The 1963 Loyola men’s basketball championship was more than 50 years ago. The trophy is in the Loyola hall of fame outside Gentile Arena, and inside the arena the players’ names and jersey numbers hang on the walls. Why do we need to keep talking about it?
The Ramblers’ dominant run through the regular season and playoffs was already noteworthy, but its impact on breaking the race barrier in college basketball was what made it stand out.
Four black starters, breaking the “gentleman’s agreement” not to have more than three black players on the court per team at the same time, opened the door for college basketball teams to be formed by their talent, not by the color of the players’ skin.