Where is Creighton University? What to know about the March Madness school
The first week of March Madness is well underway, with the round of 64 wrapping up Friday.
In true March Madness fashion, this year's NCAA tournament has already seen some upsets. The Creighton Bluejays, though, delivered an unsurprising 77-60 win, as the No. 3-seeded team flexed its muscles against a No. 14 seed, the Akron Zips.
The Bluejays advance to the second round, which takes place Saturday when they face No. 11 Oregon at PPG Paints Arena.
Creighton's No.7-seeded women's basketball team takes on No. 10 UNLV in the first round of the women's tournament Saturday.
The Bluejays are in their third consecutive women's tournament this year and fourth straight men's tourney. Last year, the men's team was seconds away from reaching the Final Four before losing to eventual runner-up, San Diego State, in the Elite Eight.
Despite the program's success in basketball, Creighton may still be unknown throughout parts of the country, meaning many sports fans may not know where the university is located.
Here's what to know about the Jesuit, Catholic university.
Where is Creighton University?
Creighton is a Catholic and Jesuit comprehensive university located in Omaha, Nebraska.
As a Jesuit institution, the school participates in the tradition of the Society of Jesus, centering around a "knowledge and love" of Jesus Christ and placing an emphasis on community service. As a Catholic institution, Creighton is also guided by the tradition of the Catholic Church.
There are more than 4,400 undergraduate and 4,300 graduate and professional students enrolled. The university ranked in the top third of national universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 rankings for Best Colleges, according to the school website.
What is Creighton's mascot?
Creighton's mascot is Billy Bluejay, a big blue bird. The current iteration of Billy has been around since Creighton Athletics’ 2013 rebranding, according to the school's alumni page.
Billy is Creighton's first and only mascot (it did, however, have an unofficial nickname, the Hilltoppers, at one time), selected through a contest ran by the Omaha Bee, a local newspaper, in 1923. Two hundred entries were submitted to the newspaper's contest, including the Creighton Golden Rods, Creighton Shamrocks, Creighton Tigers and Creighton Bears. But the winner, of course, was the Creighton Bluejays, largely because the animal matched the school's colors (white and blue).
How many times has Creighton played in March Madness?
This year marks the fourth consecutive March Madness appearance for the Creighton men's team. In total, the Bluejays have made 25 appearances in the NCAA men's tournament, including five Sweet Sixteen appearances and two trips to the Elite Eight. The team has yet to advance to the Final Four.
The women's basketball team enters this year's NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year and the 10th time overall. The team has secured at least one win in six of its previous nine NCAA tournament appearances. The Bluejays last advanced to the Elite Eight in 2022, when they lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks 80-50. They've yet to make the Final Four.
How to watch Creighton in March Madness
The second-round NCAA men's tournament game between Creighton and Oregon broadcasts on TBS at 9:40 p.m. ET. The NCAA is also streaming all men's tourney games on the March Madness Live app or through ncaa.com/march-madness-live/watch.
The Creighton women's team play its first-round game against UNLV at 7 p.m. ET Saturday. It will air on ESPNews.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: March Madness: Where is Creighton University?
