JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The season that stands above all others in Jacksonville Athletics history, is that which belongs to the 1969-70 men's basketball team. With the 50th anniversary of that magical year set for this season, a multi-faceted celebration is planned throughout the year, culminating in a special event on Feb. 19, 2020.

This Jacksonville team is one of, if not the original "Cinderella" in NCAA Tournament history. The team is the winningest in program history, having secured a 27-2 record, including five wins against nationally ranked, Top 15 opponents, four of which came in succession on the road to the NCAA Final Four and National Championship game opposite UCLA. St. Bonaventure and New Mexico State joined UCLA and Jacksonville in College Park, Md. at Cole Field House that year. That Final Four remains to this day the only one to feature three programs that later became commonly referred to as "mid-majors."

On Feb. 19, 2020 the 1969-70 men's basketball team, coaches and support staff will welcome fans and benefactors to a special celebration of that season at Brick and Beam on N. Main Street in Jacksonville. Additional event details and ticket pricing will become available at a later date. The following night, the current men's basketball team will don throwback jerseys similar to those worn during that magical 1969-70 season for its matchup with defending ASUN regular season champion and 2019 NIT Finalist, Lipscomb. The dates for these events were chosen in conjunction with the anniversary of the team's historic upset of No. 8 Florida State on Feb. 18, 1970 in front of a capacity crowd at the Jacksonville Coliseum; a win that put Jacksonville and the Dolphins on the national radar.

The team became the first to be fully inducted into the Jacksonville Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 19, and its roster already boasts five Hall of Fame players, including Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, Artis Gilmore. Head Coach Joe Williams and Assistant Coach Tom Wasdin are former inductees in the Jacksonville Athletics Hall of Fame as well.

Coached by Joe Williams (1964-70, 92-61) and led by Gilmore (23.2 ppg, 22.2 reb) and Rex Morgan (18.2 ppg, 6.4 reb), the team established multiple records that stand to this day including FG Made in a season (1,118), Most 100 Point Games in a season (20), Most Points in a season (2,811), Scoring Average (100.4), Rebounds in a season (1,561), Rebounds Per Game (55.8), and Assists (699). The team also achieved the best end-of-season ranking of any program in school history when it was ranked 4th in the final AP poll.
 
In conjunction with the year-long celebration of this historic team, the Athletic Department once again partnered with Joe Bosack & Co. to create special 50th anniversary logos for use throughout the year. There is a set of logos with the current colors but also a set paying homage to the colors worn by those 1969-70 Dolphins and so many others in the past. Also, JUDolphins.com has added the 1969-70 schedule and roster to the website and created a twitter account @JAX_1970MBB which will chronicle that season in real time as if it were occurring today.

 

The Athletic Department and new on-campus bookstore vendor Barnes & Noble have partnered with apparel company 19nine to re-create the shorts worn by that team in the Final Four and National Championship game. 19nine also created a pair of t-shirts that pay homage to the jerseys and warm-up shirts worn by that team. Details on where fans will be able to pick up this exclusive merchandise are forthcoming. 

 

There will be special recognition paid to the team throughout the season inside Historic Swisher Gymnasium with exclusive printed materials and giveaways. The 1970 Regional Champion and Runner-Up trophies will be on display in the lobby, as they always are, for photos, and season ticket holders receive a specially branded credential with the 50th anniversary logo on it.

The Dolphins return to the floor on Nov. 5 at Xavier and will open up Historic Swisher Gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 8, welcoming Johnson University at 6 p.m. Led by sixth-year head coach Tony Jasick as well as seniors David Bell, Aamahne Santos and DeAnthony McCallum, Jacksonville readies for 13 home games and the team needs YOU to pack Swisher and keep it the most difficult place to play in the ASUN! Tickets are on sale now! Visit jutickets.com to secure your spot today.