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La Salle University's basketball team, the Explorers, compete in the NCAA Division I. The team has a rich history, winning the 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and producing notable alumni, including Hall-of-Famer Tom Gola and eight-time All-Star Larry Foust. The Explorers are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five, an informal association that crowns a champion and awards honours. The team's home base is the Tom Gola Arena, which has hosted Explorers basketball since 1998. La Salle University sponsors a range of NCAA-sanctioned sports, including men's and women's basketball, with the women's team beginning play in the 1972-73 season and competing in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament five times.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Division | NCAA Division I |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Association | Philadelphia Big Five |
| Team Name | Explorers |
| Home Arena | Tom Gola Arena |
| Former Home | McCarthy Stadium |
| Primary Rivals | Saint Joseph's, Temple, Villanova, Pennsylvania |
| Number of Varsity Sports | 19 |
| Number of Men's Varsity Sports | 7 |
| Number of Women's Varsity Sports | 11 |
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What You'll Learn
- La Salle University Explorers compete in NCAA Division I basketball
- They are part of the Atlantic 10 Conference
- The women's basketball team has been to the NCAA Division I tournament 5 times
- La Salle's basketball team plays at the Tom Gola Arena
- The university has a rivalry with other Philadelphia Big Five schools
La Salle University Explorers compete in NCAA Division I basketball
The La Salle University Explorers compete in the NCAA Division I basketball league. They are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Explorers have a rich history in basketball, with the men's team winning the 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and the women's team competing in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament five times.
The Explorers' basketball team has produced several notable players, including Hall-of-Famer Tom Gola, eight-time All-Star Larry Foust, and Lionel Simmons, the third-leading scorer in NCAA Division I history. The team has also had success in other sports, such as field hockey, with a national championship win in 1980.
La Salle University sponsors a wide range of NCAA-sanctioned sports, including 7 men's and 11 women's sports, as well as one men's sport that is not recognised by the NCAA. The university is constantly expanding its athletic offerings, with women's golf and men's and women's water polo added in recent years.
The La Salle Explorers basketball team plays its home games at the Tom Gola Arena, located on the university's campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The arena has a capacity of 4,000 and has been the home of the Explorers since 1998. Prior to that, the team played at various venues in downtown Philadelphia, such as The Palestra and the Philadelphia Civic Center.
The Explorers have several rivals within the Philadelphia Big Five, including Saint Joseph's, Temple, Villanova, and the University of Pennsylvania. The rivalry with Saint Joe's is particularly intense, given their shared conference affiliation and Catholic heritage. La Salle University's athletic programmes have a proud history and continue to thrive in NCAA Division I competition.
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They are part of the Atlantic 10 Conference
La Salle University's basketball team, the Explorers, are part of the Atlantic 10 Conference, competing in NCAA Division I basketball. The Explorers have a rich history in basketball, with the men's team winning the 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and the women's team competing in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament five times.
The Atlantic 10 Conference is a competitive division in college basketball, and La Salle has been a member of this conference for several years. As part of the Atlantic 10, La Salle University sponsors teams in a variety of sports, including 7 men's and 11 women's NCAA-sanctioned sports. The University also has one men's sport that is not recognised by the NCAA.
In addition to their participation in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the La Salle Explorers are also a part of the Philadelphia Big Five, an informal association that includes other Philadelphia colleges. This association has existed since 1955, and La Salle has competed in both the Big Five and its formal conference concurrently. The Explorers' primary rivals within the Big Five are Saint Joseph's, Temple, Villanova, and Pennsylvania, with the rivalry between La Salle and Saint Joe's being particularly intense due to their shared Catholic identity.
The La Salle Explorers basketball team plays its home games at the Tom Gola Arena, located on the university's campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The arena has a capacity of 4,000 and has been the home of Explorers basketball since 1998. Prior to that, the team played at various venues in downtown Philadelphia, such as The Palestra and the Philadelphia Civic Center.
La Salle University's basketball programme has produced several notable players who have gone on to successful careers in the NBA and ABA, including Hall-of-Famer Tom Gola, eight-time All-Star Larry Foust, and Lionel Simmons, the third-leading scorer in NCAA Division I history. The University has also had alumni represent them in other sports, such as NFL linemen George Somers and Mike Mandarino.
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The women's basketball team has been to the NCAA Division I tournament 5 times
La Salle University in Philadelphia fields varsity sports teams known as the La Salle Explorers. The Explorers compete in the NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The women's basketball team began competing in the 1972-73 season and has since participated in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament five times.
La Salle University sponsors teams in 7 men's and 11 women's NCAA-sanctioned sports, with the most recent additions being women's golf and men's and women's water polo for the 2016-17 season. The university will also be adding acrobatics and tumbling, rugby, and triathlon to its roster of women's sports in the future as part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.
The Explorers nickname for La Salle University's sports teams is derived from a mistake made by a local Philadelphia sportswriter. The writer thought the university was named after the French explorer Sieur de La Salle, when in fact, it is named after St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle. Nevertheless, the nickname stuck, and the university's teams have been known as the Explorers ever since.
The La Salle Explorers women's basketball team has had a successful history, reaching the NCAA Division I tournament five times. This achievement adds to the university's athletic accomplishments, which include a national championship in the 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and a historic rivalry with the Hawks of Saint Joseph's University, particularly in men's basketball.
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La Salle's basketball team plays at the Tom Gola Arena
La Salle University is a Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its sports teams are called the Explorers—a name derived from a mistake made by a local sportswriter in 1931. The writer believed the university was named after French explorer Sieur de La Salle, when in fact, it is named after St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. The students loved the mistake so much that they officially adopted the name in 1932.
The La Salle Explorers men's basketball team has been ranked as one of the greatest college basketball programs of all time. They have won one National Championship (1954), one National Invitation Tournament Championship (1952), and advanced to two Final Fours. The women's basketball team began play in the 1972–73 season and has been to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament five times.
The La Salle Explorers men's and women's basketball teams play their home games at the Tom Gola Arena, which opened in 1998. The arena is located at 1900 W. Olney Ave. in the Logan-Ogontz/Belfield neighborhood of Philadelphia. The arena was originally known as the John Glaser Basketball Arena at Trumark Financial Center, but it was renamed in honour of basketball legend and La Salle alumnus Tom Gola. Gola led La Salle to the 1954 NCAA championship and was a five-time NBA All-Star.
The Tom Gola Arena has a unique design, as it was retrofitted into the top floor of an existing gym structure. While the design may not provide the best atmosphere for college basketball, the level of competition in the Atlantic 10 Conference is very good. Tickets for games at the Tom Gola Arena are reasonably priced, ranging from $15 to $20, and free parking is available nearby.
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The university has a rivalry with other Philadelphia Big Five schools
La Salle University's basketball team, the La Salle Explorers, compete in NCAA Division I. The university is part of the Philadelphia Big 5, an association of six college athletic programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The other members of the Big 5 are Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), Saint Joseph's, Temple, and Villanova.
The Philadelphia Big 5 was formed in 1955, a year after La Salle won the 1954 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. The group was created to showcase Philadelphia's basketball talent and help pay for the upkeep of the Palestra, located on the University of Pennsylvania's campus, where the games were historically played. The Big 5 has helped to foster intense rivalries among some of the schools.
La Salle University has rivalries with other Philadelphia Big 5 schools, particularly with Villanova and Saint Joseph's. The rivalry between Saint Joseph's and Villanova is known as the "Holy War", influenced by their Catholic affiliations. La Salle's Dr. John Giannini acknowledged that the Big 5 is the only reason why a school like Villanova would play a program like La Salle. Villanova is considered one of the nation's elite college basketball universities, with a strong brand recognition.
The rivalry between Saint Joseph's and Temple also intensified in the 2000s after an incident known as "Goon Gate". During a 2005 matchup, Temple head coach John Chaney, frustrated with the officiating, ordered his players to intentionally foul Saint Joseph's forward John Bryant, resulting in a fractured arm. Chaney's unsportsmanlike conduct led to a suspension for the remainder of the season.
The competition between Villanova and Temple is considered the best rivalry within the Big 5. They are the two most accomplished teams in the group, with Temple being the only team that has consistently challenged Villanova. La Salle University's basketball program, as part of the Philadelphia Big 5, has fostered rivalries and intensified competition among Philadelphia's top collegiate basketball teams.
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Frequently asked questions
La Salle University basketball is in NCAA Division I.
La Salle University Explorers basketball competes as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Yes, the men's basketball team won the 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The women's basketball team has been to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament 5 times.
