Loyola-Chicago’s Most Important Game Was Played Against Wyoming
55 years before Sister Jean and the Ramblers of Loyola-Chicago captivated college basketball fans across the country, they made history in a different way against the University of Wyoming.
In the early 1960s, there was a "gentleman's agreement" among college basketball coaches. No team was to have more than three black players in the lineup at any given time. That unwritten rule was challenged on December 29, 1962, when Loyola-Chicago put five African-Americans on the court against Wyoming, defeating the Cowboys 93-82.
The Ramblers continued to integrate the sport throughout the season, starting four black players in the 1963 NCAA Tournament. Coach George Ireland's controversial team silenced their critics in the championship game, upsetting heavily-favored Cincinnati to win the school's only national title.
Aside from their historic game against Loyola-Chicago, it was a relatively unremarkable season for Wyoming. Led by Flynn Robinson, who averaged over 26 points per game as a sophomore, the Pokes finished fifth in the WAC, compiling an 11-15 record.
Sadly, Wyoming was embroiled in another national controversy several years later when football coach Lloyd Eaton removed 14 African-American football players for planning to participate in a political protest.