Georgetown Hoyas Basketball Tickets

So, what IS a Hoya, anyway? We’ll tell you at the end of this summary. First, here’s some information about Georgetown hoops.

Georgetown’s basketball program dates to 1907, and they played in various conferences before joining the Big East in 1979. That’s when things got interesting.

After a conference title and two NCAA Tournament berths in two Big East seasons, head coach John Thompson landed one of the most prized recruits in the history of college basketball: Center Patrick Ewing.

As a freshman, Ewing was a defensive force, averaging 3.2 blocks per game and intimidating anyone who entered the lane. The Hoyas reached the national title game that year, losing 63-62 to North Carolina on a game-winning jumper from freshman Michael Jordan.

The Hoyas won the national championship in 1984 – with Ewing named as the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player – and were upset in the 1985 NCAA final by conference rival Villanova.

Georgetown plays home games at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The facility holds more than 20,000 fans for basketball, and sits above a Washington Metro station. You can find parking in the neighborhood, but public transit is more convenient and affordable.

So to answer the original question…here’s the story from the Georgetown website: “Many years ago, when all Georgetown students were required to study Greek and Latin, the University’s teams were nicknamed ‘The Stonewalls.’ It is suggested that a student, using Greek and Latin terms, started the cheer ‘Hoya Saxa!’, which translated into ‘What Rocks!’ The name proved popular and the term ‘Hoyas’ was eventually adopted for all Georgetown teams.”