Men's Basketball
Date(s) of occurrence: 1903- Present
Previous/other names: Red Raiders, Hillmen
History:
In 1903 UNB entered a men’s basketball team into the newly formed Fredericton City Basketball League, winning the title in its first year. In 1913-1914, several attempts were made to create an inter-collegiate basketball league, but all attempts fell through. In 1917 a new City Basketball league was formed, and UNB once again entered. In 1919 the efforts for forming an intercollegiate basketball league were renewed and successful, although the basketball season was over by the time the league formed. The intercollegiate league began playing the following year. By 1932 the University Monthly referred to the team as the Hillmen
In 1941 intercollegiate Sports were suspended due to the war. All intercollegiate leagues were suspended, and teams played only exhibition games or entered in local leagues. In 1942 the men’s basketball team were restricted to two away games due to wartime budget, and as such were unable to enter the intermediate league play downs. Between 1942 and 1946 the rules governing where and what the men could play varied. In 1944 the men played in the Provincial Intermediate Championship, and in 1945 UNB put out two competing teams, Varsity and Junior Varsity, for the first time. Also in 1945, the Varsity men flew to Cape Breton for the Maritime Finals, gaining the title, while Junior Varsity won the NB Junior title, and qualified as Maritime Junior finalists they were unable to travel due to finances. The following year the Ban on intercollegiate sports was lifted. By 1959 the Men’s team had become known as the Red Raiders. Men's basketball is currently active in the UNB campus, and the team is now known as the Varsity Reds, like many others.
Notes:
Source(s):
- Up the Hill, 1941
- Up the Hill, 1942
- Up the Hill, 1943
- Up the Hill, 1944
- Up the Hill, 1945
- Up the Hill, 1946
- Up the Hill, 1959
- University Monthly, vol 22, no. 6
- University Monthly, vol 33, no. 6
- University Monthly, vol 36, no. 4
- University Monthly, vol 38, no. 4
© UNB Archives & Special Collections, 2014