Hagan Arena and Sweeney Field

Since 1851, the school has brought Jesuit values to the city of Philadelphia, but it is also known for its athletics. The Hawk athletic’s story begins with its football team and the school’s grand plans to build a large football stadium. The later building of the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse set the precedent for a high energy venue filled with tradition, while Hagan Arena’s renovation was built on top of that. Saint Joe’s athletics have seen highs and lows over the years, but they have structures in place to host these events that offer a great experience for current and former Hawks. Many athletes have donned the crimson and gray to compete for the Hawks, with several athletes leaving an undeniable legacy for the sport and Saint Joe’s.

The city of Philadelphia is famously known for its absurd passion for its sports. That Philly pride stretches wide not only through professional sports but college programs too. The Big 5 schools have been traditionally competitive for decades, and Saint Joseph’s University has played a critical role in these traditions. The history of the SJU athletic program holds many prominent moments, the monuments have housed these accomplishments and act as a vessel representing the one-of-a-kind school spirit that embodies the famous slogan, “The Hawk Will Never Die”. This includes notable structures such as Finnesey Field, SJU’s very own football stadium that was never completed, Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, which preceded O’pake and Hagan as the recreational center, and finally the house for the current Hawks, Hagan Arena. Hagan stands tall as the current basketball team’s very own arena, named after alumnus Michael Hagan. These monuments are all important to the school’s history, and it is crucial to continue to explore the moments of its past and commemorate the accomplishments that were achieved along the way while SJU looks forward to creating more history. The accomplishments and memories made throughout the existence of Saint Joseph’s hold value in the hearts of fans and alumni as they stand by the “most defiant cheer in college sports”(Brennan 45), “The Hawk Will Never Die”.

Football Team and Stadium

Back in the early 20th century, before many of the current buildings at the university were planned or built, Saint Joseph’s had a football team, the plans, and the funding for a brand new football stadium. It was in 1922 that Saint Joseph’s University would play its first official season of football (Saint Joseph’s University Hall of fame). Over the course of their first few years in existence Saint Joe’s would compete against other local and regional university football programs such as Pennsylvania Military College, Loyal University, George Washington University, Albright College, and Drexel University (Commemorative Gameday Booklet). However, they would often have to play their home games far away from the school as there was no place/field on campus for them to play on (Frain). This would change in 1929 after two major developments. The first being the move to its current location on City Ave which provided much more space for the university to expand both, its student body and its physical footprint. The second being a growing movement from school officials, alumni, and other individuals local to Philadelphia to create a stadium for the football team. During a committee meeting held by the school it was proposed that a stadium could be built for as little as $7,000, which proved to be quite an easy sum to muster as over $100,000 was raised by the time this meeting adjourned (Minutes of Meeting 10/5/1927). With this massive increase in the budget the athletic department took the initiative to make grander plans for the new football stadium. The initial blueprints for the neo-classical stadium allowed for the accommodation of 45,000 people with the possibility of expansion to 70,000-80,000 (Statement Regarding Goals and Prospects of New Football Stadium). Unfortunately this would be the heights this football team and new stadium would reach.

Despite the grand ideas and the promise behind this new stadium and football teams, things quickly fell apart. The first problem came in the form of rising costs to the football stadium, which halted the continued construction of the stadium past a few stands being built on the south side of the already constructed grass field. Yet, the end of this forya into a football and a grand stadium ended after the 1939 season in which head coach Heinie Miller left the program to join the Philadelphia Eagles Coaching staff. After Coach Miller’s departure Athletic Director Father Aloysious Travers would disband the Saint Joseph’s football team in statement in which he stated that after, “reviewing the facts and figures of the last six years we had to accept the hard conclusion that football at St. Joseph’s had never measured up to the expectations that brought it to life. The conviction was inescapable that to continue football would be unjust to every athletic department and unfair to the great majority of student” (Frain). Even though the history of Saint Joseph’s football only lasted 17 years and the stadium for them was never fully finished- the field that was created still remains to this day. The field would initially be named Finnesey Field after James Finnesey who was instrumental in bringing the Saint Joe’s Campus to its current city line location, and for being the leading donor for the football stadium (Saint Joseph’s University Finnesey Field). This name would remain the same until 2013 when the name changed to Sweeney Field, in honor of alumni Sean Sweeney who was the lead benefactor in updating the field. These improvements included the addition/renovation of a 3,000 seat capacity stand on the north side of the field, a press box, and a new state of the art artificial turf field. Despite this long history behind Sweeney/Finnesey Field it is perhaps not the most illustrious athletic venue feature on the campus of Saint Joseph’s. That honor belongs to Hagan arena, who’s hallowed halls were once occupied by a magnificent coach. 

Hawktales + Hagan Arena:

This would not be the only athletic facility to receive renovations. In 1947, the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse was proposed to be erected along with the Flanigan Auditorium for $700,000. At the time, the school did not possess a single indoor facility able to seat one-third of its present enrollment so this decision was made due to the lack of athletic availability for students. The university thought that they lacked an important factor in the attraction of desirable students. This inclusion ended up paying off because when the fieldhouse was built in 1949, SJU’s day school population had doubled, and its resident student population has increased from zero to over forty percent when recorded twenty to thirty years later. It was clear that this inclusion of the 3,200-seat athletic facility had lured students both in the Philadelphia area and the rest of the country to Hawk Hill. The fieldhouse stood tall as the SJU basketball team's home for 60 years. For a brief time in the ’80s and ’90s, it also served as the practice facility for the Philadelphia 76ers. The building hosted major events, for example, the forever remembered Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the fieldhouse in 1967. However, the most prominent time in the fieldhouse was throughout the 2003-04 season for the Hawks. This team was led by the consensus coach and player of the year, Phil Martelli and Jameer Nelson. This squad was one of only 25 D1 teams that completed the season undefeated, and they finished their season 30-2 with an appearance in the Elite Eight. Jameer Nelson went on to have a successful career in the NBA for the Orlando Magic, and Martelli moved on from his long tenure at SJU to assist Juwan Howard at the University of Michigan. This was only one of the iconic seasons from the Hawks that was hosted by the fieldhouse. During its sixty-plus years on campus, the fieldhouse offered great moments such as these. Of course, Alumni Fieldhouse is the facility's former name prior to its expansion which was completed in 2009. The name was changed to the Michael J. Hagan Arena, which culminated in a 16-month expansion, with maximized seating, air-conditioning systems, expanded concession areas, and media rooms, plus additional renovations. This introduction to the new arena offered even more focus on athletic programs in the recruitment of student enrollment and is successful in doing so. 

It is important to recognize that the prominent figures that came through these facilities and made a prolific impact are just as crucial in the success of the program and the moments made in these monuments. In particular, the mascot which has been flapping its wings for 57 years, is considered the most famous mascot in sports, and according to SportsIllustrated.com, “The Hardest Working Mascot in Sports”. This tradition has put a positive mark on the university, and it all started with Jim Brennan, the original Hawk. Brennan started flapping on January 4th, 1956, which gained a ton of enthusiasm from fans and press across the country. He even wrote a book about his experiences as the Hawk, called “Hawktales”, which gives a personal look at the influence he had on one of the greatest sports traditions in the country. However, the Hawk couldn’t have happened without the support of the school in the construction and preservation of athletic facilities such as the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse and Hagan Arena.

Notable Alumni and Current Sports

Many Hawks have worn the crimson and gray and have taken to the field, the court, the track, and the water to compete and represent this storied institution. In basketball there are many notable names and figures who have left their mark on Saint Joseph’s and men’s basketball itself, but few have been more impactful than Jack Ramsay. Ramsay made a name for himself donning the crimson and gray as an athlete on the hardwood, yet his biggest impact would come on the sideline as a coach. In his coaching career Ramsay would lead Saint Joe’s to a 234-72 record during his 11 year tenure with his best finish being a Final Four appearance in 1961. He would later go on to have a very successful coaching career in the NBA. Another alumna with a similar coaching reputation for basketball also played her collegiate basketball as a Hawk before becoming a prolific coach. Muffet McGraw would play basketball for the Hawks until her graduation in 1977, where shortly after she would become the head coach of Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team. During her 33 seasons coaching the Irish she amassed a 848-252 record and two national championships (Muffet McGraw). One of the other sports with very successful alumni in Saint Joseph’s history has been rowing. Former rowers include Mike Teti a bronze medalist at the 1988 Olympics and coach for the national team at the Olympics, Renee Hykel a member of 2008 Olympic rowing team and five time U.S. national team member, and Bob Jaugstetter two time Olympian and silver medalist in the 1984 games (Saint Joseph’s University “Hall of Fame”).

Conclusion

From the famed mascots to failed football teams, Saint Joseph’s has had a long history of athletics. Although grand aspirations for athletic facilities have failed in the past, Saint Joe’s has new plans for another ambitious plan for its athletic facilities (Wave One: Campus Master Plan). Today Saint Joe’s boasts over 15 Division I athletic teams from tennis to track and field.

Brennan, J., 2014. Hawktales: Tales of America's Most Honored Sports Mascot and Its Continuing Legacy at Saint Joseph's University. Newtown Square, PA: Harwood Books.

McCallam, Jack. "Martelli The Magnificent". Sports Illustrated, 2001, Vol 94, Issue 10

“Statement Regarding Goals and Prospects of New Football Stadium”, Box 5L, Saint Joseph’s University Records, Saint Joseph’s University Archives, and Special Collections.

“Commemorative Gameday Booklet Saint Joseph’s University vs. Pennsylvania Military 

Academy 1929”, Box 5L, Saint Joseph’s University Records, Saint Joseph’s University Archives and Special Collections.

“Meeting of Minutes 10/5/1927”, Box 5L, Saint Joseph’s University Records, Saint Joseph’s 

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Person. “St. Joseph's to Call Palestra Home in '08-09.” Https://Www.inquirer.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 Jan. 2008, www.inquirer.com/philly/hp/sports/20080109_St__Joes_-_Hawks_to_call_Palestra_home_in_08-09.html.

Saint Joseph's University. “Athletics Hall of Fame.” Saint Joseph's University, Saint Joseph's University, 13 July 2020, sjuhawks.com/news/2013/6/24/208885256.aspx.

Jerardi, Dick. “Hawks’ Fieldhouse to Be Named for $10M Donor Hagan.” Philadelphia Daily News, The (PA), 8 June 2007. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W62W61188997864&site=eds-live.

Frain, Riley, et al. “A Moment in SJU Athletics: St. Joe's Football.” The Hawk Newspaper, 13 Oct. 2020, www.sjuhawknews.com/a-moment-in-sju-athletics-st-joes-football/.

“Muffet McGraw.” Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website, Https://Und.com/, 1 Sept. 2020, und.com/coach/muffet-mcgraw-2/.

Saint Joseph's University. “FINNESEY FIELD.” Saint Joseph's University, Saint Joseph's University, 10 Sept. 2019, ​​https://express.adobe.com/page/x6ob2qeU9xDTO/ .

“Wave One: Campus Master Plan.” Saint Joseph's University, www.sju.edu/leadership-vision/campus-master-plan/wave-one#pre-construction.