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Northwestern Wildcats

The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's NCAA Division I sports teams and is marketed as "Chicago's Big Ten Team". The mascot is Willie the Wildcat.

Northwestern Wildcats
UniversityNorthwestern University
ConferenceBig Ten (primary)
CCFC (fencing)
NCAADivision I (FBS)
Athletic directorDerrick Gragg
LocationEvanston, Illinois
Varsity teams19 (8 men’s and 11 women’s)
Football stadiumRyan Field
Basketball arenaWelsh-Ryan Arena
MascotWillie the Wildcat
NicknameWildcats
Fight songGo U ! Northwestern !
ColorsPurple and white[1]
   
Websitewww.nusports.com
Big Ten logo in Northwestern's colors.

History edit

Northwestern is a charter member of the Big Ten Conference and has been the only private university in the conference since the University of Chicago left in 1946. With approximately 8,000 undergraduate students, it is the smallest school in the Big Ten.

Currently, Northwestern fields 19 intercollegiate athletic teams (8 men's and 11 women's) in addition to numerous club sports. Recent success by the Wildcats includes: Northwestern Football's bowl game victories (2016–2018, 2020, and 2023) and its 2018 and 2020 Big Ten West title; Women's Basketball winning the 2020 Big Ten regular season championship; Women's Lacrosse winning the 2019 and 2021 Big Ten tournament title, 2021 Big Ten Regular Season title, and 2023 national championship; Women's Field Hockey winning the 2021 NCAA tournament title and returning to the championship game in 2023; Softball earning the 2019 and 2022 NCAA Regional Championship in Evanston and reaching the 2022 Women's College World Series; Wrestling's Sebastian Rivera winning an individual Big Ten championship in 2019 and Ryan Deakin winning an individual NCAA championship in 2022; Fencing claiming multiple Midwest Fencing Conference championships in 2018, 2019 and 2021; Women's Tennis securing the 2018 Big Ten regular season crown; and Women's Diver Olivia Rosendahl collecting individual NCAA championships in both 2018 and 2019.

Mascot edit

The Northwestern Athletics' mascot is Willie the Wildcat. However, the team's first mascot was a live, caged bear cub from the Lincoln Park Zoo named Furpaw. In fall 1923, Furpaw was driven to the playing field to greet the fans before each game. After a losing season, the team decided that Furpaw was the harbinger of bad luck and Willie made his debut ten years later in 1933. Willie initially debuted as a logo, coming to life later in 1947, when members of the Alpha Delta fraternity dressed up as him during the Homecoming parade. Now, Willie attends at least one event of each varsity sport throughout the year and dons replica uniforms whenever possible.[2]

Origin of the name edit

Northwestern's athletic teams are nicknamed the Wildcats. Before 1924, they were known as "The Purple" and unofficially as "The Fighting Methodists." The name Wildcats was bestowed upon the university in 1924 by Wallace Abbey, a writer for the Chicago Daily Tribune who wrote that even in a loss to the University of Chicago, "Football players had not come down from Evanston; wildcats would be a name better suited to Coach Glenn Thistletwaite's boys." The team was also referred to in the article as "a Purple wall of wildcats." The name was so popular that university board members made "Wildcats" the official nickname just months later. In 1972, the student body voted to change the official nickname from "Wildcats" to "Purple Haze" but the new name never stuck.

Traditions edit

 
The Northwestern University "Wildcat" Marching Band forms the "Sculpted N" and performs "Go U Northwestern!" to close its pregame performance at the 2005 Sun Bowl under the direction of Daniel J. Farris.

The Northwestern Wildcats have several traditions relating to its athletics teams including the official chant, "Go U! NU!” and the Wildcats' fight song, "Go U! Northwestern!” A secondary fight song is "Rise Northwestern (Push on Song),” the final 4-measure tag (ending with a shouted "Go 'Cats!”) of which is often played after first downs. The alma mater is played by the Marching Band and sung by fans, students, and the team after each game. Victories by the football team are celebrated by lighting the face of the clock tower on south campus in Northwestern purple.[3]

In addition, Northwestern Football honors former head coach Randy Walker with a pregame "Walk with Us" event before each home football game where the band, cheerleaders, and fans greet the team as they arrive to Ryan Field and head to the locker room. Additionally, the Northwestern Wildcats share an intrastate rivalry with the Illinois Fighting Illini and its football programs play for the Land of Lincoln Trophy after retiring the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy in 2008.

Athletics Department edit

Leadership edit

Northwestern Athletics, also known as the Northwestern University Department of Athletics and Recreation, was long led by Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation, Dr. James J. (Jim) Phillips. Phillips became Northwestern's 21st director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation in April 2008. Phillips has earned several awards and appointments including the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year in both 2012 and 2016, the 2018 Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year, and Vice Chair of the 2020–21 NCAA Men's Basketball Selection Committee, expected to chair the committee in the following year. Phillips leads the department with focus on providing student-athletes with a "world-class experience" that enables them to thrive academically, socially, and athletically.

Under Phillips' leadership, Northwestern student-athletes have achieved impressive academic feats. Northwestern scored a 98-percent in the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR), a figure which led all FBS schools for the second consecutive year. The Wildcats have scored a 96-percent or higher in every year that GSR data has been released, finishing in the top four among FBS schools all 15 years. Additionally, Phillips oversaw the creation of the department's NU for Life program, providing student-athletes with professional development opportunities and resources, as well as the department's first-ever community relations position, dedicated to connecting the department with the community. Moreover, Northwestern Athletics launched the ongoing "Chicago's Big Ten Team" campaign and the first master facility plan study with Phillips at the helm.

Phillips has a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, a master's degree in education from Arizona State University, and a PhD in educational administration from the University of Tennessee.

In January 2021, Phillips left Northwestern to become the commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.[4] Mike Polisky, Northwestern's deputy athletic director for external affairs since 2010, was promoted to replace Phillips.[5] On May 12, 2021, amidst much controversy and protest from students and other members of the Northwestern community, Polisky stepped down. Schapiro named Northwestern linguistics professor Robert Gundlach as interim AD.[6]

Under Armour Partnership edit

In December 2011, Northwestern University announced a multiyear partnership with Under Armour as its official outfitter of the university's athletic program. Under Armour began outfitting the Northwestern Wildcats in 2012–13 and the partnership marked Under Armour's first with a Big Ten team.[7] Now, Northwestern is one of three Big Ten teams sporting Under Armour gear. Since the partnership began, the Wildcats have introduced a number of exclusive uniform designs, including its hallmark Gothic uniforms for several sports (debuted in 2014 with football[8]), its Gothic Ice line in 2020 for women's lacrosse and softball,[9] as well as the "By the Players" uniforms for the men's basketball program to debut on Senior Day each season.[10] In addition, the football program's CFB 150th Anniversary uniforms, worn in 2019,[11] earned the first place spot on Uniswag's weekly countdown that features the Top 10 college football uniforms each week.[12]

Chicago's Big Ten Team edit

In 2010, Northwestern Athletics launched its first-ever wide-ranging marketing campaign in department history. The ongoing "Chicago's Big Ten Team" campaign is intended to increase the Wildcats' presence around Chicago and raise local and regional awareness of Northwestern University. The Northwestern Wildcats reside in the city of Evanston and have a campus in Chicago along Lake Michigan. Northwestern remains the only Division I FBS institution in the Chicago area.

Over the last several years, the Northwestern Wildcats have increased their presence in the Chicago area through relationships with Chicago sports teams and venues. Under Phillips' direction, Northwestern sports programs have hosted games at U.S. Cellular Field (home of the Chicago White Sox) and Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs), in addition to partnering with the White Sox, Cubs, Blackhawks, and Arlington Park to host Northwestern-themed promotional days throughout the year.

The Foundation edit

Northwestern Athletics' Studio N debuted The Foundation in 2015. It includes "exclusive access" inside team meetings and road trips in addition to hearing from the coaches and players on the sidelines and in the locker room.[13] The Foundation won the Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports Programs – Program Series in December 2017[14] and has earned multiple NACDA/SVG College Sports Video awards.

"The Foundation: Expect Victory" was an eight-episode series that reviewed Northwestern Football's run to the 1995 Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl game. The series aired on Wednesdays during fall 2020 on NBC Sports Chicago and each episode was released online after each airing.[13]

Sports sponsored edit

Men's sports Women's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country[15]
Football Fencing[16]
Golf[17] Field hockey
Soccer Golf[18]
Swimming & diving[19] Lacrosse
Tennis[20] Soccer[21]
Wrestling[22] Softball
Swimming & diving[23]
Tennis[24]
Volleyball[25]

Football edit

The Northwestern Wildcats football[26] team has evidence of organization as early as 1876, but evidence confirms that Northwestern football was played in 1882 as a group of Northwestern men played a "football heat" against a group of Lake Forest men. The Wildcats have since achieved an all-time high rank of No. 1 during the 1936 and 1962 seasons, which has thus far not been duplicated. The team plays home games at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern Football has played in a total of 16 bowl games, including 10 appearances in just 10 seasons between 2008 and 2020. The Wildcats won three consecutive bowl games in 2016–18. Despite the Wildcats challenging season in 2019, the 2020 season marked their most recent seasons of success. In 2020, the Wildcats were Big Ten West Champions and bowl game champions. In addition, defensive Coordinator, Mike Hankwitz, who has been with Northwestern Football since 2008, received his 400 career win on January 1, 2021. Perhaps the most memorable Northwestern Football season was in 1995 as the Wildcats won the Big Ten Championship and saw their first Rose Bowl berth in nearly 50 years. Despite recent success, the Wildcats still hold the record for the longest losing streak in Division I-A football with 34 consecutive losses between 1979 and 1982.

Following the sudden death of football coach Randy Walker in 2006, 31-year-old and former All-American Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald assumed the position becoming the youngest Division I FBS coach at the time. The Wildcats earned their first-ever Big Ten West title and berth in the Big Ten Championship game in 2018. Fitzgerald was named the consensus Big Ten Coach of the Year and a finalist for the 2018 Dodd Trophy that season. Most recently, Fitzgerald earned the 2020 Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year. Fitzgerald was fired as head coach on July 10, 2023, following a hazing scandal.[27][28] He was replaced by David Braun, who was originally hired as Northwestern's defensive coordinator in January 2023, and subsequently interim-head coach in July 2023. Braun was officially introduced as head coach on November 15, 2023, after snapping a 14-game road game losing streak at Wisconsin. Braun came from North Dakota State University, where he served in the same position for four seasons, leading the Bison to two FCS National Championships.[29]

Former Wildcats active in the National Football League going into the 2020 season include Ibraheim Campbell, Austin Carr, Garrett Dickerson, Joe Gaziano, Nate Hall, Blake Hance, Montre Hartage, Justin Jackson, Joe Jones, Tyler Lancaster, Dean Lowry, Sherrick McManis, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Trevor Siemian, Clayton Thorson, Dan Vitale, and Anthony Walker Jr.

Men's Basketball edit

The Wildcats men's basketball[30] team is under the direction of Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins, a role that he's been in since 2013. Collins led the Wildcats to heights never before reached during the 2016–17 season when the program saw a school record 24 wins and its first NCAA tournament berth and victory in program history. Collins was named as one of four finalists for the Naismith Men's Coach of the Year award in 2017.

The Wildcats single national championship is from 1931, retro-picked by the Helms Athletic Foundation and, later, by the Premo-Porrett Power Poll. Since then, the Wildcats have played in the National Invitation Tournament seven times, most recently in 2012. The men's basketball program was the first to open the renovated Welsh-Ryan Arena[31] on November 2, 2018, in an exhibition game against McKendree. The state-of-the-art facility was built to be the most accessible arena in college athletics and seats 7,039. The team is cheered on by the Wildside student section.

Women's Basketball edit

The Northwestern women's basketball[32] team is led by Joe McKeown (pronounced Mick-Q-ann), a role that he's been in since 2008. Most recently, McKeown led his Wildcats team to a regular season Big Ten title in the 2019–20 season, tying the program's best 26 wins in a single season. McKeown earned his 700th career win on December 20, 2019. McKeown previously coached at George Washington. He led the Colonials to 14 regular season or postseason Atlantic 10 titles. McKeown is a native of Philadelphia and was inducted into the Father Judge High School Hall of Fame in 1999.

In 2017, the Wildcats saw its highest draft pick in program history with Nia Coffey, selected fifth overall by the San Antonio Stars. The first player drafted in program history was Amy Jaeschke in 2011, selected 27th overall by the Chicago Sky.[33]

Women's lacrosse edit

Northwestern lacrosse[34] has won the national championship in women's lacrosse five straight times, from 2005 to 2009, and then again in 2011 and 2012, giving them 7 championships in 8 years. In 2007, the team joined Maryland as the only other school to three-peat. The run started in 2005, when the team enjoyed a perfect season and defeated many long-established east-coast schools after only five years as a varsity sport to capture the school's first national championship since 1941. In doing so, it became the westernmost institution to ever win the title. Soon after, the team made national news when members appeared in a White House photo with President Bush wearing thong sandals, or flip-flops, dubbed as the "White House flip-flop flap." The 2009 season also was an undefeated run. In their five consecutive championship seasons, the Wildcats have a 106–3 record. The Wildcats are led by head coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller, a role that she's been in since 2002. Most recently, the Wildcats won their first ever Big Ten Championship in 2019,[35] won their first ever Big Ten regular season championship in 2021,[36] and repeated as national champions for an 8th time in 2023.

Fencing edit

The Northwestern Fencing[16] program competes in the Central Collegiate Conference and has a tenured history of success. Zach Moss is the programs head coach, a role that he's been in since 2016. Following a historic 2017–18 season, Moss was named the Midwest Fencing Conference Coach of the Year as the Wildcats captured their fifth-ever conference championship and finished with three All-Americans at the NCAA Championships. Additionally, the team set the program record for most wins in a season with 47 and the program record for longest win streak at 25. The 2018–19 season saw more milestones for the Wildcats including a 39–5 record, an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and a second consecutive conference championship. The Wildcats achieved the highest ranking in program history during the season at second in the country and amassed 39 victories at the conference championships.

Field Hockey edit

The Northwestern Field Hockey[37] team plays its home games at Lakeside Field, adjacent to Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium on the lakefront. The Wildcats are led by head coach Tracey Fuchs, a role that she's been in since 2009. Fuchs has led the Wildcats to two Big Ten titles and three NCAA tournament appearances. Under Fuchs' direction, the Wildcats have posted winning seasons in 10 of her 11 seasons.[38]

The Northwestern Wildcats field hockey team has gathered 6 regular season Big Ten titles and 1 tournament title in addition to 14 NCAA tournament appearances. In 2021, the team won the NCAA tournament, followed by a championship game appearance in 2022.

Wrestling edit

The Northwestern Wildcats wrestling[22] program hosts home matches in Welsh-Ryan Arena and practices in the Ken Kraft Wrestling Room, located in Anderson Hall. The Wildcats are led by Matt Storniolo, a role that he's been in since 2016.[39] The Wildcats have had 40 Big Ten individual champions in addition to 10 NCAA individual champions and 75+ All-Americans.[40]

Golf edit

The men's golf team[17] has won eight Big Ten Conference championships: 1925, 1937, 1939, 1948, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006. They have twice placed second in the NCAA Championships: 1939, 1945. Luke Donald won the NCAA Individual Championship in 1999. He was Big Ten Conference Player of the year in 1999, and David Merkow was named the same in 2006.[41] Donald was ranked number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for 56 weeks in 2011 and 2012. The four best career stroke averages in school history are held by Luke Donald, Tom Johnson, Jess Daley, and David Lipsky.[42]

Jane Weiller played golf for the school.[43] In 1946 and 1957, Phyllis Otto and Mariam Bailey, respectively, won the women's[18] individual intercollegiate golf championship (an event conducted by the Division of Girls' and Women's Sports (DGWS) – which later evolved into the current NCAA women's golf championship).

Soccer edit

The men's and women's soccer teams play home games at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, opened in March 2016 and named to honor the generosity and leadership of Trustee J. Landis Martin and Sharon Martin. The stadium is also home to the lacrosse program.[44] The men's soccer program[45] is currently led by Tim Lenahan, a role that he's been in since 2001. Lenahan surpassed a career milestone of 300 career wins on September 24, 2019, with a come-from-behind overtime victory over the UIC Flames. Lenahan is the winningest coach in Northwestern Men's Soccer history and is one of only two active Big Ten coaches with more than 300 wins.[46] The men's soccer program has won two regular season Big Ten titles (2011, 2012) and 1 Big Ten tournament title (2011). Tyler Miller is the program's only professional Wildcat, currently playing with Minnesota United as goalkeeper.

The women's soccer program[21] is led by Michael Moynihan, a role that he's been in since 2009.[47] The program has 1 regular season Big Ten title (2016) and six NCAA tournament appearances, including four in the last five seasons. Three Wildcats were drafted in the 2019 NWSL College Draft: Kayla Sharples (Chicago Red Stars), Marisa Viggiano (Orlando Pride), and Hannah Davison (Chicago Red Stars).[48]

Softball edit

The Northwestern softball program[49] is led by head coach Kate Drohan, a role that she's been in since 2002. Kate Drohan leads the Wildcats with her twin sister, Caryl Drohan, the program's associate head coach. After 19 seasons, Kate Drohan's career record includes a five-year stretch from 2005 to 2009 in which Northwestern compiled a record of 215–77, reached the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament four times, and became the first private school in NCAA history to advance to the WCWS semifinals in consecutive years. Overall, Northwestern under Drohan has made 13 NCAA tournament appearances and has claimed five NCAA Regional titles, including its most recent in 2019 as the Wildcats hosted the Evanston Regional for the first time in 11 years. Drohan was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third time in her career in 2019 after leading the Wildcats to a 47–13 overall record, 21–2 in Big Ten play, collecting the most conference wins in program history and the program's longest winning streak since 1985 of 20 games. Drohan earned her 600th career win on April 9, 2019, with a 3–1 victory over Notre Dame.[50] Most recently on March 27, 2021, the Drohans twin coaches became Northwestern softball's all-time win leaders with their 641st victory against Wisconsin.[51]

The Northwestern softball program began in 1976 and currently competes at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, previously known as Anderson Field. The ballpark was renamed for NFCA Hall of Fame mentor Sharon J. Drysdale upon her retirement in 2001. Drysdale served as the Wildcats' head coach for 23 seasons and amassed a 640–512–3 record.[52]

Swimming and Diving edit

In June 2020, Northwestern Athletics elevated Katie Robinson to Director of Swimming and Diving, making her the second female to hold the position overseeing both men's[19] and women's[23] programs in the Power-5 conferences.[53] Northwestern Swimming and Diving has earned tremendous success over time. Three-time All-American Olivia Rosendahl won the NCAA Women's Platform Diving championship in both 2017 and 2018, and the Wildcats have been represented in each of the last three Summer Olympic Games, most recently by swimmers Valerie Gruest-Slowing and Jordan Wilimovsky in Rio in 2016. In the summer before his senior season, Wilimovsky became the first American to compete in both indoor and outdoor swimming events in the same Olympics. In 2015, Wilimovsky became the world champion in 10 km water race. Matt Grevers, a Northwestern alum, won two gold medals (100-meter backstroke, 400-meter medley relay) and a silver medal (400-meter freestyle relay) at the 2012 London Olympic Games. At the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, four Northwestern alums won gold medals- Ralph Breyer (4 x 200-meter freestyle relay), Sybil Bauer (100-meter backstroke), Richard Howell (4 x 200-meter freestyle relay) and Robert "Bob" Skelton (200-meter breaststroke).[54] At the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games, Northwestern alum, Kenneth Huszagh, won a silver medal (4 x 200-meter freestyle relay) and a bronze medal (100-meter freestyle).[54] During the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games, Northwestern alum, Nancy Simons Peterson won a silver medal in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay event.[54] At the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games, Northwestern alum, Albert Schwartz won a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle event.[54]

In the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships held from 1924 through 1936, no team points were officially awarded.[55] Northwestern won four unofficial national team championships during these years, which were proclaimed in the newspapers of the time, second only to Michigan's seven.

  • 1924 – Northwestern
  • 1929 – Northwestern
  • 1930 – Northwestern
  • 1933 – Northwestern

Tennis edit

The women's and men's tennis programs compete indoors at Combe Tennis Center within the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and outdoors at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center located along Sheridan Road. Northwestern Tennis matches are free to attend and typically held in the spring. The women's tennis program[24] is led by head coach Claire Pollard, a role that she's been in since 1999. Pollard has transformed the program into a national powerhouse. Pollard has led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament 21 consecutive times, the fifth-longest streak by an active head coach at the same program. The Wildcats have earned 15 Big Ten regular season titles and 17 Big Ten tournament titles, including a string of 16-straight conference titles through 2014. Northwestern has also had 2 NCAA doubles championships in 1997 and 2006.

Head coach Arvid Swan currently leads the Wildcats men's tennis program.[20] Swan guided Northwestern to six consecutive NCAA appearances, beginning in 2009, and the program claims 9 Big Ten titles as well as 16 NCAA appearances.

Baseball edit

The Northwestern Baseball[56] program is led by head coach Spencer Allen, a role that he's been since 2015. Since 1943, Rocky and Berenice Miller Park has been the home stadium to this team.[57] This program has made 1 NCAA appearance in 1957.[58]

Cross Country edit

The Northwestern Cross Country[15] only has a women's program. This team is led by recently joined head coach, Jill Miller. Miller attended Wake Forest University and was a four-time NCAA Cross Country Championships qualifier and was part of the program's first Atlantic Coach Conference title in 2002.[59]

Women's Volleyball edit

The Northwestern Volleyball program[25] is coached by Shane Davis, a role that he's been in since 2015.[60] The program plays their home games at the renovated Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Facilities edit

Lakefront Facilities edit

 
A portion of the Lakeshore at Northwestern University, with many athletic facilities in view, along with Kellogg Global Hub.

Walter Athletics Center edit

The Walter Athletics Center[61] is the last in a series of new lakefront athletics and recreation facilities to be developed during We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern. Walter Athletics Center is a four-story, state-of-the-art development center located on the north end of the Evanston campus, structurally connected to Ryan Fieldhouse, the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, and the North Parking Garage. The facility is named in honor of University Trustee Mark R. Walter and Kimbra D. Walter.

The transformational multi-purpose facility includes spaces for academic and professional development, nutrition and dining, sports performance, sports medicine and athletic training, and locker rooms for more than 500 Northwestern student-athletes. The Walter Athletics Center allows for plenty of natural light and has unobstructed views of Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline, and other Northwestern facilities including Martin Stadium and Lakeside Field.

Ryan Fieldhouse and Wilson Field edit

Ryan Fieldhouse and Wilson Field opened in April 2018. Northwestern Lacrosse hosts a portion of its home schedule inside Ryan Fieldhouse, which is named for University Trustee Patrick G. Ryan and his wife, Shirley.[62]

Ryan Fieldhouse's dome shape is based on football punting and kicking trajectories, with the peak of the dome reaching 87 feet above the surface of Wilson Field, named for Trustee Steve Wilson and his wife, Sue. Wilson Field is striped for NCAA regulation football, soccer, and lacrosse, with movable bleacher seating and an automated netting system designed to subdivide the space for use by multiple groups.

Ryan Fieldhouse also features a 44-foot-tall glass façade and several sports performance spaces for football and for Olympic sports.

Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium edit

Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletics and recreation facility, home of Northwestern soccer and lacrosse games.[63] Martin Stadium underwent renovations and reopened in March 2016 with a new turf field, lighting upgrades, and new video equipment. The facility is named to honor Trustee J. Landis Martin and Sharon Martin. The stadium has views of the Chicago skyline and is adjacent to Lakeside Field (to the west) and Hutcheson Field (to the south).

Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field edit

Used primarily as an athletics and recreation practice field, Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field[64] is located just south of Martin Stadium and features a turf surface lined for NCAA regulation football.

Lakeside Field edit

Lakeside Field was constructed in 1997 and is "one of the premier venues for field hockey in the country".[citation needed] The stadium is located along the shore of Lake Michigan and sits to the west of Martin Stadium and to the north of the Kellogg Global Hub building. Lakeside Field underwent renovations in 2015 and is home to Northwestern Field Hockey.[65]

Henry Crown Sports Pavilion edit

The Henry Crown Sports Pavilion[66] is located along Campus Drive and is the main recreation facility on campus. The 95,000 square foot facility includes the Norris Aquatics Center and the Combe Tennis Center while also being structurally connected to Ryan Fieldhouse, the Walter Athletics Center, and the North Parking Garage. The recreation facility includes basketball, swimming, squash, racquetball, tennis, group exercise, cycling, weight lifting, and general cardio along with exercise-related activities and programs.

The Henry Crown Sports Pavilion was renovated in 2014 to include an additional 30,000 square feet, new studio space, and new exercise equipment. Later, three new basketball courts, a new three-lane jogging track, and new cardio machines were added in 2018.[67]

Norris Aquatics Center edit

Inside the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, the Norris Aquatics Center[68] is home to Northwestern Swimming and Diving and is the venue for all home meets. The center, named for Dellora A. and Lester J. Norris, includes a 750,000-gallon, 50-meter-by-25-yard pool with movable walls that run on a track system, enabling the pool to be custom-fitted. The facility also includes a heat recycling system, an electronic scoreboard, and seating for 800 spectators.[69]

Combe Tennis Center edit

Also within the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, the Combe Tennis Center[70] is home to Northwestern Tennis for indoor matches and includes six courts with electronic scoreboards and a main team scoreboard. The facility also includes spectator seating on a balcony overlooking the courts with unobstructed views of each match. In 2020, the athletics and recreation facility underwent renovations to its ceiling and lighting. The facility is named for former Northwestern tennis player Ivan Combe, who played from 1931 to 1933. The ITA named the Combe Tennis Center the 2002 Outstanding Facility.[71]

Patten Gymnasium edit

Patten Gymnasium is a historic, multi-purpose facility located on Northwestern's main campus that is home to the Northwestern Fencing program and Gleacher Golf Center.

The Gleacher Golf Center edit

In November 2020, the Gleacher Golf Center[72] opened as a complete renovation of the existing space inside Patten Gymnasium for the golf programs. Named for University Trustee Eric J. Gleacher and Paula Gleacher, the new, on-campus facility is one of the country's finest and includes a 5,400-square-foot short-game and putting area with raised ceilings, a state-of-the-art training area, a digitally-adjustable putting platform, new locker rooms, and a student-athlete lounge with a dedicated study area, full kitchen, and sports performance hub. The golf programs also practice at the Luke Donald Outdoor Practice Facility, unveiled in fall 2006.[73]

Vandy Cristie Tennis Center edit

The Vandy Christie Tennis Center[74] was dedicated in October 1994 and includes 15 courts, a pro shop, and permanent seating for spectators. In 2013, the facility was enhanced with a main scoreboard, six individual scoreboards, and six 27-foot-long bleachers with chairbacks. The facility is home of Northwestern Tennis for outdoor matches and is located on Sheridan Road.

Ryan Field Campus Facilities edit

Ryan Field edit

Ryan Field is the home of Northwestern Football and is located along Central Street.

Welsh-Ryan Arena edit

Welsh-Ryan Arena is home of Northwestern Men's and Women's Basketball, Wrestling, and Volleyball. The arena underwent renovations and opened in November 2018 as one of the nation's leading competition facilities.

Trienens Performance Center edit

Along with renovations to Welsh-Ryan Arena, Northwestern Athletics redesigned the former home to Northwestern Football offices and practice space into what is now the Trienens Performance Center,[75] a state-of-the-art practice facility for men's and women's basketball, volleyball, softball, and baseball. The building opened in November 2019 and includes a three-court fieldhouse, turf field and practice area, expanded performance nutrition hub, offices for men's and women's basketball staff, locker rooms, sports medicine and athletic training amenities, and a weight room. The new practice facility is named for University Trustee Howard J. Trienens.[76] Complete virtual tour of the facility on YouTube.[77]

Rocky and Berenice Miller Park edit

The home of Northwestern Baseball is Rocky and Berenice Miller Park, located along Ashland Avenue near Welsh-Ryan Arena and the West Lot.

Sharon J. Drysdale Field edit

The Wildcats softball team plays home games at Sharon J. Drysdale Field,[78] located immediately east of Welsh-Ryan Arena. The facility, formerly known as Anderson Field, was renamed in 2011 to honor the legendary Sharon J. Drysdale who coached the Wildcats for 23 seasons. Drysdale Field features an intimate grandstand seating area in addition to seating located beyond right field. Most recently, the facility hosted the 2019 NCAA Evanston Regional for the first time in 11 years. The facility has earned a number of awards including the 2008 Stabilizer Solutions/NFCA Field Maintenance Award.

In 2006, the facility received new outfield turf and, in 2007, underwent final renovation phases that included sunken dugouts, permanent seating, a new game operations booth, and a plaza down the third-base line. Prior to the 2016 season, the field was again completely resurfaced with a new infield installation and fresh outfield turf. Drysdale Field and Ryan Field are the only two Northwestern Athletics competition facilities that feature natural grass.

Ken Kraft Wrestling Room edit

The Ken Kraft Wrestling Room[79] is located on the bottom floor of Anderson Hall, located along Central Street northeast of Ryan Field, and is the primary practice facility for Northwestern Wrestling. The room features three 42’x42' mats as well as coaching offices and locker rooms. The practice facility is named in honor of Ken Kraft for his 48 years of involvement with the program. Kraft was a four-year member of the Wildcats wrestling squad and the program's head coach for 22 years. In 2004, Kraft retired after spending 51 years at Northwestern and was inducted into the Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.[80]

Rivalries edit

Illinois Fighting Illini edit

Northwestern's most prominent rivalry is with their Big Ten foe, the University of Illinois. The rivalry runs deep due to the schools' proximity to each other, history, and the Land of Lincoln Trophy between the football programs. The Land of Lincoln Trophy—popularly known as "The Hat" for its resemblance to and design modeled after Abraham Lincoln's hat—replaced the former football rivalry trophy, the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy. The Sweet Sioux was retired in 2008 after 64 seasons and the Land of Lincoln debuted the year following. Illinois leads the all-time series, 55–53–5, but Northwestern leads the Land of Lincoln Trophy series, 8–3, including victories in the last five consecutive meetings.[81] The rivalry's first recorded game was in 1892 and resulted in a tie, 16-16.[82]

University of Michigan Wolverines edit

In February 2021, the football programs at Northwestern and the University of Michigan announced a new rivalry trophy called the George Jewett Trophy. The game honors George Jewett, the first Black player in Big Ten history, who played football for both universities in the 1890s. The game is the first trophy in Football Bowl Subdivision history to be named for a Black player.[83][84][85][86]

Championships edit

Conference Championships edit

  • Football: 8 conference titles (1903, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1995, 1996, 2000), 2 division titles (2018, 2020)[87]
  • Baseball: 2 regular season (1940, 1957)[88]
  • Men's Basketball: 2 regular season (1931, 1933)
  • Women's Basketball: 2 regular season (1990, 2020)[89]
  • Women's Fencing: 2 team Big Ten titles (1977, 1978), 6 team MFC titles (1999, 2000, 2001, 2016, 2018, 2019), 13 individual MFC titles
  • MFC Weapon titles: 8 épée, 6 foil, 6 sabre, 1 Central Collegiate Conference title (2021)
  • Field Hockey: 6 regular season (1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2013), 1 tournament (2014)[90]
  • Men's Golf: 8 team (1925, 1937, 1939, 1948, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006), 13 medalists[91]
  • Women's Golf: 3 team (2013, 2015, 2016), 3 medalists[92]
  • Women's Lacrosse: 2 Big Ten Conference regular season (2021, 2023),[93] 3 Big Ten tournaments (2019, 2021, 2023),[94] 6 American Lacrosse Conference tournament (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013),[95]
    8 American Lacrosse Conference regular season (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013)[95]
  • Men's Soccer: 2 regular season (2011, 2012), 1 tournament (2011)[96]
  • Women's Soccer: 1 regular season (2016)[97]
  • Softball: 9 regular season (1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2006, 2008, 2022, 2023)[98]
  • Men's Swimming and Diving: 10 team (1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1930), 111 individual, 84 individual swimming, 19 relay swimming, 8 diving[99]
  • Women's Swimming and Diving: 57 individual (38 individual swimming, 16 relay swimming, 2 diving)[100]
  • Men's Tennis: 9 team (1936, 1940, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1963, 1990)[101]
  • Women's Tennis: 15 regular season (1985, 1986, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2018) (most in the Big Ten), 17 tournament (1985, 1986, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014) (most in the Big Ten)[102]
  • Women's Volleyball: 2 regular season (1983, 1984)[103]
  • Wrestling: 40 individual[104]

National Championships edit

NCAA championships - Team and Individual edit

  • Men's Fencing (now inactive): 1 team (1941), 1 individual (Edward McNamara in 1941)[105]
  • Men's Golf: 1 individual (Luke Donald in 1999)[91]
  • Women's Lacrosse: 8 team (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2023)
  • Field Hockey: 1 team (2021)
  • Men's Swimming and Diving: 31 individual/relay
  • Women's Swimming and Diving: 2 individual (Olivia Rosendahl in 2017 and 2018)
  • Women's Tennis: 2 doubles (1997, 2006)
  • Men's Outdoor Track and Field (now inactive): 12 individual
  • Wrestling: 10 individual

NCAA championship appearances edit

  • Baseball: 1 appearance[88]
  • Men's Basketball: 1 appearance[106]
  • Women's Basketball: 7 appearances[89]
  • Women's Fencing: 30 appearances[107]
  • Field Hockey: 14 appearances[90]
  • Women's Golf: 8 appearances[92]
  • Women's Lacrosse: 20 appearances[108]
  • Men's Soccer: 9 appearances[96]
  • Women's Soccer: 6 appearances[97]
  • Women's Softball: 18 tournament appearances, 5 WCWS appearances[98]
  • Men's Swimming and Diving: 35 appearances[99]
  • Women's Swimming and Diving: 27 appearances[100]
  • Men's Tennis: 16 appearances[101]
  • Women's Tennis: 29 appearances[102]
  • Men's Outdoor Track and Field (now inactive): 21 appearances[109]
  • Women's Volleyball: 8 appearances[103]
  • Wrestling: 56 appearances[104]

Other national team championships edit

National team titles that were not bestowed by the NCAA (4 are unofficial NCAA championships):

See also:

Notable alumni edit

Baseball edit

Basketball edit

Figure skating edit

Football edit

Golf edit

Hockey edit

Horse racing edit

Race car driving edit

Soccer edit

Swimming edit

Tennis edit

Track and field edit

Professional softball edit

Wrestling edit

Controversies edit

In May 2006 the website BadJocks.com republished photos a reader had found on Webshots of the women's soccer team hazing its freshmen. The whole team was suspended for a time as a result. In the wake of the incident, head coach Jenny Haigh resigned. Since, athletic director Mark Murphy named Stephanie Erickson, the school's all-time leader in goals and points, as Haigh's replacement.

References edit

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  95. ^ a b 2001-14 American Lacrosse Conference Tournament
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  98. ^ a b 2019-20 Big Ten Records Book – Softball
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  100. ^ a b 2019-20 Big Ten Records Book – Women's Swimming and Diving
  101. ^ a b 2019-20 Big Ten Records Book – Men's Tennis
  102. ^ a b 2019-20 Big Ten Records Book – Women's Tennis
  103. ^ a b 2019-20 Big Ten Records Book – Women's Volleyball
  104. ^ a b 2019-20 Big Ten Records Book – Wrestling
  105. ^ Discontinued Championships
  106. ^ https://bigten.org/documents/2020/11/9/2020_21_Media_Guide.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  107. ^ National Collegiate Men's and Women's Fencing Championships Records Book (updated 2019)
  108. ^ 2018-19 Big Ten Records Book – Women's Lacrosse
  109. ^ NCAA Championships Summary (updated June 22, 2020), Division I Men's Outdoor Track Championships Records Book
  110. ^ "United States Champions for the Year 1929". The Christian Science Monitor. December 31, 1929. p. 10. Retrieved May 14, 2010.[permanent dead link]
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External links edit

  • Official website

northwestern, wildcats, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article,. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Northwestern Wildcats news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2008 Learn how and when to remove this template message A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia s content policies particularly neutral point of view Please discuss further on the talk page May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation June 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University located in Evanston Illinois Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference Northwestern has eight men s and eleven women s NCAA Division I sports teams and is marketed as Chicago s Big Ten Team The mascot is Willie the Wildcat Northwestern WildcatsUniversityNorthwestern UniversityConferenceBig Ten primary CCFC fencing NCAADivision I FBS Athletic directorDerrick GraggLocationEvanston IllinoisVarsity teams19 8 men s and 11 women s Football stadiumRyan FieldBasketball arenaWelsh Ryan ArenaMascotWillie the WildcatNicknameWildcatsFight songGo U Northwestern ColorsPurple and white 1 Websitewww wbr nusports wbr comBig Ten logo in Northwestern s colors Contents 1 History 1 1 Mascot 1 2 Origin of the name 1 3 Traditions 2 Athletics Department 2 1 Leadership 2 2 Under Armour Partnership 2 3 Chicago s Big Ten Team 2 4 The Foundation 3 Sports sponsored 3 1 Football 3 2 Men s Basketball 3 3 Women s Basketball 3 4 Women s lacrosse 3 5 Fencing 3 6 Field Hockey 3 7 Wrestling 3 8 Golf 3 9 Soccer 3 10 Softball 3 11 Swimming and Diving 3 12 Tennis 3 13 Baseball 3 14 Cross Country 3 15 Women s Volleyball 4 Facilities 4 1 Lakefront Facilities 4 1 1 Walter Athletics Center 4 1 2 Ryan Fieldhouse and Wilson Field 4 1 3 Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium 4 1 4 Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field 4 1 5 Lakeside Field 4 1 6 Henry Crown Sports Pavilion 4 1 6 1 Norris Aquatics Center 4 1 6 2 Combe Tennis Center 4 1 7 Patten Gymnasium 4 1 7 1 The Gleacher Golf Center 4 1 8 Vandy Cristie Tennis Center 4 2 Ryan Field Campus Facilities 4 2 1 Ryan Field 4 2 2 Welsh Ryan Arena 4 2 3 Trienens Performance Center 4 2 4 Rocky and Berenice Miller Park 4 2 5 Sharon J Drysdale Field 4 2 6 Ken Kraft Wrestling Room 5 Rivalries 5 1 Illinois Fighting Illini 5 2 University of Michigan Wolverines 6 Championships 6 1 Conference Championships 6 2 National Championships 6 2 1 NCAA championships Team and Individual 6 2 2 NCAA championship appearances 6 2 3 Other national team championships 7 Notable alumni 7 1 Baseball 7 2 Basketball 7 3 Figure skating 7 4 Football 7 5 Golf 7 6 Hockey 7 7 Horse racing 7 8 Race car driving 7 9 Soccer 7 10 Swimming 7 11 Tennis 7 12 Track and field 7 13 Professional softball 7 14 Wrestling 8 Controversies 9 References 10 External linksHistory editNorthwestern is a charter member of the Big Ten Conference and has been the only private university in the conference since the University of Chicago left in 1946 With approximately 8 000 undergraduate students it is the smallest school in the Big Ten Currently Northwestern fields 19 intercollegiate athletic teams 8 men s and 11 women s in addition to numerous club sports Recent success by the Wildcats includes Northwestern Football s bowl game victories 2016 2018 2020 and 2023 and its 2018 and 2020 Big Ten West title Women s Basketball winning the 2020 Big Ten regular season championship Women s Lacrosse winning the 2019 and 2021 Big Ten tournament title 2021 Big Ten Regular Season title and 2023 national championship Women s Field Hockey winning the 2021 NCAA tournament title and returning to the championship game in 2023 Softball earning the 2019 and 2022 NCAA Regional Championship in Evanston and reaching the 2022 Women s College World Series Wrestling s Sebastian Rivera winning an individual Big Ten championship in 2019 and Ryan Deakin winning an individual NCAA championship in 2022 Fencing claiming multiple Midwest Fencing Conference championships in 2018 2019 and 2021 Women s Tennis securing the 2018 Big Ten regular season crown and Women s Diver Olivia Rosendahl collecting individual NCAA championships in both 2018 and 2019 Mascot edit The Northwestern Athletics mascot is Willie the Wildcat However the team s first mascot was a live caged bear cub from the Lincoln Park Zoo named Furpaw In fall 1923 Furpaw was driven to the playing field to greet the fans before each game After a losing season the team decided that Furpaw was the harbinger of bad luck and Willie made his debut ten years later in 1933 Willie initially debuted as a logo coming to life later in 1947 when members of the Alpha Delta fraternity dressed up as him during the Homecoming parade Now Willie attends at least one event of each varsity sport throughout the year and dons replica uniforms whenever possible 2 Origin of the name edit Northwestern s athletic teams are nicknamed the Wildcats Before 1924 they were known as The Purple and unofficially as The Fighting Methodists The name Wildcats was bestowed upon the university in 1924 by Wallace Abbey a writer for the Chicago Daily Tribune who wrote that even in a loss to the University of Chicago Football players had not come down from Evanston wildcats would be a name better suited to Coach Glenn Thistletwaite s boys The team was also referred to in the article as a Purple wall of wildcats The name was so popular that university board members made Wildcats the official nickname just months later In 1972 the student body voted to change the official nickname from Wildcats to Purple Haze but the new name never stuck Traditions edit nbsp The Northwestern University Wildcat Marching Band forms the Sculpted N and performs Go U Northwestern to close its pregame performance at the 2005 Sun Bowl under the direction of Daniel J Farris The Northwestern Wildcats have several traditions relating to its athletics teams including the official chant Go U NU and the Wildcats fight song Go U Northwestern A secondary fight song is Rise Northwestern Push on Song the final 4 measure tag ending with a shouted Go Cats of which is often played after first downs The alma mater is played by the Marching Band and sung by fans students and the team after each game Victories by the football team are celebrated by lighting the face of the clock tower on south campus in Northwestern purple 3 In addition Northwestern Football honors former head coach Randy Walker with a pregame Walk with Us event before each home football game where the band cheerleaders and fans greet the team as they arrive to Ryan Field and head to the locker room Additionally the Northwestern Wildcats share an intrastate rivalry with the Illinois Fighting Illini and its football programs play for the Land of Lincoln Trophy after retiring the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy in 2008 Athletics Department editLeadership edit Northwestern Athletics also known as the Northwestern University Department of Athletics and Recreation was long led by Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Dr James J Jim Phillips Phillips became Northwestern s 21st director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation in April 2008 Phillips has earned several awards and appointments including the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics NACDA Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year in both 2012 and 2016 the 2018 Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year and Vice Chair of the 2020 21 NCAA Men s Basketball Selection Committee expected to chair the committee in the following year Phillips leads the department with focus on providing student athletes with a world class experience that enables them to thrive academically socially and athletically Under Phillips leadership Northwestern student athletes have achieved impressive academic feats Northwestern scored a 98 percent in the latest Graduation Success Rate GSR a figure which led all FBS schools for the second consecutive year The Wildcats have scored a 96 percent or higher in every year that GSR data has been released finishing in the top four among FBS schools all 15 years Additionally Phillips oversaw the creation of the department s NU for Life program providing student athletes with professional development opportunities and resources as well as the department s first ever community relations position dedicated to connecting the department with the community Moreover Northwestern Athletics launched the ongoing Chicago s Big Ten Team campaign and the first master facility plan study with Phillips at the helm Phillips has a bachelor s degree from the University of Illinois a master s degree in education from Arizona State University and a PhD in educational administration from the University of Tennessee In January 2021 Phillips left Northwestern to become the commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference 4 Mike Polisky Northwestern s deputy athletic director for external affairs since 2010 was promoted to replace Phillips 5 On May 12 2021 amidst much controversy and protest from students and other members of the Northwestern community Polisky stepped down Schapiro named Northwestern linguistics professor Robert Gundlach as interim AD 6 Under Armour Partnership edit In December 2011 Northwestern University announced a multiyear partnership with Under Armour as its official outfitter of the university s athletic program Under Armour began outfitting the Northwestern Wildcats in 2012 13 and the partnership marked Under Armour s first with a Big Ten team 7 Now Northwestern is one of three Big Ten teams sporting Under Armour gear Since the partnership began the Wildcats have introduced a number of exclusive uniform designs including its hallmark Gothic uniforms for several sports debuted in 2014 with football 8 its Gothic Ice line in 2020 for women s lacrosse and softball 9 as well as the By the Players uniforms for the men s basketball program to debut on Senior Day each season 10 In addition the football program s CFB 150th Anniversary uniforms worn in 2019 11 earned the first place spot on Uniswag s weekly countdown that features the Top 10 college football uniforms each week 12 Chicago s Big Ten Team edit In 2010 Northwestern Athletics launched its first ever wide ranging marketing campaign in department history The ongoing Chicago s Big Ten Team campaign is intended to increase the Wildcats presence around Chicago and raise local and regional awareness of Northwestern University The Northwestern Wildcats reside in the city of Evanston and have a campus in Chicago along Lake Michigan Northwestern remains the only Division I FBS institution in the Chicago area Over the last several years the Northwestern Wildcats have increased their presence in the Chicago area through relationships with Chicago sports teams and venues Under Phillips direction Northwestern sports programs have hosted games at U S Cellular Field home of the Chicago White Sox and Wrigley Field home of the Chicago Cubs in addition to partnering with the White Sox Cubs Blackhawks and Arlington Park to host Northwestern themed promotional days throughout the year The Foundation edit Northwestern Athletics Studio N debuted The Foundation in 2015 It includes exclusive access inside team meetings and road trips in addition to hearing from the coaches and players on the sidelines and in the locker room 13 The Foundation won the Chicago Midwest Regional Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports Programs Program Series in December 2017 14 and has earned multiple NACDA SVG College Sports Video awards The Foundation Expect Victory was an eight episode series that reviewed Northwestern Football s run to the 1995 Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl game The series aired on Wednesdays during fall 2020 on NBC Sports Chicago and each episode was released online after each airing 13 Sports sponsored editMen s sports Women s sportsBaseball BasketballBasketball Cross country 15 Football Fencing 16 Golf 17 Field hockeySoccer Golf 18 Swimming amp diving 19 LacrosseTennis 20 Soccer 21 Wrestling 22 SoftballSwimming amp diving 23 Tennis 24 Volleyball 25 Football edit Main article Northwestern Wildcats football The Northwestern Wildcats football 26 team has evidence of organization as early as 1876 but evidence confirms that Northwestern football was played in 1882 as a group of Northwestern men played a football heat against a group of Lake Forest men The Wildcats have since achieved an all time high rank of No 1 during the 1936 and 1962 seasons which has thus far not been duplicated The team plays home games at Ryan Field in Evanston Illinois Northwestern Football has played in a total of 16 bowl games including 10 appearances in just 10 seasons between 2008 and 2020 The Wildcats won three consecutive bowl games in 2016 18 Despite the Wildcats challenging season in 2019 the 2020 season marked their most recent seasons of success In 2020 the Wildcats were Big Ten West Champions and bowl game champions In addition defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz who has been with Northwestern Football since 2008 received his 400 career win on January 1 2021 Perhaps the most memorable Northwestern Football season was in 1995 as the Wildcats won the Big Ten Championship and saw their first Rose Bowl berth in nearly 50 years Despite recent success the Wildcats still hold the record for the longest losing streak in Division I A football with 34 consecutive losses between 1979 and 1982 Following the sudden death of football coach Randy Walker in 2006 31 year old and former All American Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald assumed the position becoming the youngest Division I FBS coach at the time The Wildcats earned their first ever Big Ten West title and berth in the Big Ten Championship game in 2018 Fitzgerald was named the consensus Big Ten Coach of the Year and a finalist for the 2018 Dodd Trophy that season Most recently Fitzgerald earned the 2020 Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year Fitzgerald was fired as head coach on July 10 2023 following a hazing scandal 27 28 He was replaced by David Braun who was originally hired as Northwestern s defensive coordinator in January 2023 and subsequently interim head coach in July 2023 Braun was officially introduced as head coach on November 15 2023 after snapping a 14 game road game losing streak at Wisconsin Braun came from North Dakota State University where he served in the same position for four seasons leading the Bison to two FCS National Championships 29 Former Wildcats active in the National Football League going into the 2020 season include Ibraheim Campbell Austin Carr Garrett Dickerson Joe Gaziano Nate Hall Blake Hance Montre Hartage Justin Jackson Joe Jones Tyler Lancaster Dean Lowry Sherrick McManis Ifeadi Odenigbo Trevor Siemian Clayton Thorson Dan Vitale and Anthony Walker Jr Men s Basketball edit Main article Northwestern Wildcats men s basketball The Wildcats men s basketball 30 team is under the direction of Sullivan Ubben Head Men s Basketball Coach Chris Collins a role that he s been in since 2013 Collins led the Wildcats to heights never before reached during the 2016 17 season when the program saw a school record 24 wins and its first NCAA tournament berth and victory in program history Collins was named as one of four finalists for the Naismith Men s Coach of the Year award in 2017 The Wildcats single national championship is from 1931 retro picked by the Helms Athletic Foundation and later by the Premo Porrett Power Poll Since then the Wildcats have played in the National Invitation Tournament seven times most recently in 2012 The men s basketball program was the first to open the renovated Welsh Ryan Arena 31 on November 2 2018 in an exhibition game against McKendree The state of the art facility was built to be the most accessible arena in college athletics and seats 7 039 The team is cheered on by the Wildside student section Women s Basketball edit Main article Northwestern Wildcats women s basketball The Northwestern women s basketball 32 team is led by Joe McKeown pronounced Mick Q ann a role that he s been in since 2008 Most recently McKeown led his Wildcats team to a regular season Big Ten title in the 2019 20 season tying the program s best 26 wins in a single season McKeown earned his 700th career win on December 20 2019 McKeown previously coached at George Washington He led the Colonials to 14 regular season or postseason Atlantic 10 titles McKeown is a native of Philadelphia and was inducted into the Father Judge High School Hall of Fame in 1999 In 2017 the Wildcats saw its highest draft pick in program history with Nia Coffey selected fifth overall by the San Antonio Stars The first player drafted in program history was Amy Jaeschke in 2011 selected 27th overall by the Chicago Sky 33 Women s lacrosse edit Main article Northwestern Wildcats women s lacrosse Northwestern lacrosse 34 has won the national championship in women s lacrosse five straight times from 2005 to 2009 and then again in 2011 and 2012 giving them 7 championships in 8 years In 2007 the team joined Maryland as the only other school to three peat The run started in 2005 when the team enjoyed a perfect season and defeated many long established east coast schools after only five years as a varsity sport to capture the school s first national championship since 1941 In doing so it became the westernmost institution to ever win the title Soon after the team made national news when members appeared in a White House photo with President Bush wearing thong sandals or flip flops dubbed as the White House flip flop flap The 2009 season also was an undefeated run In their five consecutive championship seasons the Wildcats have a 106 3 record The Wildcats are led by head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller a role that she s been in since 2002 Most recently the Wildcats won their first ever Big Ten Championship in 2019 35 won their first ever Big Ten regular season championship in 2021 36 and repeated as national champions for an 8th time in 2023 Fencing edit The Northwestern Fencing 16 program competes in the Central Collegiate Conference and has a tenured history of success Zach Moss is the programs head coach a role that he s been in since 2016 Following a historic 2017 18 season Moss was named the Midwest Fencing Conference Coach of the Year as the Wildcats captured their fifth ever conference championship and finished with three All Americans at the NCAA Championships Additionally the team set the program record for most wins in a season with 47 and the program record for longest win streak at 25 The 2018 19 season saw more milestones for the Wildcats including a 39 5 record an 11th place finish at the NCAA Championships and a second consecutive conference championship The Wildcats achieved the highest ranking in program history during the season at second in the country and amassed 39 victories at the conference championships Field Hockey edit Main article Northwestern Wildcats field hockey The Northwestern Field Hockey 37 team plays its home games at Lakeside Field adjacent to Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium on the lakefront The Wildcats are led by head coach Tracey Fuchs a role that she s been in since 2009 Fuchs has led the Wildcats to two Big Ten titles and three NCAA tournament appearances Under Fuchs direction the Wildcats have posted winning seasons in 10 of her 11 seasons 38 The Northwestern Wildcats field hockey team has gathered 6 regular season Big Ten titles and 1 tournament title in addition to 14 NCAA tournament appearances In 2021 the team won the NCAA tournament followed by a championship game appearance in 2022 Wrestling edit The Northwestern Wildcats wrestling 22 program hosts home matches in Welsh Ryan Arena and practices in the Ken Kraft Wrestling Room located in Anderson Hall The Wildcats are led by Matt Storniolo a role that he s been in since 2016 39 The Wildcats have had 40 Big Ten individual champions in addition to 10 NCAA individual champions and 75 All Americans 40 Golf edit The men s golf team 17 has won eight Big Ten Conference championships 1925 1937 1939 1948 1999 2000 2001 2006 They have twice placed second in the NCAA Championships 1939 1945 Luke Donald won the NCAA Individual Championship in 1999 He was Big Ten Conference Player of the year in 1999 and David Merkow was named the same in 2006 41 Donald was ranked number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for 56 weeks in 2011 and 2012 The four best career stroke averages in school history are held by Luke Donald Tom Johnson Jess Daley and David Lipsky 42 Jane Weiller played golf for the school 43 In 1946 and 1957 Phyllis Otto and Mariam Bailey respectively won the women s 18 individual intercollegiate golf championship an event conducted by the Division of Girls and Women s Sports DGWS which later evolved into the current NCAA women s golf championship Soccer edit The men s and women s soccer teams play home games at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium opened in March 2016 and named to honor the generosity and leadership of Trustee J Landis Martin and Sharon Martin The stadium is also home to the lacrosse program 44 The men s soccer program 45 is currently led by Tim Lenahan a role that he s been in since 2001 Lenahan surpassed a career milestone of 300 career wins on September 24 2019 with a come from behind overtime victory over the UIC Flames Lenahan is the winningest coach in Northwestern Men s Soccer history and is one of only two active Big Ten coaches with more than 300 wins 46 The men s soccer program has won two regular season Big Ten titles 2011 2012 and 1 Big Ten tournament title 2011 Tyler Miller is the program s only professional Wildcat currently playing with Minnesota United as goalkeeper The women s soccer program 21 is led by Michael Moynihan a role that he s been in since 2009 47 The program has 1 regular season Big Ten title 2016 and six NCAA tournament appearances including four in the last five seasons Three Wildcats were drafted in the 2019 NWSL College Draft Kayla Sharples Chicago Red Stars Marisa Viggiano Orlando Pride and Hannah Davison Chicago Red Stars 48 Softball edit Main article Northwestern Wildcats softball The Northwestern softball program 49 is led by head coach Kate Drohan a role that she s been in since 2002 Kate Drohan leads the Wildcats with her twin sister Caryl Drohan the program s associate head coach After 19 seasons Kate Drohan s career record includes a five year stretch from 2005 to 2009 in which Northwestern compiled a record of 215 77 reached the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament four times and became the first private school in NCAA history to advance to the WCWS semifinals in consecutive years Overall Northwestern under Drohan has made 13 NCAA tournament appearances and has claimed five NCAA Regional titles including its most recent in 2019 as the Wildcats hosted the Evanston Regional for the first time in 11 years Drohan was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third time in her career in 2019 after leading the Wildcats to a 47 13 overall record 21 2 in Big Ten play collecting the most conference wins in program history and the program s longest winning streak since 1985 of 20 games Drohan earned her 600th career win on April 9 2019 with a 3 1 victory over Notre Dame 50 Most recently on March 27 2021 the Drohans twin coaches became Northwestern softball s all time win leaders with their 641st victory against Wisconsin 51 The Northwestern softball program began in 1976 and currently competes at Sharon J Drysdale Field previously known as Anderson Field The ballpark was renamed for NFCA Hall of Fame mentor Sharon J Drysdale upon her retirement in 2001 Drysdale served as the Wildcats head coach for 23 seasons and amassed a 640 512 3 record 52 Swimming and Diving edit In June 2020 Northwestern Athletics elevated Katie Robinson to Director of Swimming and Diving making her the second female to hold the position overseeing both men s 19 and women s 23 programs in the Power 5 conferences 53 Northwestern Swimming and Diving has earned tremendous success over time Three time All American Olivia Rosendahl won the NCAA Women s Platform Diving championship in both 2017 and 2018 and the Wildcats have been represented in each of the last three Summer Olympic Games most recently by swimmers Valerie Gruest Slowing and Jordan Wilimovsky in Rio in 2016 In the summer before his senior season Wilimovsky became the first American to compete in both indoor and outdoor swimming events in the same Olympics In 2015 Wilimovsky became the world champion in 10 km water race Matt Grevers a Northwestern alum won two gold medals 100 meter backstroke 400 meter medley relay and a silver medal 400 meter freestyle relay at the 2012 London Olympic Games At the 1924 Paris Olympic Games four Northwestern alums won gold medals Ralph Breyer 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay Sybil Bauer 100 meter backstroke Richard Howell 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay and Robert Bob Skelton 200 meter breaststroke 54 At the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games Northwestern alum Kenneth Huszagh won a silver medal 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay and a bronze medal 100 meter freestyle 54 During the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games Northwestern alum Nancy Simons Peterson won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay event 54 At the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games Northwestern alum Albert Schwartz won a bronze medal in the 100 meter freestyle event 54 In the NCAA Men s Swimming and Diving Championships held from 1924 through 1936 no team points were officially awarded 55 Northwestern won four unofficial national team championships during these years which were proclaimed in the newspapers of the time second only to Michigan s seven 1924 Northwestern 1929 Northwestern 1930 Northwestern 1933 NorthwesternTennis edit The women s and men s tennis programs compete indoors at Combe Tennis Center within the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and outdoors at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center located along Sheridan Road Northwestern Tennis matches are free to attend and typically held in the spring The women s tennis program 24 is led by head coach Claire Pollard a role that she s been in since 1999 Pollard has transformed the program into a national powerhouse Pollard has led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament 21 consecutive times the fifth longest streak by an active head coach at the same program The Wildcats have earned 15 Big Ten regular season titles and 17 Big Ten tournament titles including a string of 16 straight conference titles through 2014 Northwestern has also had 2 NCAA doubles championships in 1997 and 2006 Head coach Arvid Swan currently leads the Wildcats men s tennis program 20 Swan guided Northwestern to six consecutive NCAA appearances beginning in 2009 and the program claims 9 Big Ten titles as well as 16 NCAA appearances Baseball edit The Northwestern Baseball 56 program is led by head coach Spencer Allen a role that he s been since 2015 Since 1943 Rocky and Berenice Miller Park has been the home stadium to this team 57 This program has made 1 NCAA appearance in 1957 58 Cross Country edit The Northwestern Cross Country 15 only has a women s program This team is led by recently joined head coach Jill Miller Miller attended Wake Forest University and was a four time NCAA Cross Country Championships qualifier and was part of the program s first Atlantic Coach Conference title in 2002 59 Women s Volleyball edit The Northwestern Volleyball program 25 is coached by Shane Davis a role that he s been in since 2015 60 The program plays their home games at the renovated Welsh Ryan Arena Facilities editLakefront Facilities edit nbsp A portion of the Lakeshore at Northwestern University with many athletic facilities in view along with Kellogg Global Hub Walter Athletics Center edit The Walter Athletics Center 61 is the last in a series of new lakefront athletics and recreation facilities to be developed during We Will The Campaign for Northwestern Walter Athletics Center is a four story state of the art development center located on the north end of the Evanston campus structurally connected to Ryan Fieldhouse the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and the North Parking Garage The facility is named in honor of University Trustee Mark R Walter and Kimbra D Walter The transformational multi purpose facility includes spaces for academic and professional development nutrition and dining sports performance sports medicine and athletic training and locker rooms for more than 500 Northwestern student athletes The Walter Athletics Center allows for plenty of natural light and has unobstructed views of Lake Michigan the Chicago skyline and other Northwestern facilities including Martin Stadium and Lakeside Field Ryan Fieldhouse and Wilson Field edit Ryan Fieldhouse and Wilson Field opened in April 2018 Northwestern Lacrosse hosts a portion of its home schedule inside Ryan Fieldhouse which is named for University Trustee Patrick G Ryan and his wife Shirley 62 Ryan Fieldhouse s dome shape is based on football punting and kicking trajectories with the peak of the dome reaching 87 feet above the surface of Wilson Field named for Trustee Steve Wilson and his wife Sue Wilson Field is striped for NCAA regulation football soccer and lacrosse with movable bleacher seating and an automated netting system designed to subdivide the space for use by multiple groups Ryan Fieldhouse also features a 44 foot tall glass facade and several sports performance spaces for football and for Olympic sports Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium edit Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletics and recreation facility home of Northwestern soccer and lacrosse games 63 Martin Stadium underwent renovations and reopened in March 2016 with a new turf field lighting upgrades and new video equipment The facility is named to honor Trustee J Landis Martin and Sharon Martin The stadium has views of the Chicago skyline and is adjacent to Lakeside Field to the west and Hutcheson Field to the south Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field edit Used primarily as an athletics and recreation practice field Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field 64 is located just south of Martin Stadium and features a turf surface lined for NCAA regulation football Lakeside Field edit Lakeside Field was constructed in 1997 and is one of the premier venues for field hockey in the country citation needed The stadium is located along the shore of Lake Michigan and sits to the west of Martin Stadium and to the north of the Kellogg Global Hub building Lakeside Field underwent renovations in 2015 and is home to Northwestern Field Hockey 65 Henry Crown Sports Pavilion edit The Henry Crown Sports Pavilion 66 is located along Campus Drive and is the main recreation facility on campus The 95 000 square foot facility includes the Norris Aquatics Center and the Combe Tennis Center while also being structurally connected to Ryan Fieldhouse the Walter Athletics Center and the North Parking Garage The recreation facility includes basketball swimming squash racquetball tennis group exercise cycling weight lifting and general cardio along with exercise related activities and programs The Henry Crown Sports Pavilion was renovated in 2014 to include an additional 30 000 square feet new studio space and new exercise equipment Later three new basketball courts a new three lane jogging track and new cardio machines were added in 2018 67 Norris Aquatics Center edit Inside the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion the Norris Aquatics Center 68 is home to Northwestern Swimming and Diving and is the venue for all home meets The center named for Dellora A and Lester J Norris includes a 750 000 gallon 50 meter by 25 yard pool with movable walls that run on a track system enabling the pool to be custom fitted The facility also includes a heat recycling system an electronic scoreboard and seating for 800 spectators 69 Combe Tennis Center edit Also within the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion the Combe Tennis Center 70 is home to Northwestern Tennis for indoor matches and includes six courts with electronic scoreboards and a main team scoreboard The facility also includes spectator seating on a balcony overlooking the courts with unobstructed views of each match In 2020 the athletics and recreation facility underwent renovations to its ceiling and lighting The facility is named for former Northwestern tennis player Ivan Combe who played from 1931 to 1933 The ITA named the Combe Tennis Center the 2002 Outstanding Facility 71 Patten Gymnasium edit Patten Gymnasium is a historic multi purpose facility located on Northwestern s main campus that is home to the Northwestern Fencing program and Gleacher Golf Center The Gleacher Golf Center edit In November 2020 the Gleacher Golf Center 72 opened as a complete renovation of the existing space inside Patten Gymnasium for the golf programs Named for University Trustee Eric J Gleacher and Paula Gleacher the new on campus facility is one of the country s finest and includes a 5 400 square foot short game and putting area with raised ceilings a state of the art training area a digitally adjustable putting platform new locker rooms and a student athlete lounge with a dedicated study area full kitchen and sports performance hub The golf programs also practice at the Luke Donald Outdoor Practice Facility unveiled in fall 2006 73 Vandy Cristie Tennis Center edit The Vandy Christie Tennis Center 74 was dedicated in October 1994 and includes 15 courts a pro shop and permanent seating for spectators In 2013 the facility was enhanced with a main scoreboard six individual scoreboards and six 27 foot long bleachers with chairbacks The facility is home of Northwestern Tennis for outdoor matches and is located on Sheridan Road Ryan Field Campus Facilities edit Ryan Field edit Ryan Field is the home of Northwestern Football and is located along Central Street Welsh Ryan Arena edit Welsh Ryan Arena is home of Northwestern Men s and Women s Basketball Wrestling and Volleyball The arena underwent renovations and opened in November 2018 as one of the nation s leading competition facilities Trienens Performance Center edit Along with renovations to Welsh Ryan Arena Northwestern Athletics redesigned the former home to Northwestern Football offices and practice space into what is now the Trienens Performance Center 75 a state of the art practice facility for men s and women s basketball volleyball softball and baseball The building opened in November 2019 and includes a three court fieldhouse turf field and practice area expanded performance nutrition hub offices for men s and women s basketball staff locker rooms sports medicine and athletic training amenities and a weight room The new practice facility is named for University Trustee Howard J Trienens 76 Complete virtual tour of the facility on YouTube 77 Rocky and Berenice Miller Park edit The home of Northwestern Baseball is Rocky and Berenice Miller Park located along Ashland Avenue near Welsh Ryan Arena and the West Lot Sharon J Drysdale Field edit The Wildcats softball team plays home games at Sharon J Drysdale Field 78 located immediately east of Welsh Ryan Arena The facility formerly known as Anderson Field was renamed in 2011 to honor the legendary Sharon J Drysdale who coached the Wildcats for 23 seasons Drysdale Field features an intimate grandstand seating area in addition to seating located beyond right field Most recently the facility hosted the 2019 NCAA Evanston Regional for the first time in 11 years The facility has earned a number of awards including the 2008 Stabilizer Solutions NFCA Field Maintenance Award In 2006 the facility received new outfield turf and in 2007 underwent final renovation phases that included sunken dugouts permanent seating a new game operations booth and a plaza down the third base line Prior to the 2016 season the field was again completely resurfaced with a new infield installation and fresh outfield turf Drysdale Field and Ryan Field are the only two Northwestern Athletics competition facilities that feature natural grass Ken Kraft Wrestling Room edit The Ken Kraft Wrestling Room 79 is located on the bottom floor of Anderson Hall located along Central Street northeast of Ryan Field and is the primary practice facility for Northwestern Wrestling The room features three 42 x42 mats as well as coaching offices and locker rooms The practice facility is named in honor of Ken Kraft for his 48 years of involvement with the program Kraft was a four year member of the Wildcats wrestling squad and the program s head coach for 22 years In 2004 Kraft retired after spending 51 years at Northwestern and was inducted into the Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 80 Rivalries editIllinois Fighting Illini edit Northwestern s most prominent rivalry is with their Big Ten foe the University of Illinois The rivalry runs deep due to the schools proximity to each other history and the Land of Lincoln Trophy between the football programs The Land of Lincoln Trophy popularly known as The Hat for its resemblance to and design modeled after Abraham Lincoln s hat replaced the former football rivalry trophy the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy The Sweet Sioux was retired in 2008 after 64 seasons and the Land of Lincoln debuted the year following Illinois leads the all time series 55 53 5 but Northwestern leads the Land of Lincoln Trophy series 8 3 including victories in the last five consecutive meetings 81 The rivalry s first recorded game was in 1892 and resulted in a tie 16 16 82 University of Michigan Wolverines edit In February 2021 the football programs at Northwestern and the University of Michigan announced a new rivalry trophy called the George Jewett Trophy The game honors George Jewett the first Black player in Big Ten history who played football for both universities in the 1890s The game is the first trophy in Football Bowl Subdivision history to be named for a Black player 83 84 85 86 Championships editConference Championships edit Football 8 conference titles 1903 1926 1930 1931 1936 1995 1996 2000 2 division titles 2018 2020 87 Baseball 2 regular season 1940 1957 88 Men s Basketball 2 regular season 1931 1933 Women s Basketball 2 regular season 1990 2020 89 Women s Fencing 2 team Big Ten titles 1977 1978 6 team MFC titles 1999 2000 2001 2016 2018 2019 13 individual MFC titles MFC Weapon titles 8 epee 6 foil 6 sabre 1 Central Collegiate Conference title 2021 Field Hockey 6 regular season 1983 1984 1985 1988 1994 2013 1 tournament 2014 90 Men s Golf 8 team 1925 1937 1939 1948 1999 2000 2001 2006 13 medalists 91 Women s Golf 3 team 2013 2015 2016 3 medalists 92 Women s Lacrosse 2 Big Ten Conference regular season 2021 2023 93 3 Big Ten tournaments 2019 2021 2023 94 6 American Lacrosse Conference tournament 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 95 8 American Lacrosse Conference regular season 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2013 95 Men s Soccer 2 regular season 2011 2012 1 tournament 2011 96 Women s Soccer 1 regular season 2016 97 Softball 9 regular season 1982 1984 1985 1986 1987 2006 2008 2022 2023 98 Men s Swimming and Diving 10 team 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1920 1923 1924 1925 1930 111 individual 84 individual swimming 19 relay swimming 8 diving 99 Women s Swimming and Diving 57 individual 38 individual swimming 16 relay swimming 2 diving 100 Men s Tennis 9 team 1936 1940 1942 1947 1948 1949 1950 1963 1990 101 Women s Tennis 15 regular season 1985 1986 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2012 2018 most in the Big Ten 17 tournament 1985 1986 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 2014 most in the Big Ten 102 Women s Volleyball 2 regular season 1983 1984 103 Wrestling 40 individual 104 National Championships edit NCAA championships Team and Individual edit Men s Fencing now inactive 1 team 1941 1 individual Edward McNamara in 1941 105 Men s Golf 1 individual Luke Donald in 1999 91 Women s Lacrosse 8 team 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2023 Field Hockey 1 team 2021 Men s Swimming and Diving 31 individual relay Women s Swimming and Diving 2 individual Olivia Rosendahl in 2017 and 2018 Women s Tennis 2 doubles 1997 2006 Men s Outdoor Track and Field now inactive 12 individual Wrestling 10 individualNCAA championship appearances edit Baseball 1 appearance 88 Men s Basketball 1 appearance 106 Women s Basketball 7 appearances 89 Women s Fencing 30 appearances 107 Field Hockey 14 appearances 90 Women s Golf 8 appearances 92 Women s Lacrosse 20 appearances 108 Men s Soccer 9 appearances 96 Women s Soccer 6 appearances 97 Women s Softball 18 tournament appearances 5 WCWS appearances 98 Men s Swimming and Diving 35 appearances 99 Women s Swimming and Diving 27 appearances 100 Men s Tennis 16 appearances 101 Women s Tennis 29 appearances 102 Men s Outdoor Track and Field now inactive 21 appearances 109 Women s Volleyball 8 appearances 103 Wrestling 56 appearances 104 Other national team championships edit National team titles that were not bestowed by the NCAA 4 are unofficial NCAA championships Men s Swimming and Diving 4 1924 1929 110 1930 111 1933 112 Men s basketball 1 1931 retroactive selection by Helms Athletic Foundation and Premo Porretta Power Poll 113 114 See also List of Big Ten Conference National Championships List of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championshipsNotable alumni editMain article List of Northwestern University alumni Baseball edit Jerry Doggett former broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers Eddie Einhorn J D 1960 vice chairman of the Chicago White Sox Luke Farrell pitcher for the Texas Rangers Joe Girardi former baseball player and New York Yankees manager former manager of the Florida Marlins and current TV analyst J A Happ baseball player pitcher Toronto Blue Jays Mike Huff former baseball player Eric Jokisch pitcher for the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO George Kontos 2012 World Series champion with the San Francisco Giants Mike Koplove Major League Baseball pitcher Kenesaw Mountain Landis J D 1891 first Commissioner of Baseball Mark Loretta baseball player Milwaukee Brewers Boston Red Sox San Diego Padres Los Angeles Dodgers Gene Oliver Baseball player Jerry Reinsdorf owner of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls Mark Walter founder and CEO of Guggenheim Partners chairman of the Los Angeles DodgersBasketball edit Don Adams former NBA and ABA player Jim Burns former NBA and ABA player Veronica Burton WNBA player Nia Coffey WNBA player Drew Crawford born 1990 basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Frank Ehmann All American basketball player Evan Eschmeyer former basketball player New Jersey Nets Jake Fendley former NBA player for the Fort Wayne Pistons Glen Grunwald J D 1984 executive for the New York Knicks Willie Jones former NBA player Vic Law NBA player for Orlando Magic Billy McKinney former NBA player current director of scouting for the Milwaukee Bucks Daryl Morey B S 1996 general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers Max Morris All American football and basketball player Dererk Pardon professional basketball player Dan Peterson basketball coach Kevin Rankin basketball player and insurance underwriter Jerry Reinsdorf J D 1960 owner of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox Joe Ruklick former NBA player for the Philadelphia Warriors gave Wilt Chamberlain the final assist in his 100 point game Anucha Browne Sanders B S 1985 former executive for New York Knicks John Shurna former basketball player Rick Sund former general manager for the Atlanta HawksFigure skating edit Ronald Joseph figure skater and long jumper Debi Thomas M D 1997 figure skaterFootball edit Mike Adamle football player and sportscaster Dick Alban football player Damien Anderson American football player St Louis Rams Frank Aschenbrenner football player Darryl Ashmore football player Oakland Raiders Rams Redskins Darnell Autry football player Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles and actor Frank Baker football player Brett Basanez football player Chicago Bears Cas Banaszek football player D Wayne Bates football player Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings Sid Bennett football player George Benson football player Kevin Bentley football player Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks Ron Burton football player Boston Patriots now known as New England Patriots Hank Bruder football player Corbin Bryant football player Ibraheim Campbell football player Woody Campbell football player Austin Carr football player New Orleans Saints Luis Castillo football player San Diego Chargers Bob Christian football player Atlanta Falcons Barry Cofield football player Washington Redskins Joe Collier football head coach Buffalo Bills Irv Cross football player Andy Cvercko football player Bill DeCorrevont football player for four NFL teams Washington Redskins Detroit Lions Chicago Cardinals Chicago Bears Garrett Dickerson football player John L Paddy Driscoll football player Curtis Duncan football player Houston Oilers Tiny Engebretsen football player Trai Essex football player Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts Pat Fitzgerald two time All American player Northwestern head football coach 2006 2022 Barry Gardner football player Philadelphia Eagles Joe Gaziano football player Brian Gowins American football player Chicago Bears Otto Graham football player Nate Hall football player Napoleon Harris football player Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings Montre Hartage football player Noah Herron football player Green Bay Packers Chris Hinton seven time Pro Bowl player Indianapolis Colts Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings Godwin Igwebuike football player Tampa Bay Buccaneers San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles Justin Jackson football player Los Angeles Chargers Paul Janus football player Luke Johnsos football player Mike Kafka football player Philadelphia Eagles Jim Keane football player Doc Kelley football player John Kidd NFL punter for five teams Buffalo Bills San Diego Chargers Miami Dolphins Detroit Lions and New York Jets Elbert Kimbrough football player Bob Koehler football player Tyler Lancaster football player Dean Lowry football player Sherrick McManis football player Chicago Bears Alex Moyer football player Hunter Niswander NFL punter Matt O Dwyer football player New York Jets Cincinnati Bengals Ifeadi Odenigbo football player Ted Phillips Chicago Bears president and CEO Kyle Prater NFL wide receiver Nick Roach football player Chicago Bears Jeff Roehl American football player Jack Rudnay football player Pete Shaw football player Trevor Siemian football player Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings Rashawn Slater football player Los Angeles Chargers Zach Strief football player Tyrell Sutton football player Carolina Panthers Clayton Thorson football player Dallas Cowboys Steve Tasker football player Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills and sports announcer Rob Taylor football player and head coach Danny Vitale football player Anthony Walker Jr football player Ray Wietecha football player George Wilson football player and head coach Fred Williamson football player Eric Wilson football player Corey Wootton football player Chicago Bears Jason Wright running back and business executive Golf edit Jim Benepe golfer Luke Donald golfer Matt Fitzpatrick golfer David Lipsky golfer David Merkow golfer Jane Weiller 1912 1989 golferHockey edit Rocky Wirtz owner of the Chicago BlackhawksHorse racing edit David Israel B S J 1973 former chair of the California Horse Racing Board former president of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum CommissionRace car driving edit Paul Dana former race car driver in the Indy Racing LeagueSoccer edit Tyler Miller professional soccer player Brad North soccer player D C United Swimming edit Sybil Bauer swimmer gold medalist at the 1924 Summer Olympics in the 100 m backstroke Matt Grevers winner of four gold and two silver Olympic medals in multiple events in 2008 and 2012 Bob Skelton 1924 Olympic gold medalist in 200 meter breaststroke Jordan Wilimovsky 2015 World Champion in the 10 km open water raceTennis edit Katrina Adams tennis player former president of the USTA Audra Cohen 2007 NCAA women s singles champion never graduated Grant Golden 1929 2018 tennis player Clark Graebner tennis player Seymour Greenberg 1920 2006 tennis player Judy Ade Levering first woman President of the United States Tennis Association USTA 1999 2000 Todd Martin tennis player Marty Riessen tennis playerTrack and field edit Jim Golliday track Betty Robinson Track and Field gold medalist in the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1936 Summer Olympics Annette Rogers sprinterProfessional softball edit Tammy Williams shortstop won world championship with Team USA in 2010 and National Pro Fastpitch championship with Chicago Bandits in 2011Wrestling edit Jake Herbert Olympian USA amateur wrestlerControversies editIn May 2006 the website BadJocks com republished photos a reader had found on Webshots of the women s soccer team hazing its freshmen The whole team was suspended for a time as a result In the wake of the incident head coach Jenny Haigh resigned Since athletic director Mark Murphy named Stephanie Erickson the school s all time leader in goals and points as Haigh s replacement References edit Northwestern University s Guide to Using Marks Colors Trademarks and Logos PDF September 21 2016 Retrieved November 11 2016 History of Willie the Wildcat Northwestern Now October 13 2014 Traditions Northwestern University Student Affairs Ryan Shannon January 19 2021 Jim Phillips begins his new job as ACC commissioner in February But he leaves Northwestern in better shape than when he took the AD job in 2008 chicagotribune com Retrieved May 6 2021 Polisky Named Combe Family VP For Athletics amp Recreation Northwestern Sports May 3 2021 Mike Polisky steps down as athletic director Partnership Northwestern linguistics professor Robert Gundlach Under Armour and Northwestern Form Multiyear Partnership ThePostGameStaff October 7 2014 Northwestern Unveils Gothic Uniforms Northwestern Gothic Ice 2 11 20 Archived from the original on December 15 2021 via youtube com Under Armour Unveils 2020 By the Players Uniform March 5 2020 Northwestern CFB 150 Throwback Uniform July 3 2023 UNISWAG July 3 2023 Week 5 Uniswag Countdown a b The Foundation Studio N Wins Emmy for The Foundation Northwestern Basketball December 7 2017 a b Women s Cross Country a b Women s Fencing a b Men s Golf a b Women s Golf a b Men s Swimming and Diving a b Men s Tennis a b Women s Soccer a b Wrestling a b Women s Swimming and Diving a b Women s Tennis a b Women s Volleyball Football Northwestern fires Fitzgerald amid hazing claims ESPN com July 10 2023 Retrieved January 31 2024 Editor Web Markus Nicole July 8 2023 Former NU football player details hazing allegations The Daily Northwestern Retrieved January 31 2024 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last has generic name help David Braun Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Football Coaches Northwestern Athletics Retrieved January 31 2024 Men s Basketball Facilities Women s Basketball Joe McKeown Head Coach Staff Directory Women s Lacrosse 2019 Big Ten Women s Lacrosse Tournament Central BIG TEN Northwestern Clinches Share of Big Ten Women s Lacrosse Championship BIG TEN March 29 2021 Field Hockey Tracey Fuchs Head Coach Staff Directory Matt Storniolo Head Coach Staff Directory Northwestern All Americans National Wrestling Hall of Fame Retrieved September 6 2022 CBS Sports News Live Scores Schedules Fantasy Games Video and more CBSSports com Luke Donald Bio Northwestern University Athletics Archived from the original on March 15 2021 Retrieved March 3 2021 The Top Ranked Northwestern Wildcats Female Golfers of All Time ainsworthsports com Lenny and Sharon Martin Stadium Men s Soccer Wildcats Douse Flames 2 1 in Overtime Thriller Michael Moynihan Head Coach Staff Directory Sharples Viggiano Davison Selected in NWSL Draft January 10 2019 Softball Kate Drohan Head Coach Staff Directory Kate and Caryl Drohan Earn Program Record 641st Win in Double Header Sweep Northwestern Sports March 27 2021 Sharon J Drysdale Field Katie Robinson Director of Swimming amp Diving Staff Directory a b c d Northwestern Features Men s Swimming Baseball Rocky Miller Park 1957 NCAA University Division baseball tournament Jill MIller Head Cross Country Coach Women s Cross Country Coaches Shane Davis Head Coach Women s Volleyball Coaches Welcome to the Walter Athletics Center Northwestern University Athletics Archived from the original on April 14 2021 Retrieved April 14 2021 Facilities Facilities Northwestern Dedicates Transformational Martin Stadium amp Hutcheson Field Northwestern University Athletics Archived from the original on April 14 2021 Retrieved April 14 2021 Facilities Facilities Northwestern University Recreation Henry Crown Sports Pavilion Facilities Norris Aquatics Center Facilities Combe Tennis Center Welcome to the New Gleacher Golf Center Northwestern University Athletics Archived from the original on April 14 2021 Retrieved April 14 2021 Luke Donald Practice Facility and The Gleacher Center Facilities WATCH Trienens Performance Center Tour Northwestern University Athletics Archived from the original on April 14 2021 Retrieved April 14 2021 Northwestern Athletics Unveils Trienens Performance Center February 7 2017 Northwestern Trienens Performance Center Virtual Tour Archived from the original on December 15 2021 via youtube com Facilities Facilities Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame Land of Lincoln Trophy Football History vs University of Illinois from Oct 12 1892 Dec 12 2020 Michigan Wolverines Northwestern Wildcats football to play for George Jewett Trophy February 25 2021 Michigan Northwestern to play for George Jewett Trophy honoring Big Ten s first Black football player Michigan and Northwestern Establish George Jewett Trophy University of Michigan Athletics Archived from the original on August 25 2021 Retrieved August 25 2021 Michigan Northwestern to Make College Football History in 2021 2019 Big Ten Football Media Guide a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Baseball a b 2019 20 Big Ten Women s Basketball Media Guide a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Field Hockey a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Men s Golf a b 2020 21 Big Ten Records Book Women s Golf Northwestern Secures Outright Big Ten Women s Lacrosse Title Big Ten April 9 2021 2019 Big Ten Women s Lacrosse Tournament Central a b 2001 14 American Lacrosse Conference Tournament a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Men s Soccer a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Women s Soccer a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Softball a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Men s Swimming and Diving a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Women s Swimming and Diving a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Men s Tennis a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Women s Tennis a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Women s Volleyball a b 2019 20 Big Ten Records Book Wrestling Discontinued Championships https bigten org documents 2020 11 9 2020 21 Media Guide pdf bare URL PDF National Collegiate Men s and Women s Fencing Championships Records Book updated 2019 2018 19 Big Ten Records Book Women s Lacrosse NCAA Championships Summary updated June 22 2020 Division I Men s Outdoor Track Championships Records Book United States Champions for the Year 1929 The Christian Science Monitor December 31 1929 p 10 Retrieved May 14 2010 permanent dead link United States Champions for the Year 1930 The Christian Science Monitor December 31 1930 p 8 Retrieved May 14 2010 permanent dead link United States Sporting Champions for 1933 The Christian Science Monitor December 31 1933 p 4 Retrieved May 14 2010 permanent dead link ESPN ed 2009 ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia The Complete History of the Men s Game New York ESPN Books p 541 ISBN 978 0 345 51392 2 NCAA Division I Men s Basketball NCAA Division I Champions Rauzulu s Street 2004 Retrieved May 20 2014 External links editOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Northwestern Wildcats amp oldid 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