| Penn Quakers | |
| University: | University of Pennsylvania |
| Association: | NCAA |
| Conference: | Ivy League (primary) EIWA (wrestling) Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges CSA (squash) |
| Division: | Division I (FCS) |
| Director: | Alanna W. Shanahan |
| Location: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Teams: | 33 teams [1] |
| Stadium: | Franklin Field |
| Basketballarena: | Palestra |
| Icehockeyarena: | Class of 1923 Arena |
| Baseballfield: | Meiklejohn Stadium |
| Soccerstadium: | Rhodes Field |
| Lacrossestadium: | Franklin Field |
| Natatorium: | Sheerr Pool |
| Mascot: | The Quaker |
| Nickname: | Quakers, The Red and the Blue |
| Fightsong: | "Fight on, Pennsylvania!" and "The Red and Blue" |
| Pageurl: | www.pennathletics.com |
The Penn Quakers are the athletic teams of the University of Pennsylvania. The school sponsors 33 varsity sports. The school has won three NCAA national championships in men's fencing and one in women's fencing.
| University of Pennsylvania Blue | |
| Hex: | 011F5B |
| Source: | Penn branding guidelines |
| Isccname: | Deep blue |
| University of Pennsylvania Red | |
| Hex: | 990000 |
| Source: | Penn branding guidelines |
| Isccname: | Deep red-maroon |
There are several legends relating how "The Red and Blue" came to be used by the University of Pennsylvania. Whether they are fact or fiction remains unknown.
As University Archivist Francis James Dallett pointed out in 1983: "Eighteenth-century American academic institutions simply did not have colors." This leaves one inclined to relegate the above explanations to the realm of local myth.
A resolution adopted by the university trustees on May 17, 1910, states:"The colors shall be red and blue,...The colors [of the University of Pennsylvania] shall conform to the present standards used by the United States Government in its flags." Thus it is possible to determine when Penn adopted the colors red and blue, at least officially.
See main article: Penn Quakers baseball.
See also: Meiklejohn Stadium and College baseball. Mark DeRosa played varsity baseball for the Penn Quakers from 1994 to 1996.
See main article: Penn Quakers men's basketball.
See main article: College Boat Club.
See also: College rowing (United States), Dad Vail Regatta and Boathouse Row. Crew at Penn dates back to at least 1854 with the founding of the University Barge Club. The university currently hosts both heavyweight and lightweight men's teams, which compete as part of the Eastern Sprints League. Ellis Ward was Penn's first intercollegiate crew coach from 1879 through 1912.[2] During course of Ward's coaching career at Penn his "... Red and Blue crews won 65 races, in about 150 starts."[3] Importantly, Ward coached Penn's 8 oared boat to the finals of the Grand Challenge Cup (the oldest and most prized trophy) at the Henley Royal Regatta (but in that final race was defeated by the champion Leander Club).[4] Penn Rowing has produced a long list of famous coaches and Olympians. Members of Penn crew team, rowers Sidney Jellinek, Eddie Mitchell, and coxswain, John G. Kennedy won the bronze medal for the United States at 1924 Olympics.[5] Joseph William Burk (Penn Class of 1935), captain of Penn Crew team and winner of the Henley Diamond Sculls twice, was named recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award for nation's best amateur athlete. The outbreak of World War Two canceled the 1940 Olympics for which he was favored to win the Gold Medal. Other Olympic athletes and or coaches of such athletes include John B. Kelly Jr., Joe Burk, Rusty Callow, Harry Parker and Ted Nash.[5] In 1955, the Penn men's heavyweight crew became one of only four American university crews to win the Grand Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta. The Penn teams presently row out of College Boat Club, No.11 Boathouse Row.
See also: NCAA Fencing team championship and Penn Quakers fencing.
See main article: Penn Quakers football. The football team has competed since 1876. It has won eighteen national championships when the school competed in what is now known as the FBS. Since the formation of the Ivy League in 1956, Penn has won 17 Ivy League Football Championships.(1959, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015). Penn has been outright Ivy Football Champion 13 times and been undefeated 8 times.[6] Eighteen former players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In addition to the varsity squad, the Penn Quakers are a charter member of the Collegiate Sprint Football League, having played the sport since 1934.
See main article: Penn Quakers men's lacrosse.
See main article: Penn Quakers men's soccer. Before the NCAA began its tournament in 1959, the annual national champion was declared by the Intercollegiate Association Football League (IAFL) — from 1911 to 1926 — and then the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association (ISFA), from 1927 to 1958. From 1911 to 1958, Penn won ten national championships.
See main article: Penn Quakers men's squash.
The University of Pennsylvania features one of the fastest rising men's squash programs in the nation, reaching new heights in 2020 by finishing as national runners up. The feat marked the first such occasion in program history.
The Penn men's swimming team was founded in 1894. They have won the Ivy League championships five times: in 1940; 1964–65; 1967–68; 1969–70; and 1970–71. Penn's swim team practices and competes at Sheerr Pool in the Pottruck fitness facility.
Penn Quaker wrestling dates back to 1905, where the first intercollegiate wrestling championship was held in Weightman Hall Gym located on campus. Princeton, Yale and Columbia joined Penn in founding the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA). The wrestling team competes in the Palestra arena.
See main article: Penn Quakers women's basketball. Penn has won the Ivy League title in 2001, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
See main article: College Boat Club.
See also: College rowing (United States), Dad Vail Regatta and Boathouse Row.
See also: NCAA Fencing team championship.
See main article: Penn Quakers women's lacrosse.
Penn has 4 NCAA team national championships.[7]