While we at Ave Maria Press our disappointed our own Notre Dame Fighting Irish are not part of this year’s NCAA Men’s or Women’s March Madness basketball tournaments, that is not stopping us from presenting profiles of other Catholic colleges who did make this year’s tournaments.
As always, use the information for an exit assignment, a classroom quiz, or as an extra credit assignment based on information of your choosing around these Catholic colleges, their founders, and their histories. Here is some basic information to get you started.
Men’s Tournament
School: Gonzaga University
Location: Spokane, Washington
Year Founded: 1887
Religious Community: Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Chapel: St. Aloysius Church
Conference: West Coast Conference
Team Nickname: Zags
Coach: Mark Few
Seeding: 1 (West)
Total NCAA Appearances: 22
NCAA Championships: 0
School: Creighton University
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Year Founded: 1878
Religious Community: Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Chapel: St. John’s
Team Nickname: Bluejays
Conference: Big East
Coach: Greg McDermott
Seeding: 5 (West)
Total NCAA Appearances: 21
NCAA Championships: 0
School: Mount St. Mary’s University
Location: Emmitsburg, Maryland
Year Founded: 1808
Religious Community: Independent
Chapel: Chapel of the Immaculate Conception
Conference: Northeast
Team Nickname: Mountaineers
Coach: Dan Engelstad
Seeding: 16 (East)
Total NCAA Appearances: 6
NCAA Championships: 0
School: St. Bonaventure University
Location: St. Bonaventure, New York
Year Founded: 1854
Religious Community: Franciscans
Chapel: University Chapel
Conference: Atlantic 10
Team Nickname: Bonnies
Coach: Mark Schmidt
Seeding: 9 (East)
Total NCAA Appearances: 8
NCAA Championships: 0
School: Georgetown University
Location: Washington, DC
Year Founded: 1789
Religious Community: Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Chapel: Dahlgren Chapel
Conference: Big East
Team Nickname: Hoyas
Coach: Patrick Ewing
Seeding: 12 (East)
NCAA Appearances: 31
NCAA Championships: 1
School: Iona College
Location: New Rochelle, New York
Year Founded: 1940
Religious Community: Congregation of Christian Brothers
Chapel: Blessed Edmund Rice Chapel
Conference: Metro Atlantic Athletic
Team Nickname: Gaels
Coach: Rick Pitino
Seeding: 15 (East)
NCAA Appearances: 14
NCAA Championships: 0
School: Villanova University
Location: Villanova, Pennsylvania
Year Founded: 1842
Religious Community: Augustinians
Chapel: St. Thomas of Villanova
Conference: Big East
Team Nickname: Wildcats
Coach: Jay Wright
Seeding: 5 (South)
NCAA Appearances: 39
NCAA Championships: 3
School: Loyola University Chicago
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Year Founded: 1870
Religious Community: Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Chapel: Madonna della Strada Chapel
Conference: Missouri Valley Conference
Team Nickname: Ramblers
Coach: Porter Moser
Seeding: 8 (Midwest)
NCAA Appearances: 6
NCAA Championships: 1
Women’s Tournament
School: Mount St. Mary’s University
Location: Emmitsburg, Maryland
Year Founded: 1808
Religious Community: Independent
Chapel: Chapel of the Immaculate Conception
Conference: Northeast
Team Nickname: Mountaineers
Coach: Maria Marchesano
Seeding: 15 (Hemisfair)
NCAA Appearances: 3
NCAA Championships: 0
School: Marquette University
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Year Founded: 1881
Religious Community: Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Chapel: Church of the Gesu
Conference: Big East
Team Nickname: Golden Eagles
Coach: Megan Duffy
Seeding: 10 (River Walk)
NCAA Appearances: 19
NCAA Championships: 0
School: Gonzaga University
Location: Spokane, Washington
Year Founded: 1887
Religious Community: Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Chapel: St. Aloysius Church
Conference: West Coast Conference
Team Nickname: Zags
Coach: Lisa Fortier
Seeding: 5 (Mercado)
Total NCAA Appearances: 10
NCAA Championships: 0
