Andrew Pace
DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Blue Demons, has had a history of both triumphs and challenges. The team has appeared in the College Basketball Crown once and has retired four jersey numbers. The Blue Demons play their home games at Wintrust Arena, a 10,387-seat multi-purpose sports venue in Chicago. The arena has been their home since 2017, after moving from their previous home at Allstate Arena, which was known as the Rosemont Horizon until 2017. The Blue Demons have a rich history, with former coaches like Ray Meyer, Joey Meyer, and Pat Kennedy, and players like George Mikan, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Despite some struggles in recent years, the Blue Demons are determined to turn their program around and bring success back to their proud history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Team Name | DePaul Blue Demons |
| Venue | Wintrust Arena |
| Arena Capacity | 10,387 |
| Former Venues | Alumni Hall, Rosemont Horizon/Allstate Arena |
| Former Coaches | Ray Meyer, Joey Meyer, Pat Kennedy, Dave Leitao, Jerry Wainwright |
| Current Coach | Chris Holtmann |
| Former Players | George Mikan, Mark Aguirre, Billy Garrett Jr. |
| Record | 1–1 in College Basketball Crown, 0–2 in Final Four, 1 NIT championship, 2 conference championships |
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What You'll Learn
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team play at Wintrust Arena
The DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team has had several homes over the years. The team originally played in the University Auditorium before moving to Alumni Hall in 1956. In 1980, the Blue Demons moved to the Rosemont Horizon, later renamed the Allstate Arena, where they played until 2017.
Since the 2017-2018 season, the DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team has played at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago's McCormick Square neighbourhood. The arena, which is near McCormick Place in the South Loop area of the city, is a joint project between the City of Chicago, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, and DePaul University. It features state-of-the-art amenities for the men's and women's basketball programs, as well as fans in attendance, including over 400 club seats and 22 suites. The Wintrust Arena has a capacity of 10,387 seats and is a multi-purpose sports venue.
The Blue Demons' first season at Wintrust Arena saw them finish with a record of 11-20, marking the team's eleventh straight losing season. Despite this, the move to Wintrust Arena marked a return to double-digit wins for the Blue Demons, who had previously struggled to find success on the court.
The DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University. The team competes in the Big East Conference and has appeared in the College Basketball Crown once, with an overall record of 0-1. DePaul has also retired four jersey numbers and had two of their coaches named National Coach of the Year on five occasions.
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The team has had a 20-year slump
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team has had a challenging couple of decades, with the last 20 years marked by frustration and underachievement. The team has not qualified for the NCAA March Madness tournament since the 2003-04 season, and their performance against Big East opponents has been particularly disappointing.
The 2023-24 season was especially difficult, as the Blue Demons became the first-ever Big East team to go 0-20 during conference play, with a 3-28 record overall. This was their worst season since 1996-97, and 18 of their losses were by double-digit margins. Interim head coach Matt Brady acknowledged that there were lessons to be learned and changes to be made, including a mid-season firing of head coach Tony Stubblefield. Despite this, the team showed resilience, securing an unexpected victory against Seton Hall in the first round of the Big East Tournament.
The Blue Demons play their home games at Wintrust Arena, a 10,387-seat multi-purpose sports venue in Chicago that opened in 2017. Before that, they played at the Allstate Arena, which was home to the team from 1980 until 2017, with a capacity of 17,500 for basketball.
The Blue Demons showed some improvement in the 2024-25 season, finishing with an overall record of 14-20 and reaching the quarterfinals of the Big East men's basketball tournament. They also qualified for the College Basketball Crown inaugural postseason tournament as the #15 seed, demonstrating a positive step forward in their quest to end their 20-year slump.
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They have reached the NCAA March Madness tournament twice
DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Blue Demons, has a long history of competition, with games originally taking place in the University Auditorium before moving to Alumni Hall in 1956. The team then moved to the Rosemont Horizon, later renamed the Allstate Arena, in 1980.
The Blue Demons have reached the NCAA March Madness tournament twice, in 1943 and 1979, under the leadership of coach Ray Meyer. In his tenure, Meyer led the team to 21 post-season appearances, including 13 NCAA tournaments and eight NIT tournaments. The team has had its share of success, capturing the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship in 1945 and two conference championships since leaving independent status after the 1990-91 season.
The Blue Demons have experienced both highs and lows over the years, with notable achievements including Meyer's two Final Four appearances and seven consecutive winning seasons from 1978 to 1984. However, they have also endured several losing seasons, with only one NCAA tournament win since the 1989-90 season. The team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 22 times, with a combined record of 15-21 after the NCAA vacated their appearances from 1986 to 1989.
DePaul's men's basketball team plays its home games at the Wintrust Arena, a 10,387-seat multi-purpose sports venue in Chicago. The arena opened in 2017 and has been the team's home base since then.
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The Blue Demons have had two National Coach of the Year winners
DePaul University's intercollegiate men's basketball team, the DePaul Blue Demons, has a rich history in NCAA Division I basketball. The Blue Demons play their home games at Wintrust Arena, a 10,387-seat multi-purpose sports venue in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 2017. Before that, the team played at Allstate Arena, which sat 17,500 people for basketball games.
The first head coach in DePaul Blue Demons history was Robert L. Stevenson, who coached for one season in 1923-24, compiling an 8-6 record. The team's head coach from 1942 to 1984 was the legendary Ray Meyer, who finished with an overall record of 724-354. During his tenure, the Blue Demons played in University Auditorium and Alumni Hall before moving to Allstate Arena in 1980. Meyer coached George Mikan, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, and Mark Aguirre, the 1980 Naismith College Player of the Year.
After Ray Meyer's retirement in 1984, his son, Joey Meyer, took over as head coach until 1997, compiling a record of 231-158. Pat Kennedy succeeded Joey Meyer and coached from 1997 to 2002, finishing with a 67-85 record. Dave Leitao was then named head coach for the 2002-03 season and led the team to the postseason in all three of his seasons. Jerry Wainwright was named head coach in 2005 and led the team to the 2007 National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals.
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They played at Allstate Arena until 2017
DePaul University's men's basketball team, the DePaul Blue Demons, have had a rich history in college basketball. They played at the Allstate Arena until 2017.
The Blue Demons originally played in the University Auditorium before moving to the Alumni Hall in 1956. In 1980, the team moved to the Rosemont Horizon, which was later renamed the Allstate Arena. This arena was home to the DePaul men's basketball team for 37 years, until 2017.
The Allstate Arena is a large arena with a capacity of 17,500 people for basketball games. During their time at the Allstate Arena, the Blue Demons experienced a mix of success and disappointment. They reached two Final Fours in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament but lost both times, continuing a 20-year slump.
In recent years, the team has struggled to find consistent success and has had several coaching changes. In 2017, the team moved to a new arena, the Wintrust Arena, which seats 10,387 people and is located in Chicago. This move marked the end of an era for the Blue Demons, as they left their long-time home at the Allstate Arena.
Despite the challenges, the Blue Demons and their fans remain hopeful for the future. With a new head coach, Chris Holtmann, and a roster that includes 14 new players, the team is aiming to turn their fortunes around and bring success back to DePaul men's basketball.
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Frequently asked questions
DePaul Blue Demons, the men's basketball team of DePaul University, play their home games at Wintrust Arena, a 10,387-seat multi-purpose sports venue in Chicago.
Yes, the team has had three other arenas in the past. They originally played in the University Auditorium, then moved to Alumni Hall in 1956, which was their home until 1980. From 1980 until 2017, the team played at the Rosemont Horizon, later renamed the Allstate Arena. This arena had a capacity of 17,500 for basketball games.
As of 2024, Chris Holtmann is the head coach of the DePaul Blue Demons.
The mascot is DIBS, which stands for Demon in Blue Suit.
The team has experienced a 20-year slump with frustration and underachievement being common themes. They have not been to the NCAA March Madness tournament since the 2003-04 season and have had few seasons above a .500 record. However, they have appeared in the College Basketball Crown once and have played in two Final Fours in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
