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Main article: Ateneo de Manila University

Ateneo Blue Eagles
Logo of Ateneo Blue Eagles
SchoolAteneo de Manila University
LeagueUAAP
Joined1978
(NCAA founding member – 1924)
LocationKatipunan Avenue,
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Venue/sMoro Lorenzo Sports Center
Blue Eagle Gym
Team colors Blue  and  White 
Fight songBlue Eagle the King
Women's teamBlue Eagles
Juniors' teamBlue Eagles
Seniors' general championships

The Ateneo Blue Eagles are the collegiate varsity teams of the Ateneo de Manila University that play in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the premiere collegiate league in the Philippines. The Ateneo collegiate men's varsity basketball team was not always called the Blue Eagles. It got the name Blue Eagles when Ateneo adopted the Eagle as its mascot in 1938. Prior to that, from 1914 it was known under different names.

Ateneo has fifteen collegiate men's varsity teams that participate in fifteen sporting events of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, its mother league.

Team identity

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Team monikers

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When Ateneo started to participate in intercollegiate sports in 1914, its varsity basketball teams were simply referred to by the school community as the Ateneo Seniors and Ateneo Juniors. They were later dubbed the Blue and Whites by the sports press in the early 1920s when Ateneo joined sports leagues. When Ateneo adopted the Eagle as its mascot in 1938, the college team was given a new name: Blue Eagles. The Ateneo Blue Eagles are sometimes called the Hail Mary Quintet by the sports press. This moniker was given to the Blue Eagles in 1926 when sports press noticed that the team would pray the Hail Mary (as the school’s patroness is the Immaculate Conception) during game time-outs and would win by the skin of their teeth.[1][2]

Ateneo is one of the four UAAP member schools that participate in all of the fifteen sporting events of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. Until 2020, The Guidon, the school's official student publication, gave specific names to differentiate the various varsity teams.[3] However, beginning with UAAP Season 84 in May 2022, Ateneo de Manila University officially decided to unify student athletes and varsity teams under the "Blue Eagles" moniker moving forward, regardless of sport, gender, or age group.[4][5][6][7]

Former sport–specific monikers
Sport Men Women
Basketball Blue Eagles Lady Eagles
Football Blue Booters Lady Booters
Volleyball Blue Spikers Lady Eagles
Beach Volleyball Blue Beach Spikers Lady Beach Spikers
Baseball Blue Batters No team
Softball No team Lady Batters
Badminton Blue Shuttlers Lady Shuttlers
Tennis Blue Netters Lady Netters
Table Tennis Blue Paddlers Lady Paddlers
Track & Field Blue Tracksters Lady Tracksters
Swimming Blue Tankers Lady Tankers
Fencing Blue Fencers Lady Fencers
Judo Blue Judokas Lady Judokas
Taekwondo Blue Jins Lady Jins
Chess Blue Woodpushers Lady Woodpushers

Mascot and colors

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Ateneo has long been involved in intercollegiate sports dating back to 1914. It was a pioneer in Philippine collegiate sports. Ateneo was the first Philippine school to adopt a mascot, and was also the first school to field an organized cheering squad with cheerleaders which was later followed by another first when it introduced a Pep Band to augment the cheerleaders during games.[8][9][10][11]

The choice of an eagle as school mascot holds iconic significance. Conferred with the title "the King", the Blue Eagle is a reference to the "high-flying" Ateneo varsity teams which would "swoop down on the foe and sweep up the fields away" as a dominating force in the field of sports. Furthermore, there is some mythological significance to the eagle as a symbol of power.[10]

The school used to have live eagles as pets in the former Padre Faura campus and later on at the Grade School campus in Loyola Heights. A live eagle would lead the men's varsity basketball team at the start of a game in the NCAA as the team enters the basketball court for their warm-up with the school Band playing the fight song, "Blue Eagle – The King".[10]

Blue and White, being the colors of the school's patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary, were chosen as the school's colors. Thus blue and white are the colors of the uniforms of the varsity teams. Most of the school songs, yells and cheers have the words blue and white.

Athletic associations

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Collegiate leagues

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The Ateneo de Manila University is a member of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country. It fields teams in all fifteen sporting events of the league. Ateneo was a founding member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which was established in 1924. It left the NCAA in 1978 due to the league-wide violence prevalent at the time, and then joined the UAAP in the same year.[12]

Other tournaments

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Aside from the UAAP, the Ateneo Blue Eagles also participate during the UAAP preseason in other sports leagues/tournaments such as the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, V-League, Shakey's Super League, and Ang Liga.[13]

Team sports

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Basketball

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Main article: Ateneo Blue Eagles men's basketball team

Volleyball

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The Ateneo Volleyball Program enjoyed a modest success in the NCAA, having won a total of nine championships during a ten-year period from 1967 to 1976. The men's team had two titles and one from the women's, while the juniors team had won six titles. Ateneo dominated NCAA volleyball in the mid-1970s. In the UAAP, Ateneo has won five championships so far since transferring from the NCAA in 1978. These titles were won by the Lady Eagle Spikers in Season 76 (2013–14),[14] Season 77 (2014–15)[15] and Season 81 (2018–19)[16] and by the Blue Eagle Spikers in Season 77 (2014–15),[17] Season 78 (2015–16) and Season 79 (2016–17), finally ending a title drought of more than 30 years in UAAP volleyball.[18]

Championships

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Men's Reference
NCAA (2)
  • Season 51 (1975–76)
  • Season 52 (1976–77)
 [19]
[17]
UAAP (3)
  • Season 77 (2014–15)
  • Season 78 (2015–16)
  • Season 79 (2016–17)
Women's
NCAA (1) Season 52 (1976–77) [14]
[15]
[16]
[19]
UAAP (3)
  • Season 76 (2013–14)
  • Season 77 (2014–15)
  • Season 81 (2018–19)

Double Championships

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Men's / Women's Reference
NCAA Season (1) Season 52 (1976–77) [19]
UAAP Season (1) Season 77 (2014–15) [15]
[17]

UAAP Finals Appearances

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Finals Appearances Ref.
Men's (5)
  • Season 76 (2013–14)
  • Season 77 (2014–15)
  • Season 78 (2015–16)
  • Season 79 (2016–17)
  • Season 80 (2017–18)
 [20]
Women's (7)
  • Season 74 (2011–12)
  • Season 75 (2012–13)
  • Season 76 (2013–14)
  • Season 77 (2014–15)
  • Season 78 (2015–16)
  • Season 79 (2016–17)
  • Season 81 (2018–19)
 [21][22][14][15][23][24][16]
The Ateneo Blue Eagles Men's Volleyball Team
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Main article: Ateneo Blue Eagles men's volleyball
The Ateneo Blue Eagles Women's Volleyball Team
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Main article: Ateneo Blue Eagles women's volleyball

Football

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The Ateneo varsity football teams have won a total 19 championships, 9 in the NCAA and 10 in the UAAP. In the NCAA, the seniors have won 6 titles. The men's team were the first to win a football championship in the NCAA when they won the title on the maiden season of the NCAA in 1924. They also won their first back-to-back (1953 and 1954) championship in the NCAA. In the UAAP, the seniors (men) have won 8 titles. The men's team were three-peat champions after winning in Seasons 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06, a record that still holds today. Football was introduced in the UAAP Juniors Division as a demonstration sport in season 70 (2007–08) and declared a regular sport in season 72 (2009–10).

Football Championships

Notable football players

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Men's Division

Baseball

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Baseball Championships

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Men's
NCAA Season (2)
  • 1927–28
  • 1965–66
UAAP Season (4)
  • 2012–13
  • 2013–14
  • 2014–15
  • 2016–17

Notable baseball players

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Men's Division
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Women's Division
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Rankings

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This is Ateneo's ranking in the team sports in the UAAP since 1986, the year the UAAP became an eight member-school league:

UAAP Season Basketball Football Volleyball Baseball Softball
Men's Women's Men's Women's Men's Women's Men's Women's
50 (1987–88) 1st 2nd 5th Unknown Unknown Unknown 5th Unknown
51 (1988–89) 1st Unknown 4th Unknown Unknown Unknown 5th Unknown
52 (1989–90) 4th Unknown 2nd Unknown Unknown Unknown 4th Unknown
53 (1990–91) 3rd Unknown 5th Unknown Unknown Unknown 5th Unknown
54 (1991–92) 5th Unknown 4th Unknown Unknown Unknown 5th Unknown
55 (1992–93) 5th Unknown 6th Unknown Unknown Unknown 6th Unknown
56 (1993–94) 6th Unknown 7th Unknown 8th 6th 6th Unknown
57 (1994–95) 6th Unknown 6th Unknown 6th 5th 6th Unknown
58 (1995–96) 7th Unknown 1st Unknown 8th 5th 6th Unknown
59 (1996–97) 5th 7th 2nd 2nd Did not join 5th 6th 5th
60 (1997–98) 6th Unknown 2nd Unknown 8th Did not join 6th Unknown
61 (1998–99) 6th 7th 1st 4th 8th 8th 6th 6th
62 (1999–00) 3rd Unknown 2nd Unknown 8th 8th 6th Unknown
63 (2000–01) 3rd Unknown 2nd Unknown 8th 8th 6th Unknown
64 (2001–02) 2nd Unknown 3rd Unknown 8th 6th 6th Unknown
65 (2002–03) 1st Unknown 2nd Unknown 8th 6th 5th Unknown
66 (2003–04) 2nd Unknown 1st Unknown 8th 6th 6th Unknown
67 (2004–05) 2nd 2nd 1st Unknown 8th 7th 4th Unknown
68 (2005–06) 2nd 1st 1st 5th 8th 6th 3rd 6th
69 (2006–07) 2nd 3rd 4th 4th 5th 5th 4th 5th
70 (2007–08) 3rd 1st 2nd 4th 7th 4th 5th 6th
71(2008–09) 1st 6th 6th 4th 4th 5th 3rd 5th
72 (2009–10) 1st 6th 4th 5th 3rd 3rd 6th 5th
73 (2010–11) 1st 7th 6th 4th 6th 4th 4th 5th
74 (2011–12) 1st 5th 5th 5th 7th 2nd 2nd 5th
75 (2012–13) 1st 4th 1st 4th 6th 2nd 1st 6th
76 (2013–14) 5th 8th 7th 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 7th
77 (2014–15) 4th 5th 4th 3rd 1st 1st 1st 7th
78 (2015–16) 3rd 2nd 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 2nd 7th
79 (2016–17) 2nd 6th 1st 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 7th
80 (2017–18) 1st 6th 3rd 4th 2nd 3rd 3rd 7th
81 (2018–19) 1st 6th 1st 5th 3rd 1st 2nd 7th
82 (2019–20) 1st 6th

Championships

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Overall/General Championships
Ateneo has not won a UAAP General Championship in the seniors division since joining the UAAP in 1978. Its best finish was a third place in Season 75 (2012–13) and Season 79 (2016–17).

  • Seniors:
    • NCAA (1) – 1968–69
3x3 Basketball Championships
  • Men's: (Tournaments from 2017–18 until 2018–19 were classified as a Demonstration Sport)
    • UAAP (1) – 2018–19
Basketball Championships
  • Men's:
    • NCAA (14) – 1928–29, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1937–38, 1941–42, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1975–76, 1976–77
    • UAAP (12) – 1987–88, 1988–89, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23[25][26]
  • Women's:
    • UAAP (2) – 2005–06, 2007–08
Baseball Championships
  • Men's:
    • NCAA (2) – 1927–28, 1965–66
    • UAAP (4) – 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17
Football Championships
  • Men's:
    • NCAA (6) – 1924–25, 1941–42, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1967–68
    • UAAP (8) – 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2018–19
Volleyball Championships
  • Men's:
    • NCAA (2) – 1975–76, 1976–77
    • UAAP (3) – 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
  • Women's:
    • NCAA (1) – 1976–77
    • UAAP (3) – 2013–14, 2014–15, 2018–19
Badminton Championships
  • Men's:
    • UAAP (7) – 1995–96, 1996–97, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2023–24[27]
  • Women's:
    • UAAP (7) – 2003–04, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24[27]
Lawn Tennis Championships
  • Men's:
    • NCAA (1) – 1939–40
    • UAAP (1) – 2000–01
Fencing Championships
  • Women's:
    • UAAP (2) – 2006–07, 2018–19
Swimming Championships
  • Men's:
    • UAAP (9) – 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24[28]
  • Women's:
    • UAAP (6) – 2008–09, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
Judo Championships
  • Men's:
    • UAAP (8) – 1997–98, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18
Athletics (track and field) Championships
  • Men's: (Tournaments from 1925–26 until 1952–53 consisted of events in relay and track and field)
    • NCAA (9) – 1925–56 (relay), 1934–35 (relay), 1949–50 (T/F), 1960–61, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70

Sports traditions

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The Ateneo has several traditions related to sports. Most of these traditions have been introduced by the American Jesuits after they took over the administration of Ateneo in 1912.

References

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  1. ^ "Ateneo de Manila University". ateneo.edu.
  2. ^ "Five-peat". July 21, 2012.
  3. ^ "Blue Eagle flying high". The GUIDON.
  4. ^ "It's official: Ateneo teams to be called 'Blue Eagles'". ABS-CBN News. May 5, 2022.
  5. ^ "All Ateneo varsity teams to be called 'Blue Eagles'". Inquirer. May 5, 2022.
  6. ^ "Ateneo unites all varsity teams under one Blue Eagles banner". SPIN.ph. May 5, 2022.
  7. ^ "All Ateneo student-athletes to be called Blue Eagles". Tiebreaker Times. May 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Roman A. Cruz, Jr. "The Ateneo Story." Aegis. 1959
  9. ^ "Ateneo de Manila University".
  10. ^ a b c "Ateneo de Manila University". Archived from the original on December 14, 2010.
  11. ^ "Ateneo de Manila University".
  12. ^ Liao, Henry (July 15, 2013). "NCAA's tragic seasons". Bandera-Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  13. ^ Licas, Luis Antonio (September 6, 2023). "Blue Eagles fend off Altas to remain undefeated in V-League Collegiate Challenge". The GUIDON.
  14. ^ a b c Razon, Chino (March 16, 2014). "The heart of a champion is strong: Ateneo Women's Volleyball Team bag Season 76 crown". The GUIDON. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d Decangchon/Aycardo, Faith/Lorenzo (March 15, 2015). "Ateneo Lady Eagles crowned as UAAP Season 77 champions". The GUIDON. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c Lising, Charmie (May 18, 2019). "Lady Eagles pummel Golden Tigresses to clinch UAAP women's volleyball title". ESPN. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c Ganglani, Naveen (March 7, 2015). "Ateneo reigns supreme in UAAP men's volleyball". Rappler. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  18. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (May 6, 2017). "Perfect Ateneo pulls off UAAP men's volley three-peat". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c "Bonfire blues". BusinessMirror. March 22, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  20. ^ Naredo, Camille B. (May 2, 2018). "UAAP volleyball: What's next for Ateneo's Marck Espejo?". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  21. ^ Naredo, Camille B. (March 1, 2012). "La Salle blasts Ateneo to retain volleyball crown". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  22. ^ Bello, Raizza P. (March 10, 2013). "Lady Spikers bow to three-peat champs De La Salle University". The GUIDON. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  23. ^ Ganglani, Naveen (April 30, 2016). "La Salle reclaims UAAP title after defeating Ateneo". Rappler. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  24. ^ Camille B. Naredo, Faith/Lorenzo (May 6, 2017). "UAAP women's volleyball: La Salle rallies past Ateneo to win championship". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  25. ^ Go, Gian Y. (August 21, 2014). "Drive after five". The GUIDON. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  26. ^ Riego, Normie (December 22, 2022). "How Tab Baldwin rebuilt Ateneo into another title-winning team". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "Ateneo badminton completes UAAP golden double". Rappler. November 12, 2023. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  28. ^ "Ateneo nails men's swimming 8-peat, UP reclaims women's throne". Rappler. November 27, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
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