The Loyola Ramblers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Horizon League, formerly the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. Loyola University boasts men's and women's teams in
basketball, cross
country, track, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball. The Loyola Ramblers title is originated in the late 1800s as
a nickname given to the school's football team. As one of the winningest teams in the country, people spoke of Loyola's football
team "rambling from town to town to victories." Today, Loyola University no longer has a football team. Outside of the NCAA
regulated athletics programs, Loyola Ramblers also compete in non-traditional intercollegiate sports such as cricket, rugby and several extreme sports.The Loyola Ramblers mascot is Lou Wolf. Lou Wolf was inspired by the Basque coat-of-arms of Saint Ignatius of Loyola depicting two wolves over a kettle. The
popular mascot, which had become a Chicago institution through several generations, received a facelift over the summer of
2000.