University Archives Student Research Guide: UB Athletics History
UB Athletics History - An Introduction
The University at Buffalo has a long and colorful college sports history starting in 1894 when 14 UB students formed the first football team. One notable event was the 1958 football team winning the Lambert Cup, followed closely by an invitation for the team to participate in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando. The team ultimately decided not to attend as Florida was segregated, and Black teammates Willie Evans and Mike Wilson would have been banned from playing.
A key moment in the history of women's sports at UB was in 1922 when Lillias MacDonald, Dean of Women, established a physical education program for women, which included the Women's Athletic Association (WAA). Another milestone was the passing of Title IX in 1972, stating "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." After 1972, Women's Cross Country, Track, Soccer, and Softball were added as varsity sports. A Title IX trailblazer, Nanette (Nan) Harvey served the Bulls for 30 years, first as a two-sport student-athlete, then as a coach, and finally as an administrator. Nan Harvey softball field at UB is named in her honor.
Notable athletic events hosted at UB were the Empire State Games (1985-1986) and the international collegiate World University Games (1993). UB is also known for it's Marching Band, the Thunder of the East.
Images

Willie Evans, UB Varsity Football team player, 1958-1959 season. #UBS_1958F_0511, UB Sports History

UB Women's Tennis Club team, 1923 season. #UBS_1923WS_0101, UB Sport History

UB Women's Basketball team player takes a free throw in a game with Alfred University, 1984 season. #UBS_10206_001, UB Sports History

Illustration of a UB Hockey team player, 1923. #UBS_1923H_0036, UB Sports History

Thunder of the East Marching Band trumpet player performing at Homecoming, 2006. #20224002, UB Photo Database Archives

UB Women's Field Hockey players at practice in front of Hayes Hall, 1953-1954 season. #UBS_1954WS_0061, UB Sports History

World University Games opening ceremony at Ralph Wilson Stadium, 1993. #2078, UB Photo Database Archives

UB Women's Diving team member in action, 1990 season. #UBS_15100_001, UB Sports History

Cheerleader in air during game, 2000. #1004066, UB Photo Database Archives
Recommended Collections
The following are collections in the University Archives related to athletics at UB. You can use any of these resources to identify collections and primary sources of interest. You can also conduct your own keyword search via our Finding Aids Database. If you see the description of an item you would like to view, contact lib-archives@buffalo.edu.
- 3-4-700: Empire State Games ephemera and artifacts
- 3-4-1408: Bruce A. Kolesnick World University Games collection
- Division of Athletics Media Guides
- 31-0-1238: UB Athletics History records
- 31-0-1349: Division of Athletics History collection
- 31-1-931: Athletics NCAA Self Study Materials
- 31-3-1303: Tom Borrelli University at Buffalo football programs collection
- 31-3-1355: Willie Evans collection
- 31-11-1411: Frank J. Cipolla Marching Band collection
- 31-13-1415: Pete Weber University at Buffalo Play by Play collection
- Nan Harvey biographical file
Online Resources
Use the following resources to supplement your primary source research.
- Finding Aids database
- Finding aids are documents that describe/list the items in archival collections
- Navigate to the link to conduct a search for a subject or topic to reveal relevant collections in the University Archives
- If you see the description of an item you would like to view, contact lib-archives@buffalo.edu.
- UB Sports History database - Browse for timelines and images of UB Athletics
- UB Digital Collections
- UB Sports History image collection
- Buffalonian yearbooks - Click on yearbooks to see action and team shots of UB Athletics
- University Archives Historical Film Collection - Search for the word "football" to see film of games
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- UB Homecoming guide - Information about Homecoming football games, events, and Queens and Kings
- The Bee (1921-1950)
- Available through NYS Historic Newspapers
- Full-text searchable database containing the complete run of The Bee.
- Navigate to the search bar to conduct an advanced search
- The Spectrum (1955-2009)
- Full-text searchable database containing issues of The Spectrum from 1955-2009
- Earlier issues published under different names are also available (for more information, see the Student Publications page of this guide)