Pittsburg State Gorillas | |
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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.
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 |
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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).
The Pitt State football program began in 1908 under head coach Albert McLeland. Since that time, the program has produced the most wins in NCAA Division II history. It has been National Champions on four occasions; 1957, 1961, 1991 and 2011. Pittsburg State defeated Wayne State University, MI, 35-21 to claim its most recent national championship in 2011. During the 2004 season, the Gorillas finished 14–1, losing 31–36 to Valdosta State University in the NCAA Division II National Football Championship. Pittsburg State has won, outright or shared, a total of 27 conference championships during the 96-year history of its intercollegiate program, including 13 conference titles in the last 19 seasons under Coach Chuck Broyles PSU reached the Division II National Championship game in 2004, 1995, and 1992. Its games with fellow MIAA Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State University were played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead from 2002 until 2013. 26,695 attended the 2002 game—the most of any Division II game. [2]
Sport | Association | Division | Year | Opponent/Runner-up | Score/Points |
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Men's outdoor track and field (3) [3] | NCAA | Division II | 2022 | West Texas A&M | 70–61 (+9) |
2023 | West Texas A&M | 62–47 (+15) | |||
2024 | West Texas A&M | 78–64 (+14) | |||
Women's outdoor track and field (2) [4] | NCAA | Division II | 2016 | St. Augustine's | 52–51 (+1) |
2024 | Adams State | 100–72 (+28) |
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. [5]
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) is an athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. There are nine teams in the conference, all located in the states of Michigan and Indiana. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association was established on March 24, 1888, making it the oldest college athletic conference in the United States. The current members of the MIAA include Adrian College, Albion College, Alma College, Calvin University, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, University of Olivet, Saint Mary's College of Notre Dame, Indiana, and Trine University, formerly known as Tri-State University. Olivet, Alma and Albion are the only charter members remaining in the conference. Former members include such colleges as Michigan State University, previously Michigan Agricultural College, (1888–1907), Eastern Michigan University, previously Michigan State Normal College, (1892–1926), Hillsdale College (1888–1961), and Defiance College (1997–2000).
Pittsburg State University is a public university in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. It enrolls approximately 7,400 students and is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents.
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The Pittsburg State Gorillas football team represents Pittsburg State University in collegiate level football. The Pittsburg State football team was formed in 1908, competes in NCAA Division II and is affiliated with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The Gorillas play their home games at Carnie Smith Stadium, more commonly referred to as "The Jungle", in Pittsburg, Kansas. Pittsburg State has won more games than any other program in NCAA Division II history. It has won four national championships and 27 conference championships, including 13 conference titles in 20 seasons under former head coach Chuck Broyles.
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Bruce Polen is a former American football player and coach. He was the tenth head football coach at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, serving for two seasons, from 1982 until 1983, compiling a record of 13–6.
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The 1991 Pittsburg State Gorillas football team was an American football team that won the 1991 NCAA Division II national championship.
James R. Johnson is an American university sports administrator and a former NCAA Division II conference commissioner. Johnson is currently the athletic director for Pittsburg State University, an NCAA Division II sports program in Pittsburg, Kansas. Previously, Johnson was the Commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).