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1963 Championship Team More Than A Happy Memory

If you go to Loyola, odds are you know about the 1963 men’s basketball team. The only team in Illinois to win the NCAA national championship wore the maroon and gold. Even though this championship was more than 50 years ago, its impact on history is undeniable.

Jerry Harkness was the captain of that team and an All-American forward. Most significantly, however, he was black. He was one of four black starters on the team, which was unprecedented at that point. At the time, there was a “gentleman’s agreement” among college coaches to not have more than three black players on the court at any time.