Remember This Date in Colgate Athletics
HAMILTON – Friday, March 22, 2024. Remember the date.
That's the date two Colgate University athletics teams take the greatest stage in their respective sports. Separated by about six hours, you can watch the Colgate men's basketball team facing Baylor in the first round of March Madness in Memphis, Tenn., and the women's hockey team taking on Wisconsin in the Frozen Four in Durham, N.H. How much better can it get?
Men's basketball tips off Friday action at 12:40 p.m. (ET) as the 14th-seeded Raiders square off with the third-seeded Bears from FedExForum on truTV. Women's hockey looks for revenge against the Badgers with the opening faceoff from Whittemore Center Arena set for 7:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN+.
Men's Basketball vs. Baylor | Watch | Live Stats
The Raiders are making their seventh overall and fifth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. This is the third time they have earned the No. 14 seed. Last time Colgate earned that rank, it played as close to a true road game as it gets in the NCAA tournament – facing Wisconsin in Milwaukee in 2022.
With Fiserv Forum painted mostly Wisconsin red, the Badgers were six-point favorites – a minuscule margin for a 3-14 matchup – and that ended up being spot on. Despite Colgate leading for large portions, Wisconsin turned to its NBA draftee Johnny Davis to score the final 13 points to avoid the upset, 67-60.
Colgate also earned a No. 14 seed against Arkansas in the Indianapolis bubble in 2021. The Raiders built a 14-point lead against the eventual elite eight participants and maintained a five-point lead in the second half. But the superior Razorbacks found their groove and pulled away 85-68.
Could this be the year? Colgate's lucky number is 13. The Raiders played their Patriot League championship game on March 13. And head coach Matt Langel in his 13th season. This is Colgate's seventh trip to the NCAA tournament. Enough "lucky" to go around. Positive vibes only.
Women's Hockey vs. Wisconsin | Watch | Live Stats
Colgate is making its second trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in program history. The other time? Well, everyone remembers how it ended in 2018 but the Raiders are looking to get back to the national championship game for the first time since that 2-1 double-overtime heartbreaker against Clarkson in the title game. Standing in their way is defending national champion Wisconsin.
Colgate and Wisconsin have met twice previously – and each time the winning team ended the losing team's season. The Badgers got the best of the Raiders last season, winning the regional final 4-2 in Hamilton. Colgate upended Wisconsin 4-3 in double overtime to get to the national championship game in 2018. Can history repeat itself? Time will tell.
Latest Men's Basketball
- Cummins Ready for Bigger Role in 2024-25
- Colgate Places Record 413 on Patriot League Honor RollHAMILTON – Colgate athletics placed a program-record 415 total student-athletes on the 2023-24 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll after 268 honorees were named to the winter/spring honor roll on Wednesday.
- Men’s Basketball Announces Class of 2028HAMILTON – Colgate University Head Men's Basketball Coach Matt Langel has announced the addition of five student-athletes to the Class of 2028.
- Colgate Unveils Plans for Carey CenterA new 65,000-square-foot basketball and volleyball arena will anchor a new athletics quadrangle at Colgate University, replacing the Reid Athletics Center. Construction of the facility, part of the University's Third-Century Plan initiatives, is slated to begin in February.
- Young Guards Vital to Colgate’s Future
- Student-Athletes Among Honorees During ConvocationHAMILTON – Colgate University student-athletes were well recognized among the honorees during the 2023-24 Convocation Awards last Friday.