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 taking place this season, Thursday night will serve as a culmination of the multi-faceted celebration that taken place throughout the year.

This Jacksonville team is 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 Thursday night (Feb. 20), the current men's basketball team will don brand-new jerseys that pay tribute those worn during that magical 1969-70 season for its matchup with defending ASUN regular season champion and 2019 NIT Finalist, Lipscomb. The date for this event was 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, 2019 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.

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 t-shirt that pays homage to the jerseys and warm-up shirts worn by that team.

There has been 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 are on display in the lobby, as they always are, for photos, and season ticket holders have received a specially branded credential with the 50th anniversary logo on it.

The entire night will be focussed around celebrating that historic campaign that united, not only the University, but the city of Jacksonville. The department has several giveaways planned along with special programming so fans are encouraged to come early and celebrate alongside the JU faithful.

CBS Sports Network began its celebration of Black History Month with the premiere of "Jacksonville U: Can Do!" on Feb. 9. The one-hour documentary chronicles Jacksonville's NCAA Tournament run led by All-American Artis Gilmore and Head Coach Joe Williams. The documentary highlights the program's integration in 1968 and explores how the Dolphins' success helped unite a city that was still dealing with racial unrest and trying to break free from its segregated past. The program will re-air on CBS Sports Network throughout February and into March. Dates and times can be found HERE.

Tickets to the game can be purchased HERE.