No. 3-seed Syracuse (24-8, 11-5 Atlantic Coast) is hosting at least one, potentially two, NCAA Tournament games. The Orange open up their 2019 Tournament with a fellow New York school, the Fordham Rams (25-8, 13-3 Atlantic 10).

Here are 10 fun facts you need to know about Fordham before Saturday’s game.

1. Television Time

In 2019, every men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament game is broadcasted on the Turner and ESPN networks, respectively. But it wasn’t always the case. In the beginning of television’s expansion into society, Fordham played in both the first ever televised football game in 1939 and basketball game in 1940.

2. Multi-Use Gym

Fordham’s Rose Hill Gym is the oldest Division I gymnasium in the nation. It opened in 1925 and has been in use for basketball and volleyball ever since, except during World War II, when it was used as Army barracks.

3. Magenta battle

Fordham’s original color was not the maroon it is today. It was originally magenta, but one of the Rams’ rivals, Harvard, also had that color. Since both schools couldn’t keep the color, a series of baseball games were played to decide. The Fordham Athletics site says that Fordham won the games, but Harvard failed to honor the promise.

4.Donald Trump’s brief stint

President Donald Trump, before later graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, attended Fordham. He began school in 1964 and was a member of the squash team. Trump was a member of the ROTC program before leaving the school in 1966 to transfer to Penn.

5. Fordham’s other famous alumni

Fordham has famous alumni across multiple different career paths, including acting, broadcasting and coaching. Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, actor Alan Alda and Super Bowl-winning head coach Vince Lombardi all attended Fordham. Broadcaster Vin Scully and first-ever female Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro also join the list of well-known alumni. Singer Lana Del Rey signed her first record-deal while in school before dropping out to pursue music.

6. No need to shop

Fordham tuition in 1850 was $200. That price included six suits, shirts, socks, a hat and an overcoat. Students also received a silver cup with their name engraved on it.

7. Death at its door

At the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, Fordham has its own cemetery near the University Church. It’s been dedicated to Jesuit people, and the first burial dates back to 1847. No one has been buried there since 1909, though.

8. Poetic Poe

Edgar Allan Poe grew up in the Bronx, not far from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. Every Sunday at 11 a.m., the bells at the University Church would ring 11 times, and the bells are said to have inspired Poe’s poem “The Bells.”

9. Freshman Rule Book

Back in 1920, Fordham had a list of rules its freshmen had to follow. Freshmen were required to carry matches for upperclassmen and ask for permission before smoking in front of them. They also had to move off the sidewalks to allow upperclassmen to pass. The newbies were required to tip their hats to their elders.

10. Triple Crown

For 23 years, the third leg of horse racing’s “Triple Crown” was hosted at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx about a mile from Fordham’s campus. In 1890, the Belmont Stakes moved to Morris Park before moving to Belmont Park in Elmont, New York in 1905.

Published on March 22, 2019 at 4:57 pm

Contact Anthony: amdabbun@syr.edu | @AnthonyDabbundo