Lafayette Leopards
| Lafayette Leopards | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| University | Lafayette College |
| Conference | Patriot League |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Bruce McCutcheon |
| Location | Easton, Pennsylvania |
| Varsity teams | 23 teams |
| Football stadium | Fisher Field |
| Basketball arena | Allan P. Kirby Sports Center |
| Baseball stadium | Kamine Stadium |
| Soccer stadium | Mike Bourger ’44 Field at Oaks Stadium |
| Lacrosse stadium | Rappolt Field |
| Mascot | The Leopard |
| Nickname | Leopards |
| Fight song | On, Lafayette! |
| Colors | Maroon and White |
| Website | www |
The Lafayette Leopards represent the 23 Division I varsity athletic teams of Lafayette College and compete in the Patriot League. There are 11 men's teams, 11 women's teams, and one co-ed team. The club teams also compete as the Leopards. Though not a varsity sport, crew and ice hockey are very competitive at Lafayette and play in intercollegiate club leagues.
Lafayette's primary rival in every sport is the Lehigh Mountain Hawks of nearby Lehigh University. Bucknell University is also a major rival and other league and school rivalries exist on an individual sport level.
Lafayette's student-athletes generally lead the NCAA in academic performance. In 2011, 16 of Lafayette's 23 teams academic performance scored within the top ten percent of their respective sport. Lafayette led the Patriot League, which placed second behind the Ivy League.
Lafayette's first recorded athletic event outside of the student body was a baseball game against Easton amateurs, a 44-11 win on November 8, 1865. The first recorded intercollegiate match was a 45-45 tie in a baseball game against Lehigh in October 1869.
The first athletic teams at Lafayette were nicknamed the 'Maroon' as a result of the maroon sweaters worn by the players. Though the team continued to wear maroon, a new nickname was bestowed on Lafayette. The Lafayette Student Council voted on the nickname "Leopards" since many other rival schools, such as Princeton, Pittsburgh, and Bucknell, had animal nicknames. It is not clear why the nickname "Leopards" was selected, although it is reasonable to speculate that an 'L' nickname was ideal since other schools had animal nicknames that started with the school's first letter (Pittsburgh Panthers, Bucknell Bison). The leopard was also selected because its 'cunning and physical strength, combined with the fact that it is irresistible when aroused, seemed to be typical of a Lafayette team.' The Leopard mascot made its debut against Washington & Jefferson University at Yankee Stadium on October 25, 1924, a 20-6 Leopard victory.
It was previously believed that the nickname Leopards first appeared on November 24, 1924, when a writer at the Easton Express-Times referred to the team as the 'Leopards.' The name was first used on campus when Lafayette sports editor George Parkman referred to the team as the 'Leopards' on October 7, 1927. Parkman noticed that other competitors were selecting animal nicknames and decided Lafayette should have one. Given the two different accounts of the nickname 'Leopard', it seems the nickname was slow to resonate with students and alumni.
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