Kansas Jayhawks

Infobox college athletics
name = Kansas Jayhawks

---

size = 150px
university = University of Kansas
conference = Big 12
division = Division I
director = Lew Perkins
city = Lawrence
state = Kansas
stateabb = KS
teams = 18
stadium = University of Kansas Memorial Stadium
baseballfield = Hoglund Ballpark
arena = Allen Fieldhouse
mascot = Big Jay, Baby Jay
nickname = Jayhawks
fightsong = I'm a Jayhawk
color1 = Blue
hex1 = 006DF2
color2 = Crimson
hex2 = F20030
pageurl = http://www.kuathletics.com
pagename = www.kuathletics.com

The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They participate in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big 12 Conference. University of Kansas athletic teams have won ten total NCAA Division I championships, including three in men's basketball, one in men's cross country, three in men's indoor track and field, and three in men's outdoor track and field.

Men's sports
*Baseball
*Basketball
*Cross country
*Football
*Golf
*Track and fieldWomen's sports
*Basketball
*Cross country
*Golf
*Rowing
*Soccer
*Softball
*Swimming and diving
*Tennis
*Track and field
*Volleyball

Origins of "Jayhawk"

The Jayhawk is a cross between two common birds -- the noisy blue jay and the quiet sparrow hawk. The term came to prominence just before the Civil War, in Bleeding Kansas, where it was adopted by militant abolitionist groups known as Jayhawkers. With the admission of Kansas as a free state in 1861, Jayhawker became synonymous with the people of Kansas. The Jayhawk appears in several Kansas cheers, most notably, the "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk" chant in unison before and during games. [http://www.ku.edu/about/traditions/chant.shtml]

Championships

Conference championships & titles

Big 12 Conference champions have the best conference regular season record, and titles are awarded to the winner of the postseason championship tournament.

;Men's Basketball [Cite web| url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/big12/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/record_book.pdf| title=Big 12 Record Book: Men's Basketball| accessdate=2006-12-01|] The Jayhawks have won 51 conference championships since their inception. The Jayhawks have belonged to the Big 12 Conference since it formed before the 1996–97 season. Before that, the Jayhawks have belonged to the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association from the 1907–08 to 1927–28 seasons, the Big Six Conference from 1928–29 to 1946–47, the Big Seven Conference from 1947–48 to 1957–58, the Big Eight Conference from 1958–59 up until the end of the 1995–96 season. It should be noted that the Big Six and Big Seven conferences were actually the more often used names of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which existed under that official name until 1964, when it was changed to the Big Eight. [cite web|url=http://kuathletics.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/kan/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/mbaskbl-0708-mg-eight|title=2007-08 Media Guide|publisher=Kansas Jayhawks|accessdate=2008-04-05]

Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (13)
*1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927

Big Six Conference (12)
*1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946

Big Seven Conference (5)
*1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957

Big Eight Conference (13)
*1960, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996

Big 12 Conference (8):1997 - Big 12 regular-season and tournament champion - coached by Roy Williams, won 87-60 over Missouri:1998 - Big 12 regular-season and tournament champion - coached by Roy Williams, won 72-58 over Oklahoma:1999 - Big 12 tournament champion - coached by Roy Williams, won 53-37 over Oklahoma State:2002 - Big 12 regular-season champion - coached by Roy Williams, was undefeated (16-0), lost the title game 64-55 to #2 seeded Oklahoma. Reached Final Four before losing to eventual National Champion Maryland.:2003 - Big 12 regular-season champion - coached by Roy Williams. Defeated in title game of the NCAA Tournament by Syracuse.:2005 - Big 12 regular-season co-champion with Oklahoma. Lost in Big 12 Tournament final to 4 seed Oklahoma State. - coached by Bill Self:2006 - Big 12 regular-season co-champion with Texas and tournament champion - coached by Self, won 80-68 over #1 seeded Texas:2007 - Big 12 regular season champion and tournament champion - coached by Self, won 88-84 in OT over #3 seeded Texas:2008 - Big 12 regular season co-champion with Texas and tournament champion - coached by Self, won 84-74 over #1 seeded Texas

;Women's Basketball [Cite web| url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/big12/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/record_book.pdf| title=Big 12 Record Book: Women's Basketball| accessdate=2006-12-01|] :1997 - Big 12 champion - coached by Marian Washington

;Football:1892 Western Interstate University Football Association champion:1893 Western Interstate University Football Association champion (tie):1895 Western Interstate University Football Association champion (tie):1908 - MVIAA champion - coached by A.R. Kennedy, was undefeated (4-0; 9-0 overall):1930 - Big 6 champion - coached by Bill Hargiss:1946 - Big 6 champion (tie) - coached by George Sauer:1947 - Big 6 champion (tie) - coached by Sauer:1968 - Big 8 champion (tie) - coached by Pepper Rodgers

;Baseball:2006 - Big 12 tournament champion - defeated Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Nebraska in the Conference playoffs.

;Soccer:2004 - Big 12 regular season co-champion - coached by Mark Francis

;Softball [Cite web| url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/big12/sports/w-softbl/auto_pdf/record_book.pdf| title=Big 12 Record Book: Softball| accessdate=2006-12-01|] :2006 - Big 12 tournament champion - won 4-2 over Oklahoma and outscored opponents 13-3 in four games

National championships

;Men's Basketball:1922 Helms Basketball Champion - coached by Phog Allen:1923 Helms Basketball Champion - coached by Phog Allen:1952 - coached by Phog Allen, won 80-63 over St. John's:1988 - coached by Larry Brown, won 83-79 over Oklahoma:2008 - coached by Bill Self, won 75-68 over Memphis in overtime

;Men's Cross Country:1953

;Men's Indoor Track:1966 - 1969 - 1970

;Men's Outdoor Track:1959 - 1960 - 1970

BCS Bowls

:2008 - Orange Bowl Champions; defeated Virginia Tech 24-21 - coached by Mark Mangino

Basketball

Men's basketball

In Street & Smith's Annual list of 100 greatest college basketball programs of all time in 2005, KU ranked 4th. [100 Greatest Programs [http://daresler.net/info/top/basketball-programs/] ] With the regular season finale victory in 2007 over the University of Texas, Kansas won its 1900th game. Only Kentucky and North Carolina have won more basketball games. On November 8th, 1988, KU became the first NCAA basketball champion to be barred from defending its title. This probation from the NCAA was the result of major violations largely involving illegal benefits provided to Vincent Askew, a potential transfer recruit. The primary violation was the provision of a plane ticket home to see his sick grandmother. [NCAA Penalty Hits KU Hard [http://www2.kusports.com/news/1988/nov/08/ncaa_penalty_hits_ku_hard/] ]

Women's basketball

Kansas first fielded a women's team during the 1968-1969 season. For thirty-one seasons (1973-2004) the women's team was coached by Marian Washington, who led the team to three Big Eight championships, eleven NCAA Tournament appearances and four AIAW Tournament appearances. The team's best post-season result was a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1996.

Former players and coaches in the Basketball Hall of Fame

*Lynette Woodard, player and coach

Women's basketball coaches

Head women's basketball coaches, including win-loss record and years coached:
*Marlene Mawson, (19-16), 1968-1971
*Debbie Artman, (9-8), 1971-1972
*Sharon Drysdale, (9-8), 1972-1973
*Marian Washington, (555-363), 1973-2004
*Bonnie Henrickson, (40-49), 2004-present

Football

2008 Football and Basketball Record

In the 2007-2008 Football and Basketball seasons, KU amassed a combined 49-4 record (12-1 Football, 37-3 Basketball), which is the most combined wins ever by a NCAA Division I program. [Cite web| url=http://www.ncaa.com/basketball-mens/article.aspx?id=182162| title=Team Notables| accessdate=2008-05-16|]

Rivalries

Since the inception of collegiate athletics at the University of Kansas, the main rival of Kansas has been the University of Missouri. The schools annually compete in the Border War. The historic rivalry between Kansas and Missouri dates back to the Civil War, when pro-Confederate guerillas from Missouri raided the pro-Union city of Lawrence in response to Pro-Union raids into Missouri. The rivalry between the two schools today has been described as one of the most intense in the nation. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/the_bonus/11/20/kansas.mizzou/ SI.com - Writers - The Bonus: Heated Kansas-Missouri rivalry dates back to 1800s - Friday November 23, 2007 8:12AM ] ]

Kansas' in-state rival is Kansas State University. The series between Kansas and Kansas State is known as the Sunflower Showdown.

A recent rival of Kansas, especially in basketball, has been the University of Texas. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=280760251 ESPN - Kansas vs. Texas - Recap - March 16, 2008 ] ] Since the two schools joined the same Conference in 1996, they have often competed for basketball dominance of the Big 12. Texas and Kansas have met the last three years in the Big 12 Tournament, with Kansas winning all three.

Kansas and the University of Nebraska have the third longest uninterrupted series in football in the nation, dating back to 1892.

Notable athletes

*Bob Allison, Major League Baseball player, Minnesota Twins
*Ferrell Anderson, Major League Baseball catcher, Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals
*Gilbert Brown, 10 year NFL defensive tackle, Green Bay Packers
*Wilt Chamberlain, Basketball Hall of Fame
*Nick Collison, NBA Player, former Team USA member, power forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder
*Jon Cornish, 2006 First Team All-Big 12, second round draft pick of the Calgary Stampeders
*Nolan Cromwell, 1975 Big 8 Offensive Player of the Year, All-Pro safety, Los Angeles Rams
*Wayne Simien, first-round draft pick by the Miami Heat
*Scot Pollard, power forward for the Boston Celtics
*Glenn Cunningham, 2-time US Olympic Runner, Silver Medalist 1936 Berlin Olympics, dominant runner of the 1930's
*Bobby Douglass, All-American QB, 13 year NFL player
*Drew Gooden, NBA Player, starting power forward for the Chicago Bulls
*Charles Gordon, NFL player, cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings
*John Hadl, 2-time All-American, one year as a halfback and one year as quarterback; 16 year NFL player
*Justin Hartwig, NFL player, center for the Carolina Panthers, holds distinctin of being the NFL's highest paid center
*Kirk Hinrich, Starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls
*Adrian Jones, NFL player, offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs
*Raef LaFrentz, NBA Player, power forward for the Portland Trailblazers.
*Danny Manning, Basketball player and coach. 2-time All-American 1988 recipient of the Naismith & Wooden Awards, Big 8 Player of the Decade for the 1980's, 2-time NBA All-Star
*Curtis McClinton, 3-time All-Pro running back, Kansas City Chiefs
*Mike McCormack, NFL Hall of Fame tackle. Former NFL head coach and GM.
*David McMillan, NFL player, linebacker for the Cleveland Browns
*Billy Mills, First American to win gold medal in the 10,000m run, 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games
*Moran Norris, NFL player, fullback for the San Francisco 49ers
*Al Oerter, Olympic gold medal discus thrower in four consecutive Olympiads
*Paul Pierce, NBA Basketball player, Boston Celtics starting SF, 2008 NBA Finals MVP, MVP of the Big 12 Conference Tournament in both 1997 and 1998 NBA
*Willie Pless, All-American LB, CFL Hall of Famer, all-time tackling leader at KU and the CFL
*Nick Reid, 2-time All-Big 12, 2005 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
*Steve Renko, Major League Baseball pitcher, California Angels
*John Riggins, NFL Hall of Fame running back, MVP of Super Bowl XVII
*Dave Robisch, All-American forward, 2-time Big 8 Player of the Year, 13-year ABA/NBA player
*Jim Ryun, World record holder in mile, Olympic silver medalist, former Congressman
*Tony Sands, All-American running back, 1991 Big 8 Offensive Player of the Year
* Wes Santee, American middle distance runner and athlete, 1952 Olympics
*Gale Sayers, 2-time All American, NFL Hall of Fame running back, Chicago Bears
*Dana Stubblefield, All-American, 3-time All-Pro defensive tackle, 1997 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
*Darnell Valentine, All-American guard, 3-time Academic All-American, 9-year NBA player
*Jacque Vaughn, All-American player, point guard for the San Antonio Spurs
*Rex Walters, played on KU Final Four team in 1993, played seven years in NBA, current coach of the University of San Francisco men's basketball team.
*Jo Jo White, All-American guard, 12-year NBA player
* Julian Wright, 2007 NBA Draft Pick #13 - New Orleans Hornets

Athletic directors

James Naismith also served as athletic director in some fashion in the years prior to Hamilton. Hamilton is the first official athletic director.

*W.O. Hamilton - 1911-19
*Phog Allen - 1919-37
*Gwinn Henry - 1938-42
*Karl Klooz - 1943 (interim)
*Ernie Quigley - 1944-49
*Arthur Lonborg - 1950-63
*Wade R. Stinson - 1964-72
*Clyde Walker - 1973-77
*Bob Marcum - 1978-81
*Del Shankel - 1981 (interim)
*Jim Lessig - 1982
*Del Shankel - 1982 (interim)
*Monte Johnson - 1982-87
*Bob Frederick - 1987-2001
*Allen Bohl - 2001-03
*Drue Jennings - 2003 (interim)
*Lew Perkins - 2003-Present

References

*Cite book| last=Falkenstien| first=Max| authorlink=Max Falkenstien| coauthors=as told to Doug Vance| title=Max and the Jayhawks: 50 years on and off the air with KU Sports| year=1996| publisher=The Wichita Eagle & Beacon Publishing Company, Inc| location=Wichita, Kansas| id=|

Notes

Further reading

*University of Kansas Traditions: [http://www.ku.edu/about/traditions/jayhawk.shtml The Jayhawk]
*Kirke Mechem, " [http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1944/44_1_mechem.htm The Mythical Jayhawk] ", "Kansas Historical Quarterly" XIII: 1 (February 1944), pp. 3–15. A tongue-in-cheek history and description of the Mythical Jayhawk.

External links

* [http://www.kuathletics.com Kansas Athletics] , the official KU Athletics site
* [http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/sports/colleges/university_of_kansas/ Kansas.com] , The "Wichita Eagle's" coverage
* [http://www.kusports.com KUsports.com] , The "Lawrence Journal-World"'s coverage of KU sports