General Information:
NCAA Division: Division III
Conference: North Coast Athletic Conference
Nickname: Blue Streaks
First year of competition: 1919
Varsity Sports: 25
Mission Statement:
The Department of Athletics at John Carroll University is a relationship-driven organization that strives to guide and support our student-athletes. Our goal is to help every young person reach their highest potential in the classroom, in competition, and in preparation for life beyond JCU. We are developing men and women for tomorrow and Blue Streaks forever.
Who We Are
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Driven
- Blue Streaks seek to be elite in all that we do. We strive for excellence on and off the field and that sets us apart from our peers.
- Prepared
- Blue Streaks do all the things within their control to set themselves up for success.
- Gritty
- Blue Streaks persevere when things get difficult - and they will get difficult. Being Gritty is not a talent, it is a skill that is learned and developed over time.
- Inclusive
- Blue Streaks welcome everyone, student-athletes and staff alike, and will promote a safe atmosphere for all people to grow and succeed.
What We Do:
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Respect
- Blue Streaks give respect. We treat people, property, and processes with the utmost consideration. We consider the impact that we create and appreciate the resources we utilize.
- Serve
- Blue Streaks are "other-centered" and display their love for one another through service.
- Grow
- Blue Streaks are in a relentless pursuit of better. We strive to be better today than we were yesterday. It is a fundamental part of the JCU experience.
- Compete
- Blue Streaks will strain in the pursuit of victory.
How did we become the Blue Streaks?
- The name "Saints" was used in reference to St. Ignatius College athletic teams from the earliest days. Occasionally, the teams might be referred to as the "Blue and Gold" or in later years as the "Irish" which indicated more of a Catholic than an ethnic association. But during the 1924 football season, the sports editor of The Ignatian complained that other colleges had nicknames for their teams. The editor wondered whether among the Carroll students someone could come up with a name showing originality and suitability for Carroll teams.
- The person generally credited with christening the team with the new name, "Blue Streak," is Raymond Gibbons '24, who followed the team on the practice field after his graduation, despite a serious illness, as long as he was able and had someone to bring him to the practice sessions. On one of these occasions he is said to have remarked about the 'blue-jerseyed warriors': 'They're tearing around like a blue streak.' Gibbons worked for The Cleveland News as a sports writer, so it was the first paper to use the term on November 6, 1924. At his death in October 1925, The Carroll News referred to him as "one of the most ardent followers of Carroll's teams..."
- But it was not until the 1930s that the name became the plural "Blue Streaks."
- Excerpts taken from "John Carroll University: A Century of Service", by Donald P. Gavin
