The Pirates’ sports program includes fourteen sports in total, with six sports for men and eight for women. The school stands out, because unlike most American colleges, it has cancelled football, which was officially last played at the college in 1982.
About the School:
A private Roman Catholic university in New Jersey, Seton Hall was founded in 1856 by James Bayley. The school is known primarily for its business, nursing, law and diplomacy schools. Along with education, sports play a major part in the students’ everyday life.
Apart from their fourteen varsity sports, the University is active in club sports as well. These include rugby, lacrosse, ice hockey and men’s soccer and volleyball. Except for basketball and ice hockey, all sporting events take place at the South Orange campus.
Basketball:
The Pirates’ men’s basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays its home fixtures at the Prudential Center in Newark. Despite fielding its first basketball squad in the 1903-1904 season, the Pirates became a regular team at college tournaments during the 1908-1909 season.
The team gained prominence in 1936, when basketball legend John “Honey” Russell joined its ranks. During his time with the team, the Pirates managed to reach their first ever National Invitational Tournament (NIT) during the 1940-1941 season, and won their first NIT title in the 1952-1953 season.
After joining the Big East Conference in 1979, the team hired Coach P.J. Carlesimo in 1982 and started playing in the famous Meadowlands Arena. Under Carlesimo the team went on a hugely successful run which included multiple NCAA tournament appearances and also included a trip to the tournament final in 1989, where the team was defeated by Michigan.
Other Sports:
Other major sports that the Pirates compete in include baseball, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, cross country, tennis and volleyball. Despite its long and storied tradition as an old institution, the Seton Hall Pirates have not had that much success in NCAA tournaments, despite finishing very strongly in some seasons.
However the Pirates have been known to give it their all in every game they play in, and as such, their fierce competitiveness makes their games a highly entertaining spectacle for audience members. Seton Hall Pirates tickets will give you the opportunity to be a part of their live games, so come watch them in action today.