Loyola New Orleans Basketball: Which Division?

what division is loyola new orleans basketball

The Loyola Wolf Pack represents Loyola University, New Orleans, in intercollegiate athletics. The Wolf Pack primarily competes in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), which is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The basketball team won the NAIA National Championship in 1945 and 2022. They also made the NAIA National Semi-finals in 1946 and the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1954, 1957, and 1958.

Characteristics Values
Name of the team Loyola Wolf Pack
University Loyola University New Orleans
Conference Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC)
Association National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
Division NAIA Division I
Number of players in the men's basketball team 20
Number of players in the women's basketball team 17

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Loyola Wolf Pack

The Loyola Wolf Pack represents Loyola University, New Orleans, in intercollegiate athletics. The Wolf Pack primarily competes in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), which is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Loyola Wolf Pack has been a member of the NAIA Division I since the 2010-11 academic year, having previously competed in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) from 1995-96 to 2009-10.

The Loyola Wolf Pack supports a range of sports, including baseball, basketball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and swimming. The basketball team has a rich history, winning the NAIA National Championship in 1945 and 2022. They also reached the NAIA National Semi-finals in 1946 and the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1954, 1957, and 1958.

The Wolf Pack's baseball team plays its home games at Segnette Field, a 750-seat stadium, and is currently led by head coach Jeremy Kennedy. The men's and women's tennis teams play their home matches at the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center. The volleyball team represents Loyola University in intercollegiate competitions and plays its home games at the University Sports Complex.

Loyola University's swimming teams compete in the Sun Conference of the NAIA and have consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally. The men's and women's swimming teams are led by dedicated coaches and have a significant number of team members.

The Loyola Wolf Pack has a strong following and a proud history in intercollegiate athletics. With a range of sports on offer, the Wolf Pack provides opportunities for student-athletes to excel and represents Loyola University, New Orleans, in competitions across the NAIA Division I.

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NAIA Division I

The Loyola Wolf Pack represents Loyola University, New Orleans, in intercollegiate athletics. The Wolf Pack is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC). The NAIA is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. It was established in 1940 and currently has around 250 member institutions, with over 77,000 student-athletes participating.

The NAIA offers a diverse range of 27 sports, with a minimum requirement of 6 sports per institution. It is the first association to admit colleges and universities from outside the United States, beginning with Canadian members in 1967. The NAIA has a strong commitment to providing character-driven intercollegiate athletics and supporting students in attaining their educational and athletic goals. It also tends to be more affordable for colleges and universities to sponsor competitive athletics in the NAIA than in Division I, II, or III of the NCAA.

The NAIA has a rich history of promoting equality in sports. In 1948, the NAIB national tournament—the predecessor of the NAIA—became the first intercollegiate postseason to feature a Black student-athlete, Clarence Walker of Indiana State. In 1953, the association furthered its commitment to African-American athletes by inviting historically black colleges and universities into its membership. Additionally, the NAIA began sponsoring intercollegiate championships for women in 1980, offering championships in various sports such as basketball, volleyball, and tennis.

Loyola University New Orleans has several teams competing in the NAIA, including basketball, baseball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. The basketball team won the NAIA National Championship in 1945 and 2022, and the baseball team competed in its first NAIA World Series in 2025. Loyola's teams play their home games at various locations, including the University Sports Complex and Segnette Field.

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Southern States Athletic Conference

The Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Loyola Wolf Pack, the athletic teams representing Loyola University New Orleans, compete in the SSAC. The Loyola Wolf Pack has been a member of the SSAC since the 2010-11 academic year.

The SSAC was established in 2004 when the GACC was rebranded as the SSAC for the 2004-05 academic year. The conference has seen a number of schools join and leave over the years. For example, Berry College and Lee University joined the SSAC in the same year that it was established, while schools like Reinhardt, Auburn-Montgomery, and Belhaven have left the SSAC to join other conferences.

The SSAC offers a range of sports for both men and women, including basketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis, and track and field. The Loyola Wolf Pack basketball team has had notable successes, winning the NAIA National Championship in 1945 and 2022, and the swimming teams have consistently been ranked in the top 10 nationally.

The SSAC is a competitive conference that provides opportunities for intercollegiate athletics and has produced successful athletes. Emmett Toppino, a Loyola runner, won a gold medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics, and Loyola boxer Eddie Flynn won a welterweight gold medal at the same Olympic Games.

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Intercollegiate athletics

The Wolf Pack previously competed in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) from 1995-96 to 2009-10. The team's basketball squad won the 1945 NAIA National Championship and also made the 1946 NAIA National Semi-finals. They have since made the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1954, 1957, and 1958. The team has had recent success as well, winning the NAIA National Championship in 2022 under the leadership of coach Stacy Hollowell.

Loyola's intercollegiate teams are almost entirely funded through student activity fees, as stipulated in a student referendum passed in 1991. The university's athletics program offers a variety of sports for students to participate in, including baseball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's swimming, men's golf, and volleyball. The men's tennis team plays their home matches at the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, while the baseball team plays at Segnette Field, and the volleyball team plays at the University Sports Complex.

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at Loyola supports the university's Ignatian mission to develop the whole person, preparing student-athletes for excellence in both academics and competitions. The department also manages community wellness and recreation offerings, including intramurals, club sports, and on-campus fitness and swimming facilities.

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Basketball history

The Loyola Wolf Pack represents Loyola University, New Orleans, in intercollegiate athletics. The Wolf Pack are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and primarily compete in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC).

The Loyola basketball team has a rich history, dating back to the 1940s. They won the NAIA National Championship in 1945 and reached the NAIA National Semi-finals in 1946. The team then made the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1954, 1957, and 1958.

After a long drought, the Loyola Wolf Pack basketball team found success again in 2022, winning the NAIA National Championship once more. This victory came 77 years after their first national title. The team has qualified for the NAIA National Tournament 12 consecutive seasons since 2013-14 under the leadership of head coach Kellie Kennedy.

Prior to the 2010-11 academic year, the Wolf Pack competed in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) from 1995-96 to 2009-10. Loyola's intercollegiate athletics program was discontinued in 1972 due to "educational and financial" reasons but was reinstated in 1991 due to student appeals and a referendum.

Today, the Loyola Wolf Pack basketball team continues to compete in the Southern States Athletic Conference and represents Loyola University, New Orleans, with pride.

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