Conference affiliation
Southern University's athletic teams participate in the
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) which is a part of the
NCAA Division I. Football participates in the
Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Southern University's colors are
columbia blue and
gold and their nickname is the
Jaguar.
Sports
Football
Bayou Classic
Every
Thanksgiving weekend, Southern plays archrival
Grambling State University in the
Bayou Classic at the
Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The game is telecast on
NBC. Due to
Hurricane Katrina, the
2005 game was moved to
Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Since the Recovery of New Orleans, in 2007 the Bayou Classic was moved "Back to the Dome, and at Home" in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Notable alumni
Mel Blount played running back and cornerback for Southern from 1967-69 before enjoying a 14-year career as a cornerback for the
Pittsburgh Steelers. Starring on the
Steel Curtain defense, he helped the franchise win four
Super Bowl championships in six years. Blount was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
Baseball
The university's baseball team has won more regular season championships than any other SWAC member. They play their home games at
Lee-Hines Field.
Notable alumni
Rickie Weeks was the first college player selected in the 2003
Major League Baseball Draft when the
Milwaukee Brewers made him their No. 1 pick, the highest a second baseman has ever been drafted in MLB Draft history. Weeks won the
Golden Spikes Award,
Dick Howser Trophy, and Baseball America College Player of the Year honors as the nation's top collegiate player during the 2003 season.
Hall of Famer
Lou Brock played baseball at Southern University from 1958-1960.
Men's Basketball
In 1993, the Southern University men's basketball team defeated the fourth-seeded
Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, 93-78, during the
NCAA Tournament. In the first round of the 2006
NCAA Tournament in
Greensboro, North Carolina, the Jaguars lost to
Duke University, 70-54. In his first season at SU, head coach Rob Spivery was named 2005-06 SWAC Coach of the Year after winning both the SWAC regular season and tournament titles.
Notable alumni
Avery Johnson, former
NBA star who won an NBA title with the
San Antonio Spurs, is a 1988 graduate of Southern. Johnson was named
NBA Coach of the Year in 2006 after leading the
Dallas Mavericks to the
NBA Finals.
Women's Basketball
The 2005-2006 women's basketball team won a share of the SWAC regular season title and won the SWAC women's basketball tournament. This was Coach Sandy Pugh's third appearance in the NCAA tournament with the university.
Athletic traditions
Marching band
Often accompanying the SU athletic teams is the university's
marching band and dance line. Nicknamed the
Southern University Human Jukebox and the Dancing Dolls, the band has performed at several Super Bowls,
NFL games, the inaugurations of Presidents Reagan and Clinton,
Yankee Stadium, in foreign countries, at bowl games, at
Radio City Music Hall, and in television commercials and specials, movies and music videos.