The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private, Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-centu ...

, located in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. The Blue Demons participate in

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

and are a member of the

Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and M ...

. DePaul’s Athletic Director is DeWayne Peevy. DePaul was not affiliated with any conference until it helped establish the

Great Midwest Conference The Great Midwest Conference was an NCAA Division I athletics conference that existed from 1991 to 1995. History It was formed in 1990 with six members: Cincinnati and Memphis State (now Memphis) from the Metro Conference, UAB from the Sun Belt ...

in 1991. It subsequently became a charter member of

Conference USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...

from 1995 until its move to the original Big East in 2005 through 2012. DePaul and the other six Catholic, non-FBS schools announced on December 15, 2012 their separation to eventually form a new conference that would carry the Big East name in 2013.

Nickname

The origin of the Blue Demons

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

dates back to 1907 when the university changed its name from St. Vincent's College to its current form. At the time, the athletic teams had

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

uniforms with a large "D" on the front. After an announcer referred to the players as the "D-men," the moniker stuck and eventually evolved into "Demons." The "

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

" was part of an attempt to distinguish the university's players from those of its now-defunct

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, DePaul Academy. The former wore red with a blue "D," while the latter adopted the reverse. The official athletic colors are scarlet and

royal blue Royal blue is a deep and vivid shade of blue. It is said to have been created by clothiers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of whom won a competition to make a dress for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. Brightness The ''Oxford En ...

Sports sponsored

A member of the

, DePaul University sponsors teams in six men's and seven women's

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

sanctioned sports.

Men's basketball

DePaul's NCAA men's basketball team is well known for its basketball program, which gained prominence under

Ray Meyer Raymond Joseph Meyer (December 18, 1913 – March 17, 2006) was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois. He was well known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record. Meyer ...

who led DePaul to two NCAA Division I basketball Final Four's in the 1942–43 season and 1978–79 season. Meyer also led the Blue Demons to the 1945 NIT championship during the 1944–45 season. The current head basketball coach is

Tony Stubblefield Anthony Gerard Stubblefield (born March 28, 1970) is an American college basketball coach who is the head men's basketball coach at DePaul University. He was previously an assistant for University of Oregon, University of Cincinnati and New Mexic ...

, having taken the position in 2021. The team currently plays their home games at

Wintrust Arena Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square, previously referred to as DePaul Arena or McCormick Place Events Center, is a 10,387-seat sports venue in the Near South Side community area of Chicago that opened in 2017. It is the current home court for ...

adjacent to the

McCormick Place McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America. It consists of four interconnected buildings and one indoor arena sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States. McCor ...

convention center.

Women's basketball

DePaul's NCAA women's basketball team has reached the Sweet 16 multiple times in the program's history. Head Coach

Doug Bruno Richard Douglas Bruno (born November 7, 1950) is the head coach of the DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team. In 2016, he completed his 30th season as head coach. Under his tenure, the Blue Demons have qualified for post-season competition p ...

has been the women's basketball coach since 1988. The team currently plays their home games at

adjacent to the

convention center and select games at McGrath-Phillips Arena.

Men's soccer

The DePaul Blue Demons men's soccer team represents

in the

in Division I of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA).

Softball

Since 2011, the head coach of Wisconsin's softball program is former Blue Demon second-baseman

Yvette Healy Yvette Healy is an American, former collegiate All-American softball second baseman and current head coach at Wisconsin, originally from Orland Park, Illinois. She played college softball at DePaul from 1996 to 1999 and was a four-time Summit ...

. Former DePaul All-American pitcher Tracie Adix-Zins returned to Lincoln Park to lead the softball program as head coach just before the start of the 2019 season. Following her standout career in the circle for the Blue Demons she has served as an assistant coach at Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and North Carolina State.

Women's volleyball

The DePaul Blue Demons women's volleyball team competes in NCAA Division I volleyball and is part of the

Former varsity sports

Football

DePaul University fielded a varsity football team until 1939. It played its home games at

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...

and

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...

Club sports

DePaul offers a number of other intercollegiate club athletic teams under its Department of Campus Recreation.

Football

DePaul fielded a football club team in the

National Club Football Association The National Club Football Association (NCFA) is an association of collegiate American football teams. It is a member of CollClubSports and manages the NCFA National Championship. NCFA teams are typically operated by student sports clubs rather ...

until 2015.

Men's Ice Hockey

DePaul University has an ice hockey club team called the DePaul University Hockey Club that competes in the

Northern Collegiate Hockey League The Northern Collegiate Hockey League (NCHL) is a College ice hockey, college ice hockey league based in the central region of the United States. The conference is part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 and is made up of el ...

in the Central Region of the ACHA. The team plays a 25–30 game schedule against regional opponents. Home games are played at Johnny's Ice House West. In 2009 the team made the ACHA Division II National Championship Tournament for the first time in the team's history.

Men's Lacrosse

DePaul University fields Men's Lacrosse at the non-varsity club level in the

Great Lakes Lacrosse League The Great Lakes Lacrosse League (GLLL) is a regional organization of non-varsity men's club field lacrosse programs in the Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is on ...

in the Chicago Division. DePaul Men's Lacrosse divisional rivals include:

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The ...

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

Lake Forest College Lake Forest College is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Lind University by a group of Presbyterian ministers, the college has been coeducational since 1876 and an undergraduate-focused liberal arts inst ...

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Cathol ...

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

Western Illinois University Western Illinois University (WIU) is a public university in Macomb, Illinois. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. History Western Illin ...

and Wheaton College, as well as other GLLL opponents. The Men's Lacrosse Club play their home games at

Diversey Harbor The term Diversey may refer to: * Diversey (CTA), an 'L' station on the CTA Brown Line. * Diversey Holdings, manufacturer of cleaning and hygiene products. * Diversey Parkway (Chicago) People with the name Diversey: * Michael Diversey Michael Di ...

(Chicago Park District) and Montrose Beach (Chicago Park District). DePaul reached the national stage in 2013 when they reached their first ever MCLA Tournament appearance only to be ousted in the 1st round by the 2012 and 2013 MCLA Division II Champion, St. Thomas Tommies 11–3. Conference Championships * 2013: 9–3 (3–1) National Tournament Appearances * 2013: 1st Round

Men's Roller Hockey

DePaul's roller hockey club competes in the Midwest Collegiate Roller Hockey League, a league within the NCRHA. The team was first started in 2005 and played steadily in the NCRHA for seven consecutive seasons before dropping out of the league for a few years. The team has recently been reactivated and rejoined the NCRHA in 2014. The current team plays in Division III of the MCRHL.

Rowing

DePaul has had a crew team for the last four years and gained formal recognition in 2013.

Men's Rugby

DePaul University currently competes as a non-varsity club in USA Rugby's DII collegiate rugby division. As one of the top collegiate teams in the city of Chicago, DePaul competes in the Great Midwest Rugby Conference formerly known as the WIIL Conference in the Southern division. As famed collegiate rugby writer Alex Goff states, WIIL conference is one of the toughest divisions in DII rugby." DePaul Rugby was the inaugural champion of the THG Chicago Cup. Men's Rugby play their home matches at

(Chicago Park District).

Tennis

DePaul University Club

Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

competes regionally in the Midwest League of the USTA's national Tennis on Campus program. They practice and host their home matches at Midtown Athletic Club Chicago, the largest indoor tennis facility in the country. In recent years, the club has taken a lead role in helping to develop the

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Tennis on Campus community of schools. In February 2013, they were named USTA Midwest Club of the Year.

Men's volleyball

DePaul University's Men's Volleyball Club competes at the division 1AA level, hosts and travels to several tournaments per year, competing against clubs from across the nation. The Blue Demons practice and play their home matches at the

Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray ...

. In 2011, the Blue Demons finished 3rd at the NCVF National Championships in Houston, TX, their best finish in club history.

Water Polo

DePaul

Water Polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...

is a coed water polo club that was founded in 2013. Practices are currently held at Gill Park in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.

Athletic facilities

Current facilities

: the 10,000-seat arena is the home of the Blue Demons men's and women's basketball teams. * Lakeshore Sport and Fitness: Home of the men's and women's tennis teams. *

Lane Stadium Lane Stadium is a college football stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The playing surface of the stadium is named Worsham Fi ...

: Home stadium for the men's and women's track and field teams. * McGrath-Phillips Arena: a 3,000-seat indoor arena located in the Sullivan Athletic Center is the home of women's volleyball team since the facility opened in 2000. *

Ruffled Feathers Golf Club The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent DePaul University, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and are a member of the Big East Conference. DePaul’s Athletic Director is DeWayne P ...

: Home golf course for the men's and women's golf teams. * Wish Field/Cacciatore Stadium: Wish Field, which features a FieldTurf playing surface, is home of the Blue Demons men's and women's soccer teams in

autumn Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...

. Cacciatore Stadium occupies the

south South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

end of Wish Field for Blue Demons softball in

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

, with its 1,200-seat

grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap a ...

situated in the southwest corner.

Former facilities

Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened i ...

— Men's basketball * Alumni Hall — Men's and women's basketball, Women's volleyball *

— Football * University Auditorium — Men's basketball *

— Football

Traditions

Mascot

DePaul's mascot is DIBS which stands for Demon In a Blue Suit. DIBS is present at every Blue Demons basketball game and makes frequent appearances at DePaul's Lincoln Park Campus and charity appearances around the Chicago metropolitan area. While the Blue Demon nickname has been around for many years, the Blue Demon mascot took the game floor for the first time in 1968 with a papier-mache head and old warm-up suit. Through the years, the Blue Demon has taken on many forms in its evolution and was dubbed DIBS in 1999. Former mascot performers; John Maniatis and Paul Fisher.

References

External links

* {{Navboxes , titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle, DePaul Blue Demons, color=white , list = {{Big East Conference navbox {{Chicago sports {{Illinois Sports