Pittsburg State Gorillas
| Pittsburg State Gorillas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Pittsburg State University |
| Conference | The MIAA |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Jim Johnson |
| Location | Pittsburg, Kansas |
| Varsity teams | 12 |
| Football stadium | Brandenburg Field at Carnie Smith Stadium |
| Basketball arena | John Lance Arena |
| Mascot | GUS the Gorilla |
| Nickname | Gorillas |
| Fight song | "On to Victory!" |
| Colors | Crimson and gold[1] |
| Website | www |
 | |
The Pittsburg State Gorillas, commonly referred to as Pitt State, are the athletic teams that represent Pittsburg State University. They are in the NCAA Division II as a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The Gorillas previously competed in the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1976–77 to 1988–89; in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) from 1972–73 to 1975–76; in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 1968–69 to 1971–72; in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1967–68; and in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) from 1902–03 to 1922–23.
Varsity teams
Pittsburg State competes in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball. Club sports include men's baseball.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Softball |
| Football | Track and field† |
| Track and field† | Volleyball |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | |
The Gorillas have won 6 NCAA national championships: 2 in football (1991, 2011), 2 in men's outdoor track and field (2022, 2023), 1 in men's indoor track and field (2018), and 1 in women's outdoor track & field (2016).
Football
The Pitt State football program began in 1908 under head coach
Mascot
The official mascot of Pitt State Athletic teams is Gus the Gorilla, designed in by L. Michael Hailey in 1985. Pitt State is the only college in the nation with the Gorilla as its official mascot for its men's and women's teams.[3]
Notable alumni
- John Brown, NFL wide receiver, Buffalo Bills
- Offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos.
- Ralph Earhart, former Green Bay Packers halfback
- Dennis Franchione, former head football coach of Texas State University (and former coach of Pittsburg State)
- Kendall Gammon, former Kansas City Chiefs longsnapper (currently employed by Pittsburg State)
- Don Gutteridge, Major League Baseball player and Manager
- Sherm Lollar, Major League Baseball player
- Ronald Moore, former NFL running back, 1992 Harlon Hill Trophywinner
- Brian Moorman, former NFL punter, Buffalo Bills
- Germaine Race, former NFL running back, San Diego Chargers
References
- ^ Pittsburg State University Brand Identity Standards Manual (PDF). Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ "Fall Classic". goarrowhead.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-31.
- ^ "Pittsburg State Gorillas". Pittsburg State University.
External links
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Established: 1903 – Endowment: $71.22 million – Students: 6,907 (fall 2017) | ||||||
