Kansas Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks, often simply referred to as the ‘Hawks’ or KU, are the athletic teams of the University of Kansas. They compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Big 12 Conference. The official school colors for all athletics is crimson and blue.

The team’s name derives from an old folk-tale about a farmer who named his rooster “Jayhawk” after seeing it kill a sparrow hawk—a type of predatory bird—in battle during harvest time. As such, these birds have become important mascots for KU sports teams since their introduction at University events in 1886 by Professor Ephraim Squier (who was also credited with introducing baseball to Lawrence). In March 2012, the mascot changed its look slightly to reflect current trends while keeping its traditional style intact; this included changing color schemes from red and white to mostly dark blue and gold with some hints of red throughout its body feathers.
KU has had success on both sides of collegiate competition: they won three consecutive National Championships in men’s basketball between 1952–1954 under legendary coach Phog Allen; they’ve also achieved great heights in football over recent years including five conference championships since 2002 under head coaches Mark Mangino (2002 & ’07) and Charlie Weis (’06,’08,’10); additionally their women’s track & field program remains one of most competitive nationally having earned two national titles (’91&’93).

In addition to athletic accolades, several alumni have gone on successful careers post-graduation including professional athletes like Paul Pierce; academics such as former Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice; plus media personalities Bill Self (head basketball coach), David Guthrie (ESPN analyst) etc… All collectively continue showing that being part Jayhawk means something special!