Slippery Rock University#Athletics

Slippery Rock University was founded in 1889 under the name "Slippery Rock State Normal School" as a teacher training school. James E. Morrow was the first president. The school was purchased by the Commonwealth in 1926 and became a four-year college.

"Slippery Rock State College" was established in 1960 and issued undergraduate and graduate degrees within the liberal arts and other professions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sru.edu/about/history|title=History|website=Slippery Rock University}} From 1960 to 1971, enrollment rose from 1,314 to 6,020 students, before eclipsing 7,000 in 1988 and 8,000 in 2005.{{Cite web |title=History and Traditions |url=https://www.sru.edu/about/history-and-traditions |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=sru.edu |language=en}}

"Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania" became the school's current and formal name on July 1, 1983, when Act 188 went into effect to establish Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, and converted 12 state-owned colleges into universities.{{Cite web |title=About the State System {{!}} PA State System of Higher Ed |url=https://passhe.oudeve.com/about/index.html |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=passhe.oudeve.com |language=en}}

The majority of the campus, including the census-designated place, is in Slippery Rock Township.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st42_pa/cousub/cs4201971192_slippery_rock/DC20BLK_CS4201971192.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Slippery Rock township, PA|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-10-18}}
{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st42_pa/place/p4271210_slippery_rock_university/DC20BLK_P4271210.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Slippery Rock University CDP, PA|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-10-18|quote=Slippery Rock Univ}} A portion of the university property to the west is in Slippery Rock Borough.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st42_pa/place/p4271184_slippery_rock/DC20BLK_P4271184.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Slippery Rock borough, PA|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-10-18|quote=Slippery Rock Univ}}

File:Slippery Rock University aerial.jpg

SRU offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and 40 graduate degree programs and certificates across the following five colleges:{{Cite web |title=Colleges & Departments |url=https://www.sru.edu/academics/colleges-and-departments |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=sru.edu |language=en}}

• College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Engineering and Science
• College of Health Professions
• College of Liberal Arts

SRU offers 51 programs that hold national accreditations and 92% of faculty members holding a Ph.D. or other terminal degree.{{Cite web |title=Admissions |url=https://www.sru.edu/admissions |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=sru.edu |language=en}}

SRU was ranked by U.S. News & World Report on its list of "Best Regional Universities - North" and "Top Public Schools – Regional Universities (North)."{{Cite web |title=SRU named a top 50 'Best Regional University' in 2024 U.S. News Best College rankings |url=https://www.sru.edu/news/091923a |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=sru.edu |language=en}} SRU has earned a spot on the U.S. News' Best Regional Universities 15 straight years. The Princeton Review also recognized SRU on its "Best Mid-Atlantic" list.{{Cite web |title=SRU listed among 'Best Mid-Atlantic' Colleges in 2024 Princeton Review's Best Colleges Guide |url=https://www.sru.edu/news/100923a |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=sru.edu |language=en}}

Cheryl Joy Norton, the university's first female president, was in office from 2012 to 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.sru.edu/president/Pages/Home.aspx |title=Welcome! |publisher=Sru.edu |date=2012-04-05 |access-date=2012-10-02}}{{cite web |url=http://www.theonlinerocket.com/news/dr-cheryl-norton-named-as-first-female-president-of-sru-1.2840841 |title=Dr. Cheryl Norton named as first female president of SRU – News – The Rocket – Slippery Rock University |publisher=Theonlinerocket.com |date=2012-04-05 |access-date=2012-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809125345/http://www.theonlinerocket.com/news/dr-cheryl-norton-named-as-first-female-president-of-sru-1.2840841 |archive-date=2012-08-09 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Slippery Rock's president announces retirement |author= Nuzum, Lydia |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2016/12/09/slippery-rocks-president-announces-retirement.html |newspaper=Pittsburgh Business Times |date=9 December 2016 |access-date=10 December 2016}} William J. Behre served from 2018 to 2022.{{Cite web |title=SRU President William Behre announces retirement |url=https://www.sru.edu/news/021522a |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=sru.edu |language=en}} Karen Riley took office in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Karen Riley named president of Slippery Rock University |url=https://www.sru.edu/news/122122a |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=sru.edu |language=en}}

file:Sru athletics logo.png

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania competes in the NCAA Division II and is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

Slippery Rock University's official mascot is Rocky the Lion.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sru.edu/about/rockys-bio-(mascot)|title=Rocky, The Pride of The Rock|website=sru.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-10-09}}

Men's teams:

Baseball,

basketball,

cross country,

football,

soccer,

indoor track & field, and

outdoor track & field

Women's teams:

Basketball,

cross country,

field hockey,

lacrosse,

soccer,

softball,

tennis,

indoor track & field,

outdoor track & field, and

volleyball

The announcement of Slippery Rock's football scores is a tradition at University of Michigan Football games, started in 1959 by Michigan Stadium's public address announcer Steve Filipiak.{{cite web|url=http://www.rockathletics.com/sports/2007/11/7/FB_1107073836.aspx |title=Slippery Rock University Athletics – Tradition |publisher=Rockathletics.com |access-date=2012-10-02}} The tradition spread to other stadiums as well—during a 1970 game at the University of Texas, the announcer failed to read Slippery Rock’s score, which resulted in the crowd demanding to know said score.{{cite web |title=Slippery Rock University Football - College Football's Biggest Little Team |url=https://butlerhistorical.org/items/show/38 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831180255/http://butlerhistorical.org/items/show/38 |archive-date=August 31, 2018 |website=butlerhistorical.org}}

The varsity wrestling program competed from the 1958–59 to 2005–06 academic years at the university.{{cite web |date=April 25, 2013 |title=Rock Wrestling History |url=https://rockathletics.com/sports/2013/4/25/WREST_0425134044.aspx |access-date=January 1, 2024 |website=rockathletics.com}}

In 1995, the women's water polo team won the intercollegiate national championship conducted by USA Water Polo.{{cite web |title=National Women's Collegiate Champs |url=http://www.waterpoloplanet.com/womens_championship.html |access-date=March 10, 2025 |website=waterpoloplanet.com}}

In 1987, the women's judo team, a varsity sport team at the time, won the intercollegiate national championship conducted by the National Collegiate Judo Association.{{cite web | title= Collegiate tournament results | url= http://www.collegejudo.com/results.html | access-date= 2009-09-05 | url-status= usurped | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090909020619/http://www.collegejudo.com/results.html | archive-date= 2009-09-09 }}

Slippery Rock ice hockey joined other colleges and universities in the region to form the College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA) in 2006. In 2020, the university suspended the hockey program for the indefinite future.{{Cite web |last=Major |first=Ed II |date=December 21, 2020 |title=Slippery Rock suspends men's hockey, future of program uncertain |url=http://burghhockey.com/slippery-rock-suspends-mens-hockey-future-program-uncertain/ |access-date=December 21, 2020 |website=Pittsburgh Hockey Digest |language=en-US}}

Slippery Rock men's rugby won the 2024 7s rugby National Championship at the Collegiate Rugby Championship in Washington, D.C. on April 27, 2024.

The Aebersold Student Recreation Center is an {{Convert|82000|ft2|adj=on}} on-campus student recreation center.{{cite web|url=http://www.sru.edu/life-at-sru/health-and-wellness/campus-recreation/facilities-and-rentals|title=Aebersold Student Recreation Center|publisher=sru.edu|access-date=2018-07-03}}

SRU has a student newspaper called The Rocket, the radio station 88.1 WSRU-FM, and the literary magazine SLAB.

Part of the property forms a census-designated place.

The school district covering the CDP, as well as the rest of the township and the Slippery Rock borough, is the Slippery Rock Area School District.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st42_pa/schooldistrict_maps/c42019_butler/DC20SD_C42019.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Butler County, PA|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-10-18}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st42_pa/schooldistrict_maps/c42019_butler/DC20SD_C42019_SD2MS.txt Text list]

{{alumni|date=January 2024}}

• Matt Adams – baseball player
• Janet Anderson – golfer
• Cheryl Bailey – commissioner of National Women's Soccer League
• Francis V. Barnes – Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2005
• Stephen Bolles – lawyer and politician
• Myron Brown – basketball player
• Todd Tamanend Clark (1983) – poet and composer
• Matthew Driscoll ('92) – basketball coach
• Stanley Dziedzic ('72) – wrestler
• Michael J. Estocin – Medal of Honor recipient
• Brandon Fusco – football player
• Wes Hills – football player
• Greg Hopkins – football player
• Donnie Iris – musician
• Charles William Kerr – pastor
• Jodi Kest – basketball coach
• Matt Kinsinger – football player
• Gary L. Lancaster – U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• Greg Paterra – football player
• Sarah Patterson – gymnastics coach
• Lawrence Reed – president of the Foundation for Economic Education
• M. Richard Rose (1955-2021) – former President of Alfred University and the Rochester Institute of Technology
• Richard Schweiker – politician
• Robert J. Stevens – chief executive officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation
• C. Vivian Stringer – basketball coach
• John Stuper – baseball player and college baseball coach{{cite news |last1=Sybert |first1=Steve |title=Campus life lures Stuper to Yale |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110290748/campus-life-lures-stuper-to-yale/ |access-date=27 September 2022 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=29 April 1992 |pages=76}}
• Lou Trivino – baseball player
• Royce Waltman – basketball coach

{{reflist}}

{{commons cat}}

• {{official website}}
• [http://www.rockathletics.com/ Athletics website]

{{Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education}}

{{Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference navbox}}

{{CHMA}}

{{Pittsburgh Universities}}

{{authority control}}

{{coord|41.062|-80.043|region:US-PA_type:edu|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania}}

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1889

Category:Universities and colleges in Butler County, Pennsylvania

Category:Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

Category:Public universities and colleges in Pennsylvania

Category:1889 establishments in Pennsylvania