Grabbing Your A10tion
Saint Louis Billikens
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Founded: 1818
Enrollment: 11,422
Nickname: Billikens
Colors: Blue and White
President: Rev. Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
Director of Athletics: Cheryl L. Levick
Joined the A-10: 2005
Driving distance from Charlotte: 737 miles
Website: www.slubillikens.com
Sports in which the 49ers and Billikens will compete: Baseball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Cross-Country, Women’s Cross-Country, Men’s Golf, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s Tennis, Women’s Tennis, Volleyball
Other Sports: Field Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Swimming
Recent League Tournament Titles (C-USA): Men’s Soccer (2003; 2002; 2001; 2000); Men’s Basketball (2000)
Recent NCAA appearances: Men’s Basketball (2000); Men’s Soccer (2003; 2002; 2001; 2000)
Note: Women’s soccer was the 2004 C-USA regular-season champions
1.) Soccer Rules: The Billikens have won a record 10 national championships in men’s soccer and participated in 42 of the sport’s 46 NCAA Tournaments. In 1995, Matt McKeon was named the MAC National Player of the Year and longtime USA National team member Brian McBride starred for the Billikens as well. Saint Louis has produced 47 all-Americas in soccer and has had 13 players on an MLS Roster.
2.) Soccer Fans: The Billikens have led the nation in attendance in men’s soccer in three of the last six years.
3.) Knowing People in High Places: The current mayor of St. Louis, Francis Slay, is a graduate of Saint Louis University.
4.) Other Alums: Linda Hope, the daughter of comedian Bob Hope, is a SLU grad, as is former NY Jets Placekicker Pat Leahy, who is the 10th leading scorer in NFL history. Others: Former NASA flight director Gene Kranz, depicted by Ed Harris in the film Apollo 13, was instrumental in returning the Apollo 13 crew safely. James Gunn was the screenwriter of the Scooby Doo movie and its sequel.
5.) The Final Four: Saint Louis co-hosted the 2005 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four at the 70,000 seat Edward Jones Dome with the St. Louis Sports Commission and the Missouri Valley Conference. The Jones Dome is also home to the 2000 Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams. In 1997, the Billikens hosted Illinois, there, and attracted a state-record basketball crowd of 32,429.
6.) Major League: Saint Louis is one of nine Atlantic 10 schools whose city is home to a major professional sports team. St. Louis, with the NFL’s Rams, MLB’s Cardinals and NHL’s Blues, joins Charlotte, Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. as major league cities in the Atlantic 10.
7.) My Hometown: St. Louis is home to tennis’ Jimmy Connors, track and field Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Cardinals Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Ozzie Smith and broadcasters Bob Costas, Joe Buck and Dan Dierdorf.
8.) The Gateway: As the Gateway to the west, St. Louis offers a wealth of attractions, entertainment at recreational activities, highlighted, of course, by the Gateway Arch. Aside from the wide supply of professional sports, St. Louis also offers the St. Louis Zoo, Historic Union Station and the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
9.) About the University: Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic University ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The university fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 11,000 students on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the U.S.
10.) Larry “HUGE”: The consensus 1998 National Freshman of the Year, Larry Hughes is one of the Billikens’ all-time greats. He led SLU with a 20.9 scoring average and carried the Billikens to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2005, he averaged career-highs with 22 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.9 steals for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. He signed this summer as a free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hughes was the #8 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, taken by Philadelphia. Hughes is one of several National Freshmen of the Year out of A-10 schools, including Temple’s Mark Macon (1988), Charlotte’s Rodney White (2001) and Saint Joseph’s Jameer Nelson (2001).
