<p>It's really amazing to see the impact of a successful sports program on admissions.</p>
<p>When I attended MU in the Al McGuire days (1970-74) we were consistently ranked in the top ten all four years, many times as number one. The year prior to my enrolling, MU won the NIT beating LSU and Pistol Pete Maravich in the finals. That year Al withdrew in protest from the NCAA tournament because Adolph Rupp (then Coach of Kentucky) and a noted racist, blocked MU from going to the berth they deserved in the Mideast regional (there was only a "sweet 16" at that time) because MU had so many black players on the team. Rupp incidentally would not have a black player on the Kentucky team under any circumstances.</p>
<p>In the years between Kevin O'Neill who revived the program after a drop off and Tom Crean, national interest in MU dropped as fast as the notoriety of the basketball team.</p>
<p>MU's enrollment surged every year I was there based on the BB team's success and that pattern followed after the success of the Final Four run in 2003 and is taking place again now in a big way since MU has had ongoing success, national rankings and a lot of TV exposure.</p>
<p>For those who argue the merit of athletics I think that MU makes a strong case for the overall impact of a nationally ranked team on the school as a whole. With no football program, MU's only stage is on the basketball court, and the good news is that not only are applications and enrollment up but also the quality of those applying and matriculating.</p>
<p>Go Warriors.....er, uh Golden Eagles.....:)</p>
<p>eadad -- You are absolutely right -- I think they coined a phrase for this: "the Flutie effect." It happened for Boston College after Flutie played there.</p>
<p>I do want to say, though, that lots of other good things have been happening at Marquette that are also helping enrollment. In the mid to late 90s to early 2000s, the university built a gorgeous new union and library and a brand new dental school. The entire campus was landscaped -- entryways and arches to enhance the perimeters of campus. A new law school is going up. The leadership of the current president and his excellent relations with the city of Milwaukee can't be discounted. The fact that campus security is state of the art (other schools all over copying the LIMO program, for example) and that crime rates are dropping have all helped.</p>
<p>A new dean of engineering is really moving that school forward. Health science programs are all nationally ranked in top 100, if not 50. Business school is ranked as well.</p>
<p>There will always be people who dis the city of Milwaukee or call MU a back-up school to Notre Dame, but the kids there enjoy good academics in a tight-knit community full of school spirit. (They do need to keep improving the food, though!)</p>
<p>And -- as you so rightly point out -- there was Dwyane Wade. And now Jerel McNeal and Co. The current team has not only excelled on the court but represent the school very well. Go Golden Eagles! Tough slate of games coming up.</p>
<p>I don't disagree with anything you are saying and have been following the development of the school closely from afar. My last visit to the school was in 1979 when I attended a friend's wedding in Milwaukee. My reunion is this summer and I look forward to seeing how things have changed. When I was a freshman we were really an urban school. There was little to nothing to distinguish the campus from the rest of the city. The side streets were closed, buildings torn down and the mall was built during my sophomore year. The library expansion and language building were brand new and I watched the construction of the the theater and rec/tennis center which both opened the year after I graduated.</p>
<p>I was speaking more of MU now getting national attention and seeing applicants (and matriculants) from more distant states. When I was at MU the top states represented in the student body were in order; WI, IL, NY, NJ, and OH. I haven't seen those stats in recent years but it would be interesting to see if the representation of NE states is growing again with MU now being part of the Big East conference.</p>
<p>I was an Al Maguire fan as a high schooler growing up in Seattle in the 1970s. I remember Maguire and Marquette winning 20 games every season when 20 victories was a big deal (few patsies on the schedule). I remember the teams of Bo Ellis, Maurice Lucas, Butch Lee, Earl Tatum et al. I think one of the reasons for being a Marquette fan was that Al never came across a "jock" coach, and he often spoke about the school as an institution, not just a basketball team. Some coaches today never mention anything about their institutions except the athletic program. I'm glad to hear that Marquette U is experiencing a renaissance. I just wish they hadn't changed the mascot name to 'the Golden Eagles."</p>
<p>Those of you who care about Marquette basketball undoubtedly know about the heartbreaking way DJ's four years on the team ended last week. I just read through his comments to the media; they are hard to get through without choking up:</p>
<p>My son and I recently visited Marquette and thought both MU and Milwaukee were beautiful. He visited Notre Dame several months earlier and also commented on how much happier the kids seemed at Marquette. Ironically, at MU the kids kept saying to him "You should come here!" and at ND he visited a dorm where everyone on the floor told him NOT to come, a few were even transferring. I mean no disrespect to ND, but the contrast is striking. Needless to say, he is strongly considering Marquette.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link, dbwes. Saw part of an interview with DJ during the Pitt game tonight, and was touched by how he thought of Marquette as his family, not just his teammates, but the school itself. I too wish this special young man all the happiness in his life.</p>
<p>I met someone today whose father in law played football for Marquette. He said the man would have been about 100 now, so it was a long time ago. Thought I'd pass that on to you history buffs.</p>
<p>The Marquette games have become water cooler talk every Thursday. Apparently, a lot of New Orleanians have been following them this year, thanks to Buzz Williams, who used to coach UNO, as it turns out. Small world.</p>