For decades, Columbia University’s basketball scene was dominated by its men’s team, with women’s basketball absent from the campus until 1984. An alum who attended Columbia in the 1960s recalls that he frequently watched the men’s games as a student and even provided play-by-play commentary for WKCR, the university’s student radio station.
During his time as an undergraduate, the men’s home games were held in University Hall, described as an old gym with obstructed views. The Lions struggled on the court, enduring several losing seasons. However, their fortunes improved during the 1965-66 season when Dave Newmark led them to an 18-6 record. The following year, a dormitory accident sidelined Newmark, and Columbia posted a losing record again.
Hope returned when freshmen Jim McMillian and Heyward Dotson joined the team. With Newmark back for the 1967-68 season, Columbia achieved significant victories over major teams like West Virginia and Louisville during a tournament at Madison Square Garden. This success resulted in a 16-game winning streak, an Ivy League championship, and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. At one point that season, Columbia was ranked sixth nationally—a level of achievement not seen since among Ivy League teams.
After McMillian left, however, the men’s team experienced another long stretch of poor performance. Over more than four decades since their last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1968, they have managed only five winning seasons.
In contrast to this history of struggles on the men’s side, recent years have seen notable improvement for Columbia women’s basketball. After nearly three decades marked mostly by losing records up through 2016, Megan Griffith took over as head coach in March of that year. Since then, the women’s program has made significant progress.
Those interested can read more details about this transformation in The Guardian.
For updates on Columbia women’s basketball or to follow their progress on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsWBB), visit GoColumbiaLions.com.
