Albany Great Danes
The Albany Great Danes are the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic programs of the University at Albany, SUNY, located in Albany, New York, United States.[2] A member of the America East Conference, the University at Albany, SUNY sponsors teams in eight men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. The football team is a member of the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference,[3] and the women's golf team is an associate member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.[4]
Albany Great Danes
America East (primary)
CAA (football)
MAAC (women's golf)
Mark Benson
17 (7 Men & 10 Women)
Broadview Center/SEFCU Arena
Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium
Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium
Damien
Purple and gold[1]
Rivalries[edit]
Siena[edit]
UAlbany's biggest local rival is Siena College located in Loudonville, NY. Both schools are separated by 8 miles (13 km).
While teams do not participate in the same conference, teams from multiple sports will face each other annually, with the strongest part of the rivalry lying with men's basketball. Both teams met for the 50th time in 2010. The first match-up was February 23, 1957, in which Siena defeated Albany 75–66 at Albany. After nearly twenty years, the series ended on February 3, 1977, with a 62–49 Albany victory.
The series resumed in 2001. From 2001 to 2014, all games took place in the Times Union Center, officially making it a home game for Siena. During that time the game averaged an attendance over 10,000 for the annual match-up. In 2015, under a new contract, it was announced that the rivalry would be moved to SEFCU Arena during the 2016–2017 season and would be part of "tournament" during the 2017–18 season.
While the women's basketball match-up receives less fan fare than the men's game, it is part of the Albany Cup battle. Their first match-up was in the 1975–76 season.
While both the men's and women's basketball games battle for the Albany Cup, the rivalry has been dubbed the "Crosstown Showdown" by sportscasters in the Capital Region.
Stony Brook[edit]
Stony Brook University is UAlbany's biggest SUNY rival and has had intense competition in sports like men's basketball and lacrosse is recent years.
In men's basketball, it has been a similar situation. While Albany has had more historical success overall in the NCAA since 2000, they had lost to Stony Brook in three straight America East Tournament games (2010, 2011, 2012). In 2012, the Great Danes, as the #4 seed in the tournament, knocked off the Seawolves, the #1 seed, in the quarterfinals to end the streak. In 2014 and 2015, both teams would meet in back-to-back championship games, 2014 in Stony Brook and 2015 in Albany, with Albany winning both games in the last minute.
Baseball has also seen some good moments. UAlbany eliminated Stony Brook in the 2011 AE Tournament, even though Stony Brook swept them in four straight games of the regular season. In 2010, Stony Brook defeated UAlbany in the America East Championship. In 2012, Stony Brook defeated the Great Danes in three out of four regular season match-ups in their memorable run to the College World Series.
However, the biggest hate between the two schools takes place in the Albany–Stony Brook football rivalry. From 1999 to 2006, the two programs were both associate members of the Northeast Conference. During that time, UAlbany went 5–3 against the Seawolves. Stony Brook would leave the NEC in 2007 to become independent and joined the Big South Conference in 2008. The two teams would meet in 2006 in a non-league game at University Field, in which the Great Danes defeated Stony Brook 24–23.
The two teams would not meet again until November 26, 2011. However, this meeting would be different. The two teams each won their respective conference titles and were meeting in the First Round of the FCS Playoffs. For both programs, it was their first time being in the FCS Playoffs since joining Division I athletics. The match-up also had the story line that Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore was a 1982 UAlbany graduate who started three seasons at fullback, then served for three years as UAlbany's running backs and strength coach for head coach Bob Ford. UAlbany would have a 28–10 third-quarter lead, but the Seawolves answered with 21 points to take the lead. However, UAlbany would have a chance to win the game at the goal-line with under a minute to play. On second-and-goal from the Stony Brook 3-yard line, Dan Di Lella had a pass intercepted in the end zone by free safety Dominick Reyes with 47.4 seconds left as the Seawolves held on for a 31–28 victory before 8,286 fans at La Valle Stadium and advance to the Second Round.
The rivalry was rejuvenated in August 2012, when it was announced the Great Danes and Stony Brook would become associate football members in the Colonial Athletic Association starting in 2013. The teams met for the first time as CAA rivals on November 23, 2013, on Long Island.
Since 2013, the two teams face each other in CAA Football in a rivalry game designated as "The Empire Clash". Starting in 2015, the winner of the game is awarded The Golden Apple Trophy.
Starting in the 2022–2023 academic year Stony Brook joined the CAA full time, all but eliminating yearly competition in athletics outside of football except for limited non-conference scheduling.
Binghamton[edit]
A notable rivalry exists between the Great Danes and the Binghamton University Bearcats. Both teams joined the America East conference around the same time, when they were relatively new to Division I sports. Their SUNY connection as well as geographic proximity has fostered the rivalry and generated the name, "The I-88 Rivalry (Interstate 88)." Both teams post the largest away crowds at either school's athletic events.
Vermont[edit]
The athletic rivalry between Albany and the University of Vermont is mainly focused on basketball. The rivalry has been based around the success the two programs had from 2003 to 2007, in which the two teams combined for five America East Titles. In that time frame, UAlbany and UVM met twice in the America East Tournament finals with the Great Danes winning both games. The first win came in 2006 at home and the second came in 2007 at Vermont (Albany's first-ever win at Vermont). In 2013, the teams would meet again in the America East Championship in Burlington. For the third time, the Great Danes would defeat the Catamounts.
Annual events[edit]
The Department of Athletics annually hosts two major sporting events. The first event is the Homecoming Football Game.
The university's first Homecoming Weekend was held October 31, 1953, and it featured a soccer game, punch party, and a dance. This first Homecoming appears to have been organized by the Senior Class, reuniting the Classes of 1951, 1952, and 1953.
Every fall since then, the UAlbany campus becomes a hub of activity during Homecoming/Family Weekend. One highlight of the Weekend is checking out Great Dane Athletics. The highest level of tail-gating takes place during this weekend while the university hosts the Homecoming Touchdown Tailgate.
During Homecoming Weekend, the Athletic Department also enshrines players, coaches and administration from the past into the UAlbany Athletic Hall of Fame. The most recent inductees can be found at the UAlbany Athletic Website.[7]
The second yearly event is the Big Purple Growl & Ferocious Feast. Since 1997 the Big Purple Growl & Ferocious Feast has been celebrated in early February. It is considered by many in the community to be the school's Winter Homecoming. The weekend coincides with home men's and women's basketball games. These games constantly produce the highest regular season attendance numbers for a home game. The Ferocious Feast is a pregame indoor tailgate with music, beer tasting, games and activities for all ages and great food.
The university also hosts an annual Cross Country Meet (UAlbany Invitational), Track and Field (UAlbany Classic) and other events.
Since 2021 Tom & Mary Casey Stadium has hosted the Premier Lacrosse League(PLL). In 2022 and 2023 the university has hosted the leagues training camp and opening weekend to the tour based schedule.
Media coverage[edit]
UAlbany Football and Men's Basketball games started airing on ESPN Radio WTMM-FM FM 104.5 as of the 2016–17 school year after broadcasting for years on Fox Sports Radio WOFX AM 980 in Albany, NY. Roger Wyland has been the voice of the Great Danes since 1994.
With their steaming network deal with the America East, almost all conference men's and women's basketball games are aired on the ESPN+ app. Select lacrosse matches are also shown on the app. Many other sporting events are broadcast on the AmericaEast.TV website and app. Football games are streamed on FloSports based on the CAA's streaming deal with the network.
WCDB has done select athletic events in past years. The station was at one point the exclusive home of UAlbany Women's Basketball, Men's Lacrosse and Women's Volleyball, doing select games every year.
Fight song[edit]
"Purple and Gold", UAlbany's fight song, was written by John Regan and Jonathan Hansen, both members of the university's Chamber Singers. The song was released in 2000, the same year the school's athletics made the move to Division I.
Lyrics:
Purple and Gold,
your colors shining through
Hear as the carillons
are ringing true
The State of New York
sends up its cheers to you
Let's go Albany!
Hail, young and old
We shall prevail,
purple and gold
One true triumphant call
Albany Danes are standing tall
Purple and Gold,
our flags are waving high
Singing our victory song
into the sky
All of the world will fear
our mighty cry
Let's go Albany!
Hail, young and old
We shall prevail,
purple and gold
One true triumphant call
Albany Danes are standing tall
Purple and gold,
your colors shining through
Hear as the carillons
are ringing true
The State of New York
sends up its cheer to you
Let's go Albany!
