Fordham Rams

Fordham basketball is steeped in New York City college basketball history, playing at Rose Hill Gymnasium, the oldest on-campus arena still in use in the country. The Rams carry the weight of being one of the sport's true pioneers, a program present at some of the earliest milestones in televised and organized college basketball. Despite playing in the shadow of the city's bigger programs, Fordham has maintained a loyal following on its Bronx campus. It's a program whose history matters more than its recent win totals.

Fordham basketball dates to the early 1900s and made history on February 28, 1940, hosting the nation's first televised college basketball game against Pitt at Madison Square Garden. The Rams' best season came in 1970-71, when a 26-3 team under coach Digger Phelps climbed to ninth in the AP poll. Fordham has reached the NCAA tournament four times, in 1953, 1954, 1971, and 1992, but has never advanced deep into March or won a national championship. The program's legacy rests as much on its historic firsts as on its on-court results.