the #15 seed.
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The team is nicknamed the Blue Demons
The DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team has a rich history, having played in two Final Fours in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and winning one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship. The team is nicknamed the Blue Demons, a name that has been associated with success and a winning tradition.
The Blue Demons name first originated during Ray Meyer's tenure as head coach. Meyer, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, coached at DePaul for 42 years and led his teams to numerous post-season appearances, including two Final Four appearances in the 1943 and 1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournaments. During his tenure, the team originally played in the University Auditorium, but later moved to Alumni Hall in 1956, and then to the Rosemont Horizon (now known as the Allstate Arena) in 1980.
The Blue Demons name has stuck with the team ever since, and it has become a source of pride and tradition for the university and its fans. The name "Blue Demons" is unique and sets the team apart from their competitors, striking fear into the hearts of their opponents and instilling a sense of loyalty and passion in their supporters.
The Blue Demons have had several notable achievements over the years. In addition to their NCAA Division I and NIT successes, they have also won two conference championships since leaving independent status following the 1990-91 season. More recently, in 2025, the Blue Demons reached the quarterfinals of the Big East men's basketball tournament, showcasing their continued competitiveness.
The DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team continues to carry the Blue Demons name with pride and honour, striving for excellence on and off the court, and upholding the values and traditions that the name represents.
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They play in the Big East Conference
DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Blue Demons, plays in the Big East Conference. The team has a rich history, with notable coaches and players who have contributed to its success over the years.
The Blue Demons play their home games at Wintrust Arena, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose sports venue in Chicago. The arena, which opened in 2017, is part of the McCormick Place convention centre in Chicago's Near South Side. Before moving to Wintrust Arena, the team played their home games at Allstate Arena from 1980 to 2017. Allstate Arena, formerly known as Rosemont Horizon, had a capacity of 17,500 for basketball games.
The Blue Demons have appeared in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament multiple times, reaching the Final Four twice in the 1942-43 and 1978-79 seasons. The team has also won one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship in 1945.
In recent years, the Blue Demons have continued to perform well. In 2025, the team reached the quarterfinals of the Big East men's basketball tournament, showcasing their competitiveness within the conference.
The Big East Conference itself has a notable history. When the original Big East split along football lines in 2013, DePaul was one of the "Catholic 7" schools that formed the core of the current Big East Conference. This move ensured that the Blue Demons would continue to compete at a high level within a conference that aligned with their values and traditions.
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DePaul has appeared in two Final Fours
DePaul University's men's basketball team, the DePaul Blue Demons, has played in two Final Fours in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The Blue Demons are 0-2 all-time in the Final Four.
The Blue Demons' first Final Four appearance came in 1943, head coach Ray Meyer's first season with the team. Meyer led the team to three more Final Four appearances in 1979, 1980, and 1981. In the 1943 NCAA basketball tournament, DePaul beat USC 89-78 and Marquette 62-58 before facing number one seed UCLA in the regional final. Despite being heavy underdogs, DePaul beat UCLA 35-26 with five minutes and fifty seconds left in the first half. The Blue Demons went on to lose in the Final Four.
Meyer, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, coached at DePaul for 42 years from 1942 to 1984. He finished with an overall record of 724-354 and led the team to 21 post-season appearances, including 13 NCAA and eight NIT appearances. During his tenure, Meyer also led the Blue Demons to their first and only post-season title in 1945.
DePaul's men's basketball team has struggled in recent years, with the program on the verge of missing the NCAA tournament for the 20th consecutive season as of 2023. The team has not qualified for the NCAA Tournament since the 2003-04 season and has finished last in the Big East conference eight out of the past ten seasons. Despite these struggles, the Blue Demons have shown signs of improvement, finishing with a 19-17 overall record in the 2018-19 season and reaching the quarterfinals of the 2025 Big East men's basketball tournament.
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The team's home games are played at Wintrust Arena
DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Blue Demons, plays in NCAA Division I. The team is well known for its basketball programme, which gained prominence under Ray Meyer, who led the Blue Demons to two NCAA Division I Final Four appearances in the 1942-43 and 1978-79 seasons.
Wintrust Arena is also the home of the DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team. The men's and women's basketball teams previously played select games at McGrath-Phillips Arena, a 3,000-seat indoor arena located in the Sullivan Athletic Center.
DePaul's men's basketball programme has a rich history, with notable players and coaches. The team has made multiple NCAA appearances and has won one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship. They have also appeared in the College Basketball Crown once, in 2025, as the #15 seed, losing to #2 seed Cincinnati in the First Round.
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Frequently asked questions
DePaul Blue Demons play in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The DePaul University Men's Basketball team is nicknamed the Blue Demons.
The Blue Demons play their home games at Wintrust Arena, which is part of the McCormick Place convention centre in Chicago, Illinois.
